Page 70 of Meet Me on Lilac Lane

“Cody!” Finn’s voice echoed down the short hallway.

“Hey, buddy.” The thrill of Cody’s voice went straight through her and down to her toes.

She walked out to the group in front of the door. Cody straightened and gave her a long look.

A smile worked its way across her lips. The sound of the kids’ chatter faded away as she took in his red button-down shirt, gray slacks, and boat shoes. His strong jaw and intense eyes made a devastating combo. Why did she want to cancel again?

A few minutes later they were on their way.

Cody led her straight to the front of the old Hansons’ house.

“Did you need to check on something here?” She motioned to the house.

Cody reached for the doorknob but paused before opening the door. “I hope this is okay. I know you wanted to move slow, and I figured that meant not alerting the whole island to us being out on a date, so I set up a spot for us here.”

The tension in Mia’s gut uncoiled. “Thank you, Cody. This means a lot.”

On the floor of what used to be the Hansons’ living room, in front of the new fireplace, he had laid out a blanket. A lamp stood nearby, alongside a cooler and an insulated bag. A small portable speaker was playing soft music.

“I stopped by Kelley’s right before coming over and picked up some burgers. I don’t think they should be soggy.” Cody led the way to the blanket. Mia sat as he began doling out the food. He flipped on the fireplace before settling next to her.

Mia searched for a topic to talk about.Come on. This is Cody.Where did this shy streak come from? “What’s the update on overhauling your boat engine? Did you get it running?”

“I finally found the part I needed, but I’m still negotiating the price.” He fiddled with his fork.

She took a deep breath, blew it out. “You look nice tonight.” Cody’s russet red shirt accentuated his strong shoulders, and he must have gotten a haircut. It looked good on him.

“Thanks, you do too. Look nice, I mean. Beautiful, actually.” His eyes traveled over her in a slow appraisal. “How was your day?”

“What did you do today?”

Their voices jumbled over each other as they spoke at the same time.

Mia laughed. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. We see each other all the time. We talk all the time.”

Cody leaned forward. “Look. We don’t have to feel pressured here. Our relationship isn’t dependent on tonight’s date. We can just enjoy the food. We don’t even have to talk.” He took a big bite of his burger. A dollop of ketchup oozed out the back of the bun and plopped onto his shirt.

Mia couldn’t tamp down the giggles. “Good thing you’re wearing that color.” She reached over and dabbed the spot away with her napkin.

He caught her eye. “Uh, Mia, you don’t have to do that. I can get my own spills.”

She felt her face flame and dropped back onto her side of the blanket. “Sorry. Hazard of being a mom.”

He winked at her. “Not that I mind having your hand on my chest.”

Her cheeks heated again, and she bit into a fry, the salty treat exploding with flavor. “What’s something you’ve never told anyone?”

He choked on his drink. “What?”

“It’s just that we know each other so well, I’m not even sure how this is supposed to work. I thought maybe we could take turns asking questions.”

“Okay by me.”

“Sooo…what’s something you’ve never told anyone?” She ate another fry.

A strange look passed over Cody’s face. But then it cleared, and he said, “I don’t like fudge that much.”

“Cody! Your family owned the fudge store!”

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