Page 37 of Fall With Me
“Thanks for not yelling at me.”
A deep V forms between his brows. “Why would I get mad at you over something you can’t control?”
Not sure how many people he’s been around, but I’m fairly certain the majority wouldn’t love being stuck in a car with the smell and sound of vomiting. “Because I knew there was a possibility I’d get car sick, and I asked you to come here anyway.”
Dawson shakes two grocery bags open, stuffing one inside the other. “I think this experience has been way more unpleasant for you than it has been for me.”
I dump my blue bag inside the others and quadruple tie the handles together. There will be no leakage on my watch. “Really? Even with the lingering smell in your car?”
Dawson scrunches his nose. “Yeah, okay. It’s unpleasant, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“You’re sweet, Dawson Reed.”
Dawson shakes his head at me like I’m ridiculous.
He may think he’s not, but he totally is.
Getting back in the car isn’t an option yet. Dawson and I take a stroll on the hiking trail, allowing my stomach time to settle. My canyon idea is officially crossed off the list of possibilities.
“I’m bummed this didn’t work out,” I say. “Being surrounded by trees, doing crafts, and playing games here sounded like a lot of fun.”
“It does. Although it’s a lot of work for the two of us to pull off for somany guests.”
I look over my shoulder at him. “We’re in charge, but I’ve already reached out to the high school kids in the National Honor Society and Latinos in Action groups. They need volunteer hours, and wouldn’t you know helping us at our fall festival is a lot more fun than some of the other projects they’ve done.”
My foot strikes something solid on the trail and I go careening forward, arms flailing. “Aah!”
Arms wrap around my stomach from behind, pulling me to safety. “Are you okay?”
My heart races. “Yeah.”
He doesn’t immediately release me. Instead, it almost seems like he pulls me in closer to his chest and his arms squeeze me tighter. My heart calms and heat envelopes me like Dawson is my own personal furnace. This comfort, having someone so near, is nice. I know I should step away, keep things as friendly between us as possible, but I’m enjoying this moment too much to do the rational thing.
“You didn’t tell me you were so accident prone.”
“I’m usually not.”
Dawson drops his arms, stepping away from me. “Could have fooled me.”
“I’ll keep my head on the ground from now on.”
“Really?” His brows raise. “Let me know how that goes for you.”
I pause. What did I say? Oh jeez. “I meant eyes!” I point from my eyeballs to the dirt trail. “I’ll look at the ground and not back at you.”
He chuckles. “Ah, yes. Trail Safety 101.”
I start walking again, this time looking out for dangers on the path like roots, rocks, or snakes. “Do you hike often?”
“Not as much since having Finn, but I get out when I can.”
I step over a half-buried boulder. “Where did you hike in Tennessee?”
“There was an eight-mile hike that reminded me a lot of Utah because of the huge trees.” He pauses for a moment. “That’s probably why it was my favorite. Because it felt the most like home.”
“Did Nashville ever feel like home?”
“No.”
