Page 47 of Here With Me

Nate stood in front of her, his black T-shirt tight across his shoulders, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I’m sorry it’s late.”

She hadn’t contacted Nate. He was on page two of the ledger, and she hadn’t gotten that far yet. How did he know? Did he suddenly remember?

Nate jerked his head toward David. “This guy reminded me.”

A check.

It hardly made a dent in the money owed the bank, but someone paid their debt. Someone cared enough to pay off their tab. All because of David.

Nate left and David grabbed the broom from behind the register. Sadie had left it out earlier intending to finish sweeping but just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. His biceps tightened as he moved the broom back and forth. Who knew watching a man sweep could be so…sexy.

Sadie pulled out her phone.

Sadie: Ok. So maybe I’m in trouble. The man steps in to solve my problems. He sees them and jumps in to help without being asked.

Sadie: And he invades my personal space. And…I like it. *Grimace emoji.

Romee: I KNEW IT! You still like him.

Anna: *gif of Ariel nodding her head to Prince Eric. Yeah, she does. She always has.

Romee: *gif of Superman flying. David’s always been her kryptonite.

Sadie: Not helping. What do I do? He’s leaving.

“Is it okay if I start eating?” David’s deep voice interrupted her text.

She shoved the phone into her back pocket. Had he seen their texts? She’d been standing here texting like a dolt while David had swept the floor and put the broom away. Yikes.

He stepped closer and reached for the lunch behind her.

“I talked to Lance last night.” David leaned closer. His breath, smelling of peppermint, whispered over her face.

Her stomach squeezed. This was it. The he’s-leaving-for-Costa-Rica conversation she’d been waiting for. She gulped. “When are you going back?”

“I’m not sure. They’ve hired someone to fill my spot.”

It was like time stood still for a moment, until Sadie’s heart slammed against her rib cage. “You’re not going back?”

“I’m not sure what my future holds. But I’ll…” His words trailed off, as his eyes dropped to her lips. If she tilted her chin up just so, she could meet him with a kiss. And it would be…delicious.

“You’ll…?” Sadie kept her chin tilted down, needing David to finish that thought.

“I’m…not sure anymore. Maybe…” David’s thumb tilted her chin up.

“Sadie.” Her name on his lips. A caress. “Have dinner with me?”

Like a date? With David? Warning bells sounded in her head. She blinked and dropped her gaze. Danger. Danger.

Or was it? He wasn’t leaving.

He. Wasn’t. Leaving.

She met his gaze again—the hope and promise buried within warmed her from the inside. That might be an entirely different kind of danger.

The bell jingled and Sadie tried to jump backward out of David’s grasp, but she stepped into the counter. How had she totally forgotten where she was?

David sighed, stepped back, dropped his hands, and ran one hand through his thick, auburn hair, his biceps flexing. Holy Batman, she needed to keep her mind in the moment and off his mouth-watering muscles.

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