Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Skylar blushed as she looked between her father and me. “I will. See you later, Daddy.”
I placed my hand on her lower back, and I swore, her body trembled. I led her from the house and out to my car. Only just recently, Skylar had started riding in my car with me anywhere, but it was never at night.
Once I got in, I started the car up and headed to Lakeside Park.
“So, what is the plan for today?” Skylar asked as she wrung her hands together.
“It’s a surprise,” I said with a wink.
Her smile faltered for a brief second before she regained it. “Do I get a hint?”
“The park.”
With a chuckle, Skylar hit me on the arm. “The park? Seriously? The one time you get to pick, and you pick the park?”
With a shrug, I smiled at her and said, “I like the park. It’s peaceful.”
Pulling in, I backed into a parking spot, so Skylar couldn’t see the spot that was set up for us.
Michelle and Mitch had helped me set everything up.
Walking over to Skylar’s side of the car, I opened the door and held out my hand for hers. Her cheeks turned red as she placed her hand in mine. Lacing my fingers with hers, I headed toward the area where Michelle had set up the picnic. Turning to my left, I saw Michelle and Mitch hiding behind the slide.
As Skylar and I walked up over the hill, there was a blanket laid out with a basket. It faced the river and was the perfect spot for a picnic.
“Oh, look! Someone is having a picnic. How sweet!” Skylar said as she looked around. “I can’t believe they would leave their stuff like that though.”
It made me sad that she didn’t think this had been set up for her.
Pulling her toward the blanket, I let go of her hand and sat on the blanket. The horrified look on her face had a wide grin spreading across my own.
“Wyatt! What are you doing? Oh my God!”
“Come on, Sky. Let’s live dangerously.”
Skylar took a step back as her eyebrows squished together. “Who are you, and what have you done with Wyatt?”
Laughing, I held up my hand. “Sky, I asked Michelle and Mitch to set this up for us. It’s the surprise.”
Her expression softened immediately as a smile moved over her face. “You set up a picnic for us?”
I never felt my body react like it was as her eyes pinned mine. “Yep. Are you going to stand there, or are you going to join me?”
Skylar flopped down with a giggle. I loved when she let go and was carefree like this.
“I’ve never been on a picnic before!”
I opened the basket and started pulling everything out. “Well then, I’m glad I am the first to take you on a picnic.”
With a push of my shoulder, Skylar rolled her eyes before she took everything in. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on her knee while she watched me set everything out on the blanket. “Wyatt, I don’t even know what to say. This is simply amazing.”
“Just tell me, this will be a weekly date for us.”
Her eyebrows rose in question. “A date, huh?”
The lightness in my chest was nothing new, not since I’d met Skylar. Every moment we were together, she’d bring out some new feeling.
“A weekly date.”
The smile was now full as her eyes lit up. “I like the sound of it. Right here? In this very spot?”
Pouring her a glass of sweet tea, I glanced around at our location. “Yeah. This can be our official spot.”
Skylar moved her legs into a crisscross position as she took the drink.
The rest of the afternoon was spent talking and laughing. At one point, I leaned up against a tree with Skylar snuggled up into my side as I read to her from her favorite book, Emma by Jane Austen.
My mother had mentioned to me once how romantic she thought it was when my father read to her. I’d never had the desire to do it before Skylar.
After about an hour and a half of reading, Skylar stretched while I shook my head.
“Jesus, she is the worst matchmaker ever,” I said.
With the most beautiful laugh I’d ever heard, Skylar stood up and gazed down at me. “Emma has more money than sense.”
“Well, don’t the two of you look all cozy?”
Skylar spun around while I looked up to see Eva, Skylar’s coworker.
“Hey, Eva!” Skylar said.
Eva smiled and hugged her. “It’s good to see you with a smile on your face, Sky.”
As I stood, I couldn’t help but notice the blush moving across Skylar’s cheeks.
She glanced over to me and said, “Well, it’s hard not to smile when someone makes your day by reading your favorite book to you.”
Eva turned to me. “Do you have an older brother?”