The moment I laid my eyes on Dave, I knew that this was going to be a date that would result in an awesome blog post. He was standing next to his car in the parking lot of the bowling alley. The car looked like it probably belonged to his grandma. It was one of those giant olive-green boats that I would see old women driving while their white hair bounced just above the steering wheel.Dave, my date for the evening, was leaning against this car like it was the coolest thing on four wheels. He looked proud while wearing a two-tone bowling shirt and khaki-colored slacks, which actually made the car look pretty good in contrast. His blonde hair was combed over to the side and he smiled goofily as soon as I walked up.“You must be the lovely Harper,” he said, flashing me a friendly smile.“And you must be Dave.” I went for a handshake but he ignored it and pulled me in for a hug. My face hit his chest and a scent entered my nose. It was the smell of cheap cologne attempting to hide body o

Everything Gabe had promised me had come true. He had gotten an access pass from Oscar, which allowed us downstairs to an area just outside of the Blue Jay’s locker room. I was able to meet almost all of my favorite players and had even gotten my hat signed by Peyton Boyying.“I can’t believe the Jays were able to make a comeback,” I said, as Gabe walked me across the parking lot to my car. I held my signed hat in my hand, admiring the scribble of permanent ink that the quarterback had left on the bill.“I knew they’d come to play in the second half,” he replied. “They’re always stronger after halftime.”“I know, but it’s hard to put faith in that,” I said, tracing the signature with my finger. “I was pretty nervous until we threw that last touchdown.”We approached my car and I suddenly felt a sinking feeling. The date was coming to an end. I wasn’t ready for it to be over, though. I was still buzzing from an exciting evening. It wasn't even just the game. It was being with Gabe.“Do

The GPS on my phone told me to take a right onto Vista Drive. I pulled over and looked at it again, just to make sure that I had typed in the address correctly. There was no way that this was the right Vista Drive.This is weird, I thought. There has to be something wrong.I had been driving for twenty minutes, following the directions to the address that Gabe had given me to come visit him at his home. My GPS had led me to the bridge that connected to one of the islands just outside of Miami, but there was no way this was the right bridge.“This can’t be right,” I said, as I checked the address for the second time.I looked out across the water to a small body of land called Virginia Key. Massive mansions decorated the top of the hills. It was by far the most prestigious area in all of Miami. This wasn’t just a well-to-do part of town. The people who lived on the Virginia Key were a different kind of rich. They weren’t millionaires. They were billionaires.The thought crossed my mind

“I'm sorry if he came across as a little...” Gabe paused to think of the word. “Protective? Intimidating?”“Protective is a good word,” I agreed. “I think he really cares about you. But I think he warmed up to me.”“I do too,” Gabe said with a nod. “I'm glad he didn't scare you away. He can be a bit much.”I looked out from one of the big windows overlooking the water. The sun was finally setting and from where we sat, I could see the sky outside as it began to turn orange. It looked to be a breathtaking sunset.“Can we watch the sunset?” I asked, already standing up.“Of course!” Gabe said, nearly knocking over his chair and taking my hand.I followed him out to the patio and we stepped up to the railing. The ocean sprawled out in front of us, all the way to the horizon, where the sun sat lonely on the water. The sky was on fire, making the incredible view from the island even more breathtaking. A warm breeze blew off of the sea, causing my hair to fall across my forehead. Gabe reach

“Here, Harper, use this brush to cut in the paint next to the ceiling,” Mom told me, holding out a brush. “It’s angled so that you can get it perfect.”“Nobody is going to ever look up here,” I said, as I took the brush from her.“Your nephew will be looking up there every day from the crib,” Mom said. “So we have to make it look as good as possible.”“Because everybody knows that all newborn babies critique the paint jobs of their nurseries,” I joked.“Harper, please,” Rosie piped in, as she stepped into the room with us. “Just do what Mom says. She wants the room to be perfect, just like her new grandbaby will be.”“I was just joking around,” I murmured, before dipping the little brush into the green paint.“Why did you go with the color green, anyway, Rosie?” I asked.“Because green is considered a calming color,” Rosie explained. “I thought it would be good since he's going to have to put up with the two of you.”“That’s actually pretty smart,” I said, carefully pressing the paint