Baking Me Crazy (Donner Bakery, #1)(45)

"Of course not, Mrs. Abernathy."

Levi followed me out the front door, chuckling as soon it closed behind him.

Normally, I would've joined in. But I still felt like the ground under me was unsteady, shifting slightly with each inch I covered.

"Hey," he said, resting his arm on my shoulder so that I had to stop.

"What?" I asked, only meeting his eyes for a second before I looked away again.

Levi crouched down in front of me and didn't speak until I finally caved and met his gaze straight-on.

"It's just you and me," he said. "Okay?"

"Okay," I answered quietly. How was he so sure about this? How did this not feel … strange to him?

"We've eaten together hundreds of times."

"Not at a nice restaurant," I countered.

"How do you know we're going somewhere nice? Maybe I'm taking you to the Pink Pony."

My eyes narrowed when he grinned at me.

"I'm kidding."

"I know," I said evenly, but I wanted to laugh because this, this alone, helped settle me. This was us. Him and me.

"We're going to the steakhouse."

Moment over.

It was a date restaurant. Dim lighting. Fancy things on the menu. Food that had dollar amounts next to them that made me want to shrivel up when I imagined Levi opening the bill at the end of our meal.

Levi stood and opened the passenger door of his truck for me, then held out his hand.

For a second, I stared at it because this wasn't normal. This was date Levi I was seeing. The scenario I let myself think of was unrolling right in front of my eyes. To him, I looked beautiful. And there was door opening. Maybe there'd be candles.

I swallowed and slid my hand into his. There was no smile on his face as I locked my chair and used my free hand to brace myself on the armrest. There was no humor making his eyes light up as I stood and straightened.

"I did tell you that you looked beautiful, right?" he asked, his thumb running over my knuckles.

When the hell did that become a spot on the body that made me want to rub my thighs together?

"You did," I choked out.

He smiled slowly, leaning down until he was close enough that I could smell a sharp burst of mint on his breath. "Then I guess I'm telling you twice."

Thoroughly flustered, I blinked away from the minty fresh breath and sharp jawline, taking the step necessary so I could grab the handle on the door and pull myself into the passenger seat. Just as I started to lift myself, Levi curled his big hand around my waist and helped. He didn't pull it off until I was seated, and his heavy gaze was burning a freaking hole in the side of my face, but I kept my eyes forward as I fumbled with the seat belt.

I heard a small sigh as he shut the door and put my wheelchair in the bed of his truck. He hopped into the driver's seat and gave me a quick flash of a grin before he reached behind the seats and pulled out a bouquet wrapped in the telltale green florist paper.

Before he handed it to me, my mom's car backed out the garage, and she gave us a tiny wave when she drove past.

When the sound of her car faded down our driveway, Levi turned and handed me the bouquet. But the feel of it was all wrong as my hands took it.

"These are definitely not flowers," I said as I set it in my lap.

He jerked his chin. "Open it."

I gave him a curious look, which made him roll his eyes. I laughed under my breath and found the seam in the green, crinkly paper. When I peeled it back, I burst out laughing, because it was a bouquet made entirely of Twizzlers. They were beautiful and bright red, tied together in the middle with a perfectly tied white bow covered in blood red hearts.

First flours. Now my favorite candy.

How was I looking at him? I wondered as I stared into his face from across the bench of his truck. Only a man who truly knew me would give me the things he'd given me. No other first date would ever be able to do exactly the right thing to make me smile or set me at ease.

For a second, I had the most irrational feeling of sadness.

It was so unexpected that I felt myself tear up as I slowly pulled one of the individually wrapped stems from the middle of the bouquet. Levi was watching me quietly, but I knew he wouldn't be able to see the moisture in my eyes because of the angle of my head. I blinked furiously before handing him one.

"Pre-dinner treat?" he asked.

"Why not?" My voice sounded normal, not like I was one sweet gesture away from bursting into ugly, messy, didn't make any sense tears. Good frickin' thing I was doing this with him first because if it was someone I didn't trust, someone I didn't really know, I'd scare them off for sure if I started sobbing five minutes into a first date.

He took a bite while I pulled one out for myself.

Instead of eating it, though, I stared at him chewing.

"These are terrible," he said around the candy. "So much excellent candy in this world, and this is the one you choose."

"I don't judge you for liking candy hearts. Talk about a waste of sugar," I replied. He shook his head, and when he turned the key in the ignition, the truck started up with a roar.

"They're iconic."

"I'll remember that when one of them snaps your molar in half."

My hand gripped the edge of the seat as that unsteady feeling came back to me even though we hadn't started moving.