Compromise Me (Book Two of the Kirkland Family)

Compromise Me: Chapter 21

Josie laughed as she tucked her phone away.  “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“Well, it sounds gross,” he said.

“Then it’s a good thing you don’t know what it is,” she said, and asked, “Where’s the Little Man?”

“He spent the night with Ari’s mom last night.  I don’t think they’re here yet,” Travis said, and Josie clasped her hands in her lap, allowing the conversation to drift away.  The sat in silence until he cleared his throat and said, “It turned out to be a nice day.”

Josie looked up through the tree branches, seeing the spattering of fluffy clouds drifting slowing by.  “Yes.  They couldn’t have begged for better weather, especially for a summer wedding.  I was afraid it would be too hot.”

“Me, too,” he said.  “This monkey suit is warm enough.”

Josie let her gaze fall over him.  “Well, you look very handsome.”

He glanced down at himself.  “You’ll never see me in a pink tie ever again.”

“I think her original idea was to have the whole tux pink,” Josie said.

And Travis snorted.  “And I would have made plans to be out of town today, if that was the case.”  He looked around the hosta garden and said, “I’ve never been to this part of the park.  Usually Trist and I hang out at the kid’s place.”

“I love this section of the grounds,” Josie said with a sigh.  “My family came here often, and we each had our favorites.  Mom and Daddy like the rose garden, Jak preferred the cafe, of course, and the girls were always at either the water garden or chasing butterflies.  But whenever I got a chance to walk alone, I always came here.”

“I figured you to set down roots on the concert lawn,” he commented wryly.

“I have actually never been to a concert here,” she said.  “Have you?”

“A few times,” he said.  He looked over and said, “Maybe, um, I can take you sometime.  There’s one coming up in a few weeks...the studio can get tickets to just about any event in town.”

Josie stared at him for a moment, and then she grinned.  “Are you asking me out on a date?”

He turned away and fidgeted, balling the shoulders of his jacket in his fist and smoothing down his tie and kicking at a clod of dirt under his toe.  “I haven’t been on a date in…”  He frowned and whistled to himself.  “Wow...almost a year.”

“Are you asking me out on a date?” she repeated, hope and good feelings soaring in her chest.  

“Yeah...sure, I guess,” he muttered, staring down at his feet.  

“You don’t sound very convinced of that,” Josie said, not at all upset that he didn’t.  This was the happiest she’d been in a long time.  Travis...asked her on a date…