Chapter Six
The days between the cookout and her date with Carter dragged on and on, seeming twice as long as usual. Work was barely tolerable, the paranoia of being watched every time they left the house was beginning to get to her, and her sleep suffered even more than normal thanks to her mind’s inability to shut down the chaotic cyclone of her own thoughts. It was as if the moment she put Audrey down for the night, her fears and insecurities sensed she finally had a few moments for herself and kicked into overdrive.
The only bright spots in her week were the two evenings she ran into Carter for a few moments and the quality time she spent with Audrey at night.
Her eight hour shift on Friday was interminable. The second quitting time rolled around, she rocketed out of the building like a slingshot. Anxiety rode her back all the way home. Only once she was inside, with the door shut and locked behind her, did some of the unease fade and leave enough room for a little excitement to break through her mood. It seemed somewhat ironic that the usually stable parts of her life were devolving into chaos while her love life—something that had always been burdened with drama and fairly hit or miss in the past—was beginning to flourish.
Carter was a great guy. He was kind, responsible, and hot as fire. She didn’t need to wait until after their first official date to admit she could easily see herself falling for him. Only time would tell whether or not they had more in common than the desire to see each other naked.
Only time would tell whether they could make something lasting out of the spark between them, but she couldn’t deny the urge to try. She’d love nothing more than to make a life with someone she could love and be loved by in return.
With that thought in mind, she hustled to the bathroom to get ready for their date.
Nearly three hours later, with Audrey safely entrusted to Trish, Eliza climbed into Carter’s shiny black truck and buckled up for the ride. Anticipation blossomed inside her at the thought of the night to come. She gazed over at Carter as he turned on the ignition. “So, where are we headed?”
“Actually, I thought I would give you a choice. We can drive back into the city, have a nice dinner, and catch a movie. Or, if you’d rather to stay around here, we could pick up some take out, and head over to the park to eat, and then maybe go for a stroll around the duck pond afterward. The sunset is really beautiful from there.”
“The park sounds nice to me, if that’s okay with you.” Fancy meals and sitting in a dark theater were overrated. Feeding the ducks and taking a romantic walk as the sun set around them sounded quaint and kind of perfect.
“It’s great.” Carter gazed back at her, his expression open and content, and she knew she’d made the right choice. “Would you rather swing by a fast food joint or the deli on our way to the park?”
“Definitely the deli.” Fast food was messy and greasy. She couldn’t handle the humiliation of spilling food all over herself tonight. “Maybe we could get some sandwiches or subs, whichever, and something sweet to share afterward.”
“We can get whatever you want.” He put the truck in gear and pulled out onto the road.
Eliza leaned forward and checked out the presets on his radio while he drove into town. They made small talk about the kind of music they liked and who’d they’d seen in concert. Neither of them were really avid concert goers, but they’d both attended performances by some of the same musicians at local fairs and events over the last few years.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Carter pulled up in front of a small delicatessen and parked. He glanced over her. “Sit tight.”
Before she could reply, he’d hopped out of the truck and slammed the door. She frowned, wondering if he really meant for her to stay in truck while he went in and picked up their dinner. He circled around the back of the truck, opened the door for her, and offered her his hand.
Surprised but charmed by his opening the door for her, she accepted and let him help her out of the truck. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He closed the truck door and led her inside the small deli. He grabbed one of the handheld baskets just inside the entrance and glanced over at her. “Just let me know what looks good for you, okay?”
“Okay.” She had no problem sharing her opinions about food. There were some things she just wouldn’t eat.
They wandered through the store, checking out their options, and chose what they each wanted. Carter ordered a fully loaded sub with about five different meats and all the fixings, while she stuck with a classic turkey sandwich with the basic toppings. They grabbed some cold bottles of water, a bag of potato chips, and splurged on a big box full of an assortment of fresh baked cookies for dessert, and headed up to the register. At the last minute, she remembered to grab a loaf of bread for the ducks and some napkins for them. Carter paid and then they were on their way.
They arrived at the park in short order and Carter surprised her by pulling a big, blue blanket out from behind the truck seat. She quirked a brow. “Come here often?”
“Not really. I just planned ahead in case you wanted to come here tonight.”
“Good thinking.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Were you hoping I’d agree to come to the park?”
He put the folded blanket under his arm, grabbed the bags of food and drinks off the seat, and shut the door. “I would have been fine with either, but I’m definitely more comfortable here. There’s a reason most shifters steer clear of cities.”
They walked side by side toward the park. “Why’s that?”
“All the crowds and noise, not to mention the overabundance of smells, is a little overwhelming for most of us.”
“I can see how that would be a problem.” She’d always heard shifters had better senses than humans, although a lot of that depended on the type of shifter. Curiosity got the better of her. “Is it rude to ask about your animal side?”
“You want to know about my other form?”
“I want to know everything about you,” she answered honestly. She didn’t see the point of playing coy or hard to get. They wouldn’t be there together if they weren’t both interested in each other.
“I’m a bear. A grizzly, to be exact.”
A bear. Wow. Her first impression of him as a predator had been dead on. “Oddly enough, I have no trouble picturing you as a bear. I bet you’re huge.”
Carter chuckled. “Now that’s something a man would never tire of hearing from a beautiful woman.”
It took her a second to realize what she’d said. When it hit her, she smiled and shook her head. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“Sure it wasn’t.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “Here I am being a perfect gentleman and your mind’s already in the gutter.”
“You should be so lucky,” she teased back.
“A man can dream.” He stopped and looked around, and motioned to a flat patch of grass just beyond the walking trail that weaved through the park. “How about this spot?”
“Works for me.”
“Okay. Would you mind holding the bags for a second, while I spread out the blanket?”
“No problem.” She took the bags and watched as he unfolded the blanket and fanned it out over the grass. Once it was in place, she set the bags down in the center and sat down. Carter joined her.
Together, they worked on unpacking the food. She twisted the cap off a bottle of water and took a long swig. While she drank, she gazed at the beautiful scenery around them. Everything seemed well maintained, from the short grass to the tallest of trees bordering the park. The evening sun warmed her back and a whisper of a breeze ruffled the colorful assortment of flowers blooming all around the area. Despite being a public park, there was no graffiti, litter, or shady looking people hanging around like she’d grown accustomed to in the city. “It’s really nice here. Peaceful.”
“I’m glad you like it. I’ve always enjoyed coming here and unwinding. It’s the next best thing to the wilderness.” He picked up half his sub, pulled back the wrapper, and bit into it.
“Do you hang out in the woods a lot?”
“Not really. Between work and volunteering, I don’t get out as much as I’d like.”
“That’s too bad.” She unwrapped her sandwich, pulled back the bread, and checked out the contents. Once she was satisfied everything appeared the way it should, she lifted it up and took a bite. “Maybe we could go hiking some time. You could show me some more pretty spots around here.”
“Hiking would be fun.”
Conversation halted over the next few minutes as they ate. Unlike most first dates, the silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. She didn’t feel the need to make small talk to fill the empty space. If anything, his easy companionship and the quiet atmosphere relaxed her. For the moment, the mountain of stress she was carrying seemed a little lighter. She could breathe again without choking on anxiety.
She gazed at Carter and wondered what it was about this man that eased her worries without her even saying a word. Did shifters have some kind of calming aura? That didn’t seem very likely. Whatever the cause of her sudden shift in mood, it was because of Carter—not some genetic anomaly.
“So,” she said. “Tell me a little about yourself, Carter.”
Carter swallowed the food in his mouth. “What do you want to know?”
Where did she start? “Everything.”