Page 50 of Anything for You
My chest pinched.
“That’s good to hear,” she said, a smile growing on her lovely face.
My god, had she gotten more beautiful since the last time I’d seen her? It’d been fourteen hours—maybe fifteen—since I’d refused to join her at Craic and she’d suggested we spend time together today.
She might have. She’d taken the rays of the fall sunrise, stolen them right out of the sky, and they were shining directly back at me.
“Thought we could have lunch together. A picnic, if you’re up for it.” I forced my feet to stay put so the antsy energy rising up in me didn’t reveal itself through shifting side to side like I wanted to.
She stood, brushing off her knee, and nodded. “That sounds perfect. What time?”
Now? This second?
“Noon? That work?”
“I’ll be there. What can I bring?”
“Just yourself. See you then.”
I whistled the sound Bear knew meant “come” and he reluctantly pulled away from his seat facing Dove and trotted along with me back to the house. Inside, he plunked his furry butt down and panted at me, tongue lolling just a touch in a way that said, “That wasn’t nearly enough outside time, thank you very much.”
“We’ve got work to do right now, but I promise we’ll go back out. And you can come on the picnic, too.”
Not that I anticipated needing him, but who knew. I wouldn’t put it past Dove to send me into a panic attack considering my heart rate shot through the roof every time I got near her lately, and if she got close enough? If she touched me?
I might just need Bear to keep me conscious.
At five to noon, I stepped outside with a backpack full of food to find Dove rocking on one of the chairs on her porch.
“You’re early,” I said, not quite yelling but louder than I’d normally speak to make sure she heard me across the space separating our homes.
She hopped up, showcasing her new outfit. Gone were the T-shirt and shorts. Now she wore a teal dress in a similar style I’d seen before, almost a fifties flair with a full skirt that ended below the knee and tucked in at her waist, fitted through the bodice, with a marigold sweater covering her arms. On her feet were bright white sneakers, and her hair fell in cascading waves behind her.
Heart-stopping.
“I was too excited.” She flashed a bright grin and kept coming, right to the foot of my stairs where we met, nearly toe to toe. “Thank you for this.”
“You don’t even know what’s for lunch.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Doesn’t matter.”
I utterly failed to hide how she charmed me, my smile likely visible from space. As a devoted home cook, I should be offended she didn’t care what I’d made. As a man who wanted nothing more than to sit next to her and feed her and listen to her talk?
Delighted.
“We’ll see about that. Mind if Bear comes?” I asked, though I’d already brought him out, so he’d get leashed in the backyard if she preferred he didn’t rather than getbanished back inside. It was breezy and beautiful today, and his coat hadn’t thickened up for winter yet, so he’d be fine.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She looked at Bear and beamed.
It might’ve made me a simpleton, but I loved that she liked my dog.
Right now, I ate up anything she did or said. She had me under her spell, and I had a firm suspicion there would be no turning back.
The three of us wandered along the path that would lead to our destination. I asked about her time at Craic and she gave me a recap, not failing to mention more than once how loud and crowded it’d been. I had no regrets about not going, even if it meant I’d missed time with her. In that context, I wouldn’t have been able to give her my attention.
This was better. A few persistent crickets chirped and little forest sounds chittered as we walked. Squirrels ran from Bear as he loped along, and Dove went quiet after a few minutes so we ended up walking in silence.
When I glanced at her, hoping I wouldn’t find her upset or frustrated by the silence, I found her smiling to herself as she watched Bear’s excitement. The dog was hard to miss, big as he was, and he also barked and rushed into the bushes now and then.
