Page 9 of Grey
“Sounds good. Thanks again, Grey. See you tonight.”
“Rest well, Tatum.”
He walked back to the truck, his heart soaring.
When she was in the house, he drove back to the farmhouse, smiling to himself.
He’d found her. His soulmate.
Tatum woke in the late morning, and the very first thing she thought of was Grey.
He was… really an incredible guy.
So handsome, but also so kind. He hadn’t called her an idiot for getting lost in the woods; he’d made her feel like anyone could have made the mistakes she did. Grantedshefelt like an idiot, but at least he hadn’t reinforced it.
It was strange.
She felt like she was destined to meet him. But how crazy was that? She’d made some mistakes and wound up lost in the dark, and she just happened to be on the border of the farm where he lived and worked. It was a coincidence.
Right?
She hummed as she showered and scrubbed off the dirt from her trip through the woods. The moment she’d entered the cabin, she’d stripped and fallen on the bed, every inch of her tired and sore. It had taken her a while to get to sleep because she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Grey.
Her knight in shining armor.
She’d never pictured herself as a damsel in distress, but he’d rescued her all the same. She felt pretty damn lucky.
Because her phone was lost somewhere in the woods, she used her laptop to locate the nearest store for her cell phone provider and then had to drive thirty minutes out of town to get there. As she waited for her new cell to be activated and added to her account, she considered her date that night.
She hadn’t been on a date in a long time.
Even while she’d been with her ex, he never wanted to take her out. So this felt like a momentous occasion. Not only because she’d pretty much decided not to date for a long time and had immediately changed her mind when she’d been on the porch with Grey and looking up into his handsome face. But also because she just felt very good around him.
Safe.
And she hadn’t felt safe in a very, very long time.
“Do you know if there’s a mall around? Or a department store?” Tatum asked the woman as she handed her the box her phone came in.
“Sure,” she said. “There’s a big department store—Reinharts—down the road on the right. And the mall is less than ten minutes away.”
“Thanks,” she said.
Getting into her car, she decided to go to the department store and find something to wear for her date. It was about time she started taking care of herself and treating herself like she mattered—because she did.
She wasn’t trying to rush into anything, but she was really looking forward to seeing Grey again. Six o’clock couldn’t come fast enough.
It was nearly six when Tatum found her old jewelry box in one of the suitcases she’d stuffed into the closet and hadn’t had a chance to unpack yet. Inside, she located the necklace that she’d been thinking about wearing. It had belonged to her mom and had a gold heart pendant with tiny rose-gold roses along one side. As she put the necklace on, thinking it was the perfect touch to the casual but flattering peasant blouse and skirt, she heard the gravel crunch outside and an engine rev slightly before turning off.
He was here!
Her nerves took that moment to kick in.
Oh gosh. She hadn’t planned to date anyone. She’d even considered becoming one of those eccentric library cat ladies with lots of cats and a house stuffed full of books. But one look at Grey and she’d been helpless to say no to his invitation.
Okay, calm down. It’s dinner, not a lifelong commitment.
Rubbing her trembling palms down her skirt to smooth it and to also help them stop shaking, she walked to the front door and opened it. He looked effortlessly handsome, with his dark hair casually tousled and his jaw clean-shaven. He was broad-shouldered and muscular; even the long-sleeve shirt he wore that was rolled up to the elbows couldn’t hide the muscles beneath the fabric.
