Page 57 of Keeping it Casual
He runs a hand through his hair, and the sight of Dustin with his ruffled-up hair causes my heart to clench. And it makes me realize exactly how deep my feelings for this guy are. We’re definitely in the territory of love right now.
My pulse hiccups and fear claws at my stomach as I realize exactly how much I could gain or lose by what Dustin is here to say to me.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey,” I reply.
“Can we talk?”
“Yeah…okay.” I step back to let Dustin in the door, but he hangs back.
“Do you want to come for a walk with me?”
I blink at him. “A walk?”
“Yeah. A walk.”
“Sure, let’s just go for a walk after dark when we could be tucked inside a nice warm house where there’s this amazing thing called electricity that provides heat and light.” I’m rambling like I always do when I’m nervous as I shuffle closer to him.
Dustin reaches out to grab my hand, and my breathing stutters.
Hope rises inside me as we walk hand in hand off my porch and down to the footpath.
It’s a hope so powerful I don’t want to say anything to disturb it. Instead, I concentrate on the sensation of Dustin’s warm hand as we fall into step with each other. We don’t speak. The street lamps have just flickered on, and the night is so quiet. I’m conscious of every step and breath Dustin takes next to me.
My heart pounds in my chest. Dustin coming to me, the way he’s clutching my hand, running his thumb gently across the top of mine, has to be a good thing, right?
I don’t think I can handle it if it’s not a good thing.
Dustin seems to have a destination in mind, leading the way across the road toward the park.
He gives me a tense smile as we step onto the lawn where we played soccer with our kids back when we hardly knew each other. Back when he was just my sexy, almost neighbor, not the man I know so well. The man I love, because it’s impossible, as I stare at his handsome profile, to keep pretending that I’m not completely and absolutely in love with his man.
But my gaze doesn’t linger on Dustin for long because I’m distracted by something unexpected.
There’s something strange going on in the trees around the pond. Hundreds of LED lanterns are strung up in the trees.
We’ve apparently stumbled across some kind of light festival,which is incredibly weird because I’m sure I would have heard if Mineral Creek was having a light show.
“What is this?” I ask in wonder, staring at the twinkling lights.
When I turn to look at Dustin, he’s watching me closely.
“This is me giving you what you deserve,” he says.
I blink at him, my feet rooted to the spot.
Surely…he can’t mean…
His eyes don’t leave mine, a crease marring his forehead. “I’m sorry it took a few hours to come to you. I had to track down everything I needed. It turns out paper lanterns aren’t environmentally friendly or in line with New Zealand fire regulations. So I found these LED ones instead.”
I slowly turn around, my heart rising in my chest as I take in the sight of the glowing lanterns twinkling in the trees.
“I know it’s not the same as floating ones, and they’re not really burning, but I was hoping you’d think it’s the thought that counts.” Now it’s Dustin’s turn to babble, but I barely notice. I’m too busy twirling around to take in the sight as I realize exactly what this is.
The scene fromTangledthat I said was romantic.He’s tried to recreate it for me.
“Oh my god, Dustin,” I finally whisper.
