Page 21 of The Summer Dare
So relieved everything is working out, I throw my arms around his neck and hug him fiercely. “Thanks. This is the first big event we’ve had since Nana’s funeral and I’m determined to make it a success.”
“Just let me know what you need, and I’ll do what I can to make it happen.”
When he pulls me in closer for a hug, I completely sink into him. I had no idea just how much I needed this… and God, Ryan gives the best hugs. He’ll never know just how much this small gesture means to me.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve got my shit together, other times I have no idea just how fragile my emotions are until I’m smacked in the face by the smallest act of kindness. In order to get through the days since losing Nana, I’ve just kept placing one foot forward and didn’t let myself focus on anything but the task at hand.
His strong arms hold me close and his masculine scent washes over me. Inhaling deeply, I enjoy his warmth as it sinks into me and his steady heartbeat calms me. As if he can sense my need, he squeezes harder and I sigh, “Thanks.”
I’m not sure how long we stand like this, but eventually he pulls his head back to look me in the eyes. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I needed that.”
A sly grin tips his lips. “Any time… now tell me about these sisters. Just how many do you have?”
“Three. Raven and Sloane are twins. They just turned nineteen and are both attending Gonzaga. Lizzy is the youngest. She's graduating from high school and turns eighteen next month.”
“Wow… and you’re how old?”
“I turned twenty-one in April… I know my parents were crazy to have four of us in less than five years.”
“I only have one sister, Jessica. She graduated last year and is working on her nursing degree at Wazzu.”
“Is she at Pullman or one of the branch campuses?” I ask, knowing he means Washington State University.
“Pullman. She’ll be in Spokane eventually. She’s staying on campus this summer and won’t visit until August—if she even bothers to come home.”
“I can’t imagine not spending a summer with my sisters,” I admit. “Even after I become a teacher, I hope we can still do this—at least until we’re all out of school.”
“What grades do you want to teach?”
“I think I wanna teach middle school. I’ve done some internships at both the elementary and middle school levels and I love that age.”
“Uh… when I look back at middle school, I could’ve sworn we were just a bunch of hormonal jerks who thought we knew everything.”
“Ha…” I laugh. “You’re right. But they’re also the most challenging students to reach. I love finding ways to make connections and helping students be the best they can be. Sure, their frontal lobes haven’t fully developed, so they aren’t always thinking clearly, but I love the content at that level. I love math and that is one of the most fundamental ages to influence. I’ve had both good and bad math teachers, trust me. But I think I can make a difference. My endorsement will allow me to teach both middle school and high school. But enough about me. Have you decided what movie we’re watching?”
Shaking his head, he replies. “I’m game with anything.”
“Really? If you’re up to it, Charlotte Anne’s latest romantic suspense just came out on Passionflix and I’ve been dying to see it.”
“Will it matter if I haven’t read the books?”
“From what I’ve been told—no. Though I’m sure the book is better.”
“Okay, then, let’s get settled on the couch and you can introduce me to one of your favorite author’s works.”
Oh, my heart.
His eagerness at watching something I’m passionate about makes my chest tighten and my belly flit with thousands of butterflies. If I wasn’t already falling, this would definitely be cause.
Reaching up on my tiptoes, I pull his face to mine and kiss him quickly. The moment our lips touch I know I could easily get lost in him. However, he must sense the same thing because, after all too short of a time, he breaks our kiss.
Leaning his head toward the living room, he says, “Don’t get me wrong, I’mallfor kissing you, but I think we’d better go watch the movie before things get carried away.”
“Would that really be a bad thing?”
Ryan growls and steps away from me completely. “Oh, Lanie, what am I gonna do with you?”
