Page 121 of Will Bark for Pizza
“It’s not like that,” I said quickly, remembering Pauline’s minor warning about Beckett making bad decisions.
Ugh, why did I want her to like me so much? Maybe if I dyed my hair dark brown, she’d have a change of heart.
“And why not?”
“Gee, let me count the ways.”
“You’re a romance author, Kira.”
“So?”
“It’s your job to figure out how to make forbidden romances not just work, but flourish into a happily ever after.”
“There is no romance,” I insisted, the word feeling far too intimate for my taste. “Not for me. Not ever again.”
“I know The Asswipe did a number on you, but he doesnotget to determine whether or not youfind love.Reallove.”
“Have you been talking to Luke?” It was the safest piece of what she said to focus on.
The idea of love still felt . . . broken. Something possible for others, but unattainable for me. Sure, I was attracted to Beckett. Very fucking attracted. And there was little doubt he was attracted to me. But that didn’t mean there was a future there beyond friendship. And love? Yeah, that was farfetched. Maybe my characters fell for one another fast, but fate wasn’t just accepted in the type of romance I wrote, it was expected.
“I mean it, Kira. You deserve to be happy.”
“I’m working on it, in case you missed the memo. Bringing Mom’s bookstore back to life is making me very happy.”
“He’s a good man,” she said, doubling down.
“Thenyoushould date him.”
Lila giggled long and loud, alerting Husker. He popped to standing, his head tilting at that severe angle that would forever make him irresistibly adorable. When we decided to take a break for the afternoon, it was mostly for his sake. He’d been spending all his time at the farm because I was worried he’d bump into a stack of books and end up buried beneath them.
“What’s so funny?”
“You, babe.” She shook her head. “You’re so full of shit.”
She wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t going to admit that out loud. “Are you dating anyone?”
“Not at the moment.” She unfolded her legs and dipped her feet gingerly into the lake. “In fact, I’ve deleted all my dating apps. I’m on a hiatus.”
“What happened?”
“Thirty-nine first dates and zero second dates. That’s what happened.”
“That’s rough.”
“I never liked dating apps.”
The very idea of downloading one made me shudder. I met Travis on a dating app. A complete stranger. Someone who could pretend to be whoever the hell he wanted because no one I trusted knew him. No one could vouch for his character.
But a lot of people could vouch for Beckett.
As though the mere thought of him manifested the man, a black truck pulled up and parked beside my Jeep. I pretended not to notice, but Husker damn near lost his shit and started to pace on what little surface he had.
“Oh, buddy,” Lila said as he started to whine. “You got it bad, too, huh?”
Beckett waved to us, and my entire body heated in a way that couldn’t be blamed on the direct sunlight. His smile was fuzzy from this far out, but I could see it in my mind, clear as though he were sitting across from me on the paddleboard. I hadn’t told anyone about the forbidden kiss on the dock. A kiss that could never happen again but forever changed something inside me.
At least it would be good writing fodder.
