The next morning, David checked the address on the paper one more time before turning left onto Clear Springs Road. He was so nervous, his hands shook, and as he glanced out the window at the tall oak trees lining the road, he took a couple of deep breaths to try and relax.

He’d barely slept a wink the night before because he was so anxious about the date going well, and he’d tried on at least five different shirts before throwing his hands in the air and settling on one of his nicer T-shirts and a pair of jeans. Braxton advised him to dress comfortably for Antelope Island, so that’s what he did.

The weather was exceptional. It was the first week of April, and the daytime temperatures were staying in the low seventies. Today, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and he couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful day for his and Candice’s first date if he tried.

He shook his head in frustration. “Stop it, David,” he grumbled. “Remember, she wants to take this slowly, so stop calling it a date. Right now, you’re just trying to get to know each other better as friends. That’s all.”

No matter how many times he’d reprimanded himself for rushing things along, he still couldn’t help getting his hopes up. He had a really good feeling about the road they were on, and he would do whatever it took to help Candice see it too.

David read the house numbers on the mailboxes out loud and started slowing down when he got closer to Candice’s house. His heart nearly thumped right out of his chest when he saw 1431 on a red mailbox painted with bright pink and yellow daisies. When he turned into her driveway, he saw Candice standing on her front porch and a young girl, who he assumed was Sarah, playing on a swing set beside the house.

The small wood-frame house was a bit older than the other homes he’d passed on Clear Springs Road, but it still looked quaint and cozy. He hoped she might invite him inside for a while before they ventured to the park, but as soon as he stopped his truck, she was bounding off the front porch like she was in a rush to leave or timid about inviting him inside her home.

David turned off the engine and stepped out of the truck just as Sarah jumped off the swing and came barreling through the front yard. Her hair was long and brown like Candice’s, and she definitely had her mom’s big, beautiful smile. She ran to Candice and grabbed her hand, and as they walked over to greet him, he cleared his throat and hoped for the best.

“Good morning. You must be Sarah,” he said, as he held out his right hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m David.”

She shook his hand so ecstatically, she nearly ripped his arm from its socket. “Is it true? Are we really going to Antelope Island? My friend, Molly, said they have hiking trails where you can see buffalos—real live buffalos! Did you know that?”

David laughed as he tried to decide which question to answer first. Her eyes were as big and round as silver dollars, and she was so excited, she looked like she could literally jump right out of her skin.

“You know what? I heard the exact same thing, so it must be true,” David replied with a wink.

Sarah clapped her hands together and bounced on her tiptoes. “This is going to be so much fun! I’ll get my booster seat.”

She was off and running again before he could blink, and he shook his head in amazement as he looked at Candice.

“Did I happen to mention she’s very talkative?” she asked. “You’re probably already wondering what in the world you’ve gotten yourself into.”

David smiled. “I think she’s adorable, just like her mom.”

Candice’s cheeks reddened. “I should help her. I’ll be right back.”

She followed Sarah to her car where they both worked together to get Sarah’s booster seat unbuckled and out of the back seat. He was used to seeing Candice in dresses and heels, so to see her now in a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and hiking boots was almost too much for his heart to take. Her hair hung loose and swayed with the breeze, and the way her hips sashayed when she walked made his pulse quicken.

Hearing the car door slam shut jolted David from his daydream, and he turned his attention to helping Candice get Sarah and the booster seat safely buckled in the back seat of his truck.

“This is a big truck,” Sarah commented. “I like it. What color is it? It looks dark blue, but it could be black. What would you call it?”

David grinned. “I believe it’s a dark shade of blue. That’s why I bought it. Blue is my favorite color. What’s yours?”

She squinted like she was deep in thought while he and Candice got in the front seat and buckled themselves in. He started the engine and slowly backed out of the driveway. Sarah was quite the talker, but it was fun seeing her animated expressions.

“I like purple,” she replied. “Yesterday, I turned my doll’s hair purple with a marker I brought home from school.”

Candice’s jaw slacked as she turned in her seat to stare at her daughter, and he didn’t miss the stunned look on her face. He guessed it was the first she’d heard about the marker and the purple doll hair, but Sarah ignored her and kept talking nonstop.

“I like yellow too … and red, but I don’t like pink. It reminds me of the cotton candy my daddy bought at the fair when I was four, and I got some stuck in my hair. Do you remember that, Mommy? You had to cut my hair to get it out. That was so funny.”

Sarah giggled, but he noticed the way Candice’s smile faded before she turned back around and looked out the passenger window. “Yes, sweetie. I remember.”

He glimpsed in the rearview mirror at Sarah, trying to think of something he could say to lighten the mood, but Sarah was such a chatterbox, he could barely get a word in. Thankfully, Antelope Island was only thirty minutes from Lehi, so it wouldn’t take long to get there.

“Where do you go to school, Sarah? What grade are you in?”

That seemed to grab her attention, and she stopped obsessing about the bug she’d discovered crawling on the outside of her window long enough to answer him.

“I’m in first grade, and I go to William Morris Elementary School. I have a bunch of friends there. Kim and Julie are my best friends, and Amy and Kellie are my second-best friends. I don’t have any boyfriends. I think they’re dumb.”

David covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter.

“Sarah, that’s not nice,” Candice reprimanded. “Boys aren’t dumb.”

She probably meant to sound stern, but he could tell Candice was trying not to laugh. She looked at him and mouthed “I’m sorry,” and David reached over and held her hand.

“It’s okay,” he whispered so Sarah wouldn’t overhear. “I’m enjoying this.”

Sarah never bats an eye, and she continued talking incessantly about school and everything else under the sun. By the time they arrived at the park, he’d learned about her favorite TV shows, favorite singers, favorite food, and how Kim, her best friend, and Amy, her second-best friend, stayed mad at each other a lot because they both liked the same boy. The only time she didn’t talk was when he turned into the drive at Antelope Island, and that was only because she was transfixed on the park. Some of the visitors were out walking their dogs while others were unloading horses from trailers. After paying the park fees and gathering some pamphlets and maps from the visitor center, David parked his truck in the closest lot he could find.

“So, what would you ladies like to do first?” he asked.

David unfolded one of the brochures and the three of them discussed which activities they wanted to try. They voted unanimously to rent some pedal boats and bicycles, and Sarah was gung-ho about hiking some trails so she could see the bison that supposedly roamed the area.

“I didn’t even think about bringing drinks and snacks in case we decided to go hiking,” Candice said, with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

David gave her a wink. “I’ve got that covered. I brought some bottled waters, granola bars, and some fruit, just in case. They’re in a backpack in my toolbox.”

Sarah clapped her hands together. “You thought of everything, Mr. David!”

Her enthusiasm tugged at his heart, and he hoped she and Candice would have some good memories from the day to take home with them because he really wanted them to enjoy their time together. They decided to hike the Gravel Pit Trail first since it was the closest one and less than two miles long. David drove to the trailhead and parked his truck, and Candice unbuckled Sarah from her booster seat.

“You promise to stay by my side and not run off?” Candice asked her.

This time she was stern, and Sarah nodded and promised to do what she was told. David unlocked his toolbox, removed the backpack, and looped it over his shoulders before locking up his truck and stuffing the keys inside his pants pocket. Candice held Sarah’s hand, which was probably a good thing because she looked like she was ready to take off running and explore without them.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” Candice remarked.

David’s heart skipped a beat when he saw her eyes light up as she looked over the countryside. The sunlight danced through her hair as the wind wafted it on the breeze, and the vanilla scent of her shampoo made his head swoon.

“Yes, it certainly is,” he replied.

His gaze never left her, and when Candice caught his compliment, she gave him a shy smile. They stopped in the middle of the trail when Sarah came across some wildflowers she was determined to bring home with her. As they stood by and waited for her to gather what she wanted, David was very aware of just how close he and Candice were. The wind lifted her hair again, and a shiver raced up his spine when a couple of the long strands caressed his cheek.

She turned to him, but instead of looking into his eyes, her gaze settled on his mouth. He noticed her heart was racing by the vein that throbbed along the side of her neck, and when she did finally look into his eyes, he hoped he wasn’t imagining the desire emanating from her gaze. She leaned into him, and he was afraid to move, afraid to breathe, afraid to do anything that might break the connection between them.

“Mommy, look! It’s a buffalo!”

And just like that, the spell was broken. Candice immediately took a step back and focused her attention on Sarah, who was jumping and pointing to a large open field to their left where one lone buffalo grazed.

“I see it, sweetie. Let’s get a picture of it so we can show Grandma.”

She pulled a cell phone from her pants pocket and snapped a couple of photos while David stood by, still trying to gather his wits and breathe like a normal human being.

“Let’s go see if we can find some more!” Sarah exclaimed. She stuck the wildflowers in her pockets and behind her ears and tried to take off down the trail, but Candice was faster and grabbed her by the shirt collar to make her stop.

“Sarah, what did I tell you? Don’t run away from us.”

Sarah dropped her head and shuffled her feet on the ground. “Yes, ma’am.”

Candice rolled her eyes and laughed as they walked back to David’s side. She didn’t say anything, but she laced her fingers through his and held his hand as they started along the trail behind Sarah, and it was enough … for now.