Up until my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, my family and I used to bowl at least five times a month. No matter how busy we all got, we always found a way.

Since my mom’s cancer took a turn for the fatal, I’d refused to go to the side of town where the bowling alley was located. I’d turned down many fun opportunities because they’d revolved around bowling in some way.

Entering the bowling alley for the first time in years brought tears to my eyes and guilt rocked me. I shouldn’t be here on a date. I should have come here with my dad and Maddy so we could relive the past and heal from our still oozing wounds.

Every fiber of my being told me to run, and I would have if Joseph didn’t choose right then to step out of the bowling alley’s pathetic arcade. His dazzling smile froze me in place; made me forget my reservations. At that moment, I would have followed him off a bridge if he asked.

Joseph waved. “Hey.”

God, he had the lightest brown eyes I’d ever seen. And his hair—Damn, why did it have to compliment his gorgeous tan so well? I bet it smelled as wonderful as it looked.

Joseph stepped closer to me; narrowly avoiding a toddler that appeared out of nowhere and dodged in front of him. “All ready to bowl?”

“Let me...Uh...” I swallowed hard. My dark feelings over my mom and my intense urge to lick Joseph’s face were battling, and I could feel my brain melting.

Joseph cracked another smile, and I really hoped it meant he thought my moronic behavior was attractive and not hilarious. “We need to get your shoes,” he said and pointed at the nearby counter.

I nodded. That’s all I could manage.

Then the most incredible thing happened. Joseph took my hand. His strong, calloused fingers were touching my skin, and instantly my need to make Joseph scream my name overwhelmed my sad thoughts. They’d haunt me once I was out of Joseph’s amazing presence, but I’d deal with that when it happened.

Joseph tugged on my arm, and I managed to follow him without falling flat on my face. “What size are your feet?”

“I’ve got freakishly small feet for my size,” I blurted and internally groaned. That is not what you say on a first date.

We reached the sticky, rundown counter. The woman behind it sauntered over. “Need shoes?”

“Yeah. Size fourteen,” Joseph said.

The woman winked at me. “Lucky girl.”

I blushed and looked over at the bowling lanes. “I need a size five.”

“Give me a moment,” the woman said and ducked underneath the counter.

Joseph squeezed my hand until I tore my gaze away from the other bowlers. It took all my willpower to meet his eyes. My cheeks were still flushed, and I just knew red splotches had broken out all over my throat. Fuck. Joseph was going to think I had some disease.

“Do you mind that it’s just going to be us tonight?” he asked, and his attention never left my face. That had to be a good sign, right?

“Uh, no, that’s awesome.”

The woman popped back up and set two pairs of bowling shoes on the counter. She held out her hand. “That’ll be twelve-fifty.”

I reached for my purse, but Joseph shook his head.

“No, I got this.” He produced a twenty-dollar bill and put it in the woman’s hand before I could protest.

The woman rang in the sale and gave Joseph his change. “You can use lane three.”

“Thanks,” we both told her and grabbed our shoes.

“Have fun!” she called as we walked away.

Joseph smiled at me. “We will.”

I really hoped he was right.

***

“Oh, you have to try this,” Joseph said and held out his ice cream cone. “You don’t mind raisins, do you?”

“Nope.” I licked his ice cream, not caring about ingesting his germs. If I had it my way, I’d already had my tongue shoved half-way down his throat. Well, that was the tamest thing I would be doing to him if given the chance.

“It’s good, right?”

I nodded. His ice cream really was tasty, but I would have agreed with him even if it wasn’t. After the amazing time we had bowling (and the fact that I won despite not playing in so long), I was willing to do anything to make him happy.

A small smile played on his lips as he leaned back on the bench seat. He’d pretty much been wearing a permanent one since the start of our date, and that had to be a good sign. If he was just laughing at me, he couldn’t hold onto that single amusement for so long. He would have snapped by now.

God, I prayed he liked me as much as I did him. I’d never been so comfortable on a first date, not even with Violet and we’d been good friends for two years before we’d started dating. Joseph was everything I was looking for in a partner and then some. I couldn’t believe someone as perfect as him existed.

Well, nearly perfect, the tiny logical side of me (that sounded like Karen) spoke up. I honestly didn’t know him yet. It might turn out that he ate Chef Boyardee right of the can and wanted me to dress up like a dolphin when we had sex. I couldn’t get too excited right from the get-go.

But it was so hard. Joseph had everything I could ask for. He was gorgeous, was so laid back, didn’t find my clumsiness annoying (though that would no doubt change the more he hung around me), and he was able to follow my babbling with ease. He hadn’t spent the entire night with his attention zeroed-in on my tits and ass, but he hadn’t been afraid to clearly show he appreciated the time I’d spent to not look like a drowned rat for our date.

I internally sighed and ate the last bite of my ice cream sandwich. No one had ever made me feel so desirable, both for my looks and brains. God, I hoped tonight wouldn’t be our only time together.

Joseph finished the last of his cone and looked at his watch. “Oh, shit.”

Unease stirred the contents of my stomach, and I regretted agreeing to get dessert. “What?”

“I didn’t realize how late it was getting.”

“You got an early bedtime or something?” I think I came across as joking, but maybe I sounded like I thought getting to sleep at a reasonable hour was as terrible as murdering puppies. Maybe I should take it back. I couldn’t end this date on a sour note. I had to rewrite this. I had to—

Joseph chuckled. “Not usually, but I promised I’d help set up for Sunday school at my church tomorrow, so I got to get my shuteye.” He took my unoccupied hand and met my eyes; his humor replaced with seriousness. “As much as I’d prefer otherwise.”

“Uh...” His eyes were hypnotizing, almost like two black holes that wanted to swallow me whole. Not that I’d mind. “That’s, uh—You have to think of the children.”

Joseph leaned toward me. “Going to be really hard tomorrow.”

I gulped. He was so close now. I could count all the freckles between his eyebrows. He had an oval scar beside his nose. When he was four, one of his babysitter’s dogs bit him in the face because he’d tried to steal its food while it was eating. I hadn’t been able to see it so well under the bowling alley’s harsh lights. It was cute, just like him.

His lips brushed against mine, a tease. Against my will, I moaned in frustration. I didn’t even feel embarrassed. I was too crazy with lust for him to care how ridiculous I sounded.

I made to deepen the kiss, but then the last voice I expected to hear called out, “Ramona, is that you?”

I jolted away from Joseph; suddenly remembering that we weren’t alone. Equal parts mortification, anger, and disbelief rocked my body as I watched Violet race over to us. Her little sister Martie stayed by the ice cream stand; holding hers and Violet’s ice cream and looking as uncomfortable as I felt. I don’t know if it was for me because Violet was sure to ruin my amazing date or because she’d refused to acknowledge my existence since I broke up with her sister and planned to continue that trend tonight. That still stung (I’d thought of Martie as my own sister long before Violet and I had started dating), but I didn’t hold it against Martie. She was thirteen and entitled to not acting rationally.

“Hey, Violet,” I said, my words clipped.

Violet’s gaze widened, but I couldn’t tell if it was with surprise or irritation. Regardless, she took the free spot beside me on the bench and linked her arm through mine. Not so subtly, she pulled me away from Joseph. It wasn’t a lot, but the three or so inches felt like the Grand Canyon.

Joseph waved at Violet, all sunshine and smiles. How did he manage to remain so calm? It took all my self-control to not pinch Violet so hard she was bruised for a month.

“Hi. I’m Joseph.”

Violet raked her eyes over my date. Unabashed loathing flitted across her face before she painted on the fakest grin I’d ever seen. “I’m Violet. So nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Joseph replied, classy as always.

“Yeah, we were about to leave,” I said, still as approachable as a pissed off porcupine covered in shards of glass.

Violet grimaced. “But I just got here, and I didn’t get to see you earlier today.”

She’d had a doctor’s appointment in Buffalo and had missed all of school. I could honestly say I hadn’t missed her. The reprieve from her cruel flirtations had been heaven sent.

“Well, unfortunately, I’m the reason we have to head out so soon. I’ve got an early day tomorrow,” Joseph said.

Violet tightened her hold on me. “I could always take you home. I’m sure Joseph wouldn’t mind.”

I shook my head. “I really don’t think—”

“Come on!” Violet attempted to sound like she was just kidding, but her begging came across as nothing more than a pathetic whine. I hated it.

At the moment, I hated her.

“No, we have to go.” I tugged my arm away from Violet and jumped to my feet before Violet could grab me again. “See you Monday,” I added before heading for Joseph’s car. I didn’t wait to see if he followed.

I waited for him to unlock the vehicle and then threw myself into the passenger seat. Angry, bitter tears burned the back of my throat. She’d ruined everything! After this disaster, Joseph wasn’t going to want to hang out with me again. He’d be afraid that each time we did, my crazy ex was going to show up (not that he yet knew Violet and I had dated). How could Violet be so cruel?

Joseph took the driver’s seat a moment later. I wanted to see his expression, but I didn’t have to courage to look at him. I didn’t need confirmed what I already knew. He just needed to get me back to Jade’s as soon as possible before I burst into hysterics.

We didn’t move. Oh, no. Was he going to make me get a ride with someone else? Had Violet pissed him off so much he no longer wanted to act like a gentleman?

Shit. My cell phone had died at the bowling alley. How was I going to call anyone? I only had my dad’s number memorized and no way in hell was I going to ask him for a favor. That just left Violet, and that was a giant no. I’d rather risk getting kidnapped hitchhiking than rely on her.

Tentative fingers touched my arm, and I was sucked out of my whirlwind thoughts. The suddenness of it shocked me, and I involuntarily glanced at Joseph.

As soon as I did, he cupped my head with his hands and smashed his lips to mine. My body responded before my brain processed what was happening, and I kissed him back just as fiercely. Our mouths opened and our tongues waged a relentless war, and I loved every second. My hands reached for the bottom of his shirt. I needed to feel more of him, be damned where we were or who saw us.

Joseph stopped me and untangled himself from me. “No,” he croaked. He cleared his throat. “I—I have that...thing tomorrow.”

“But if not...”

Joseph gazed at me with unbridled lust, and goose pimples erupted on my skin despite me being covered from head to toe. “We will resume this.”

I settled into my seat, satisfied with that answer though I was aching with the desire to see what else his tongue could do. I could wait, though, now that I was certain Violet had only delayed our first kiss instead of derailing it. In fact, I hoped she’d seen the whole make-out session, and I hoped she was seething. I didn’t search for her; didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was on my mind even though I was with the most amazing guy in the world.

“We’d better,” I said.

We smiled at each other. Then we buckled up, and Joseph started his car. He pulled away from the ice cream shack with his hand firmly wrapped around mine.