Asking Landon to accompany me dress shopping may go down in history as the stupidest idea ever. Maybe not, though, I mean, he agreed to go. I want to spend as much time as possible with him, and I have to get this done, so why not combine the activities? Besides, asking him proves I’m better at this assertiveness than I thought. A few days ago the thought of initiating an invitation on a date freaked me out. Now I’ve not only asked him out again, and he said yes, but I plan on inviting him to my company holiday party, too.

It’s like I’m a whole new woman.

I pick him up on Saturday morning when warmer temperatures welcome us. September was normal, but October and November both boasted higher than average temperatures. Mother Nature threw a snowstorm into the mix, but today is a mild forty degree day, crazy for December in Wisconsin. I’ll take it, though, and toss on my jean jacket instead of my puffy, winter blue one.

He looks so cool in his sleek, black jacket and that damn hat. I love that hat. It pulls over his head and just above his eyebrows. Those eyes draw me in, and I feel like they’re always focused on me. We haven’t seen each other all week, which seems like a lifetime, and he greets me with a gentle kiss.

“Thanks for coming with me,” I tell him as I pull away from the kiss. I want to keep kissing him but I have shopping to do.

“No problem. I’ve done this stuff with my sister before. Truth be told, I kind of like it.”

“You do?” Never have I met a man who enjoyed clothes shopping with a girlfriend. The thought halts me for a moment. Am I his girlfriend? As he brushes his lips against mine again, he confirms it.

“Yeah. My mom always took my sister for this kind of stuff, and after she passed away, I kind of stepped in. Her husband would have, I’m sure, but taking Abby and her shopping and letting them both be princesses for a day kind of became our thing. I was glad to do it.”

My heart overflows with how sweet this man is. He loves so much, gives so much. I can’t let this go too far. I’m not like Carly, meeting someone and a year later saying “I do” in a wedding planned so fast it makes your head spin. No way. Marriage may never even be on the table for me. My parents made sure of that.

“That’s really sweet. You and your sister are close, aren’t you?”

“Yep. Very close. We never were until after Mom died. I mean, we got along and everything, but we weren’t friends. Now I’d say we’re friends, if not best friends. Our dad up and left town after she passed, and we’ve barely seen him since.”

“Are you sad about that?” Part of me thinks I’m a horrible person because I don’t have a relationship with my dad. We used to. He’d take me to the race track during the summer. Outside of race season, we’d go to the go-karting place and compete against each other. This lasted for a few years after he and Mom divorced, but eventually, we saw each other less and less. When he started dating seriously younger women, I put distance between us. I love him—he’s my father—but it hasn’t been the same since.

He shrugs. “Sometimes, I guess. I mean, he’s my dad. I only wish he hadn’t been such a coward that last year. He could have taken advantage of the time we had left but instead, he pulled away. I forgive him though.”

“You do?”

“Of course. I can’t fault him for being scared and running away. Do I think he made the right choice? No. Do I wish he was more present in our lives now? Yes. Still, it’s not my place to judge.”

I can’t be as forgiving as Landon is. He’s a better person than me. I have more closure with my dad than with Hunter. I’m still so mad at him. If Hunter needed the money, he should have come to me or our mom. It was his fault he pissed away his money to try to keep up with the Joneses. He made the choice to steal from our mother. It’s all on him.

I hold my forefinger and thumb up. “Don’t you judge him just a little?”

“Not anymore. I did. When my mom passed away and he couldn’t be there for us, I was upset. He left the funeral early and didn’t even attend the burial. I mean, who does that? It wasn’t until a few years later I realized that a man with his heart so broken he can barely deal with the truth does.”

I blow out a breath. I’m amazed at how he views the situation with his dad. I’ve tried to be forgiving when it comes to my family but I can’t find it within me. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why my father needs to be with someone so young and why my brother resorts to stealing from his family.

Maybe I’m ashamed. And shame is an awful thing to live with.

“I wish I were so understanding. I find it hard to let things go sometimes, especially when people I love are hurt because of it. Including me.”

“You’ll get there in time. Trust me.”

“I highly doubt that.”

My body tingles when he touches my knee. “You will.”

“How do you do it, Landon? You’re such a stand-up guy. You tell it like it is, but there’s so much love behind it no one can ever take offense or be upset by it.”

“Is that what you think of me?”

“It’s what I know.” I flip through my memory file of people I’ve met through the years. No one even comes close to comparing to Landon. The whole package is sitting in my car okay with spending the day shopping for dresses with me and stopping off at Carly’s florist (that part he doesn’t know yet, but I’m more than positive he’ll be okay with it). “I’ve never known anyone quite like you.”

His silence puts me on alert. It’s not as though I expect a response but he always has something to respond with. What is he thinking about as he stares out the window when we reach the mall parking lot? Is he regretful he came with me? It’s driving me crazy not knowing what is going through his mind.

“Thanks, Jules. That means a lot. And the feeling is mutual. You’re incredible.”

My heart skips a beat as I catch my breath. Good save. This is the start of something. I can feel it. I’ve always wanted something just like this. And now it may finally have arrived.

I find a spot about halfway down the third row. A weekend in December? You bet the lot is packed full. And how I managed to not be on the schedule with Santa is beyond me, but I’m happy I can spend this time with Landon.

“Are you ready? Because I plan on trying on a bazillion dresses.”

He reaches over and places his hand on mine. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”