“I hate that I have to work this weekend.” Wait, why the hell did I say that? I was rusty as shit when it came to someone I actually wanted.

“That seems fair.” She tilted her head to the side.

“Sorry, that wasn’t what I meant to say.”

She smiled, and it was real.

My brain emptied. She was beautiful in more than her body or her face—that was a given, and in my experience didn’t always carry any deeper. Morgan’s beauty skyrocketed with that sparkle I caught right now in her eyes, the hint of playfulness, the glimpse of another stunning facet of her I had yet to discover.

Because I hadn’t earned it yet.

But I would.

The timing was wrong. I wasn’t sure she was ready. I hadn’t been interested in more than a few hours with someone in over five years. She had a broken heart, and I had a kid whose heart I couldn’t risk. For God’s sake, I was standing outside my garage, which wasn’t exactly romantic.

But none of that mattered…or maybe it did, but I was going to give her every reason not to let them matter.

I was going to earn the right to see her smile and hear her laugh.

“Are you okay?” Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah, absolutely.” Just busy talking to myself. “So I have to work this weekend, which we’ve already covered. But I’m off next weekend.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“You feel up for seeing a little more of the island with me? You haven’t gotten out much.” Holy shit, Montgomery, did you just quasi-insult the woman?

“Oh. I’m not really one for bars anymore.” She rocked back on her heels.

“I was thinking more along the lines of nocturnal sightseeing.”

“Sightseeing?”

“Yes.”

“At night?”

“I believe that’s the meaning of nocturnal.”

She stared at me for a moment, her pause almost awkwardly long, but I waited. I had a feeling that was the key to Morgan, taking small steps and putting the choice in her corner. I’d never been a wait-for-anything kind of guy, but I’d so fucking learn if it meant having a shot with her.

“Okay,” she finally answered. “What time?”

I managed to not fist-pump. Barely. It was close.

“Nine on Saturday. Unless you’d rather grab dinner first? I know some great—”

“Nope, nine is great.”

Small steps, Montgomery.

“Okay, see you then.”

She nodded and damn-near ran back to her house in obvious retreat.

I blocked off Saturday evening on the calendar using my phone and grinned the whole way to the school. We got there thirteen minutes early.

Fin held her head extra high as we walked in through the front double doors. We turned left at the end of the short hall and passed a pair of classrooms, one that had the door propped open.