Della had no idea if Tucker was staying overnight or doing a day trip, and she doubted he’d be thrilled by her volunteering him for this job, but if Arlo felt better about her going on a Tinder date with some kind of support person in place, then she’d happily comply.

He had an important job with big responsibilities—the least she could do was not add to his burden of stress. And Tucker was definitely the lesser of the two evils. Arlo going all RoboCop was a distinct possibility. Tucker would be far cooler. And if that meant she had to spend three hours in a confined space with a guy she had a secret crush on, then so be it.

The suggestion was met with instant obvious approval. “Yeah? Tucker’s a good choice, and I’d be less…”

Della knew he was going to say worried even though he didn’t finish his sentence, so she smiled at him reassuringly. He’d been patient with her for three long years. She could be patient with him. She was going on a date—a freaking date—with a guy. In a restaurant. In Denver. That’s all that mattered right now.

Not the inconvenience of having a…chaperone. A chaperone who looked at her like she was a particularly uninteresting piece of furniture.

“I’ll see what his plans are tomorrow and work something out for Friday,” Della said. “Now can we eat this cobbler already?”

Arlo grinned. “It’d be a sin against cobbler not to.”

…

Friday morning, with the scent of cupcakes—for fuck’s sake, why did she smell like cupcakes?—infusing the cab of his truck, Tucker wondered what he’d ever done to deserve this kind of sweet torture. Not only was he taking Della to Denver, but he was staying the night with her in Wade’s apartment.

He hadn’t been an angel, but he always remembered his momma’s birthday and called her every other week. He worked hard, had never been in trouble with the law, and was a good friend. He paid his taxes, and he voted. Granted, he had gone through a period of mild pyromania the summer he turned twelve, but it’d only been an apple box or two, and what guy hadn’t?

“I really am sorry about this,” Della apologized for the third time. “I don’t need a babysitter, but I don’t want Arlo to worry about me, either.”

Tucker forced a casual, careless shrug as his stomach growled. For cupcakes. “It’s fine. Your brother’s going to take a little time to adjust to Della two point oh.”

She turned her head and smiled at him. Her face lighting up kicked him straight in the center of his chest. “Two point oh,” she said, rolling it around her mouth as if savoring it. “I like that. Sounds like a woman who can do anything.”