Page 60 of Every Little Kiss
“Is it a paperweight?” she asked, taking the box from his hand, trying to figure out what was inside, and telling herself not to get her hopes up. For all she knew, it was hooks or some kind of rappelling locks for Wagon Days.
“No, and don’t shake it.” Liv froze midshake and lifted a brow. “It’s fragile.”
Liv smiled for the first time since seeing him in the bar. Ford wasn’t upset—he was nervous. Which was as ridiculous as it was cute, because watching this big, unflappable man struggle with giving her a surprise was endearing.
Breaking the tape with her nail, she slowly opened the lid, her hands doing some shaking of their own. Because inside the plain brown box, beneath the sheet of white wax paper and in a pink tin with little white nursing hats, was proof that Ford was one of the good ones.
“You brought me a nurse cupcake?” she asked, her heart melting over his thoughtfulness.
“I was in Shasta and found this cupcake shop with nurse cupcakes in the window. And I knew that today was a big day with your job.” He shrugged. “So I swung by on my way out of town and picked one up for you.”
“This is really sweet,” she said, and he groaned at the word, but he didn’t seem that upset. In fact, he actually blushed a little at her compliment.
“From you, I’ll take sweet,” he said, his smile faltering as the last word played off his tongue.
Hers disappeared altogether. Not because she knew, without a doubt, that she wanted to kiss him again. But because she’d take this moment over and over again.
“I don’t know what to say.”
In fact, it was becoming increasingly difficult to speak, period. Ford had gone out of his way to make her feel special, celebrated. Being on the receiving end of such kindness—and what felt a lot like caring—made her heart do crazy things.
“Nothing to say.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I saw it and thought of you. I wanted to get you something to celebrate. Your boss called to confirm that the permits were in process, and I told her that I signed off and sent them to Harvey at the Department of Community Development. I also explained that everything is in order, and there is no reason they shouldn’t be approved, but—”
“I know, she called me into her office right after she talked to you,” Liv said, feeling a familiar rush of comfort that came from sharing. It seemed so simple, and for most people it was, but for Liv she hadn’t had someone to share her day with in a while. “She told me that because we’d done such a great job with keeping the town’s interests at the heart of the event, the Mobile Medic was officially cleared to work Wagon Days.”
“The heart of it, that was all you,” Ford said quietly. “I just helped with the paperwork.”
“You more than helped. If it weren’t for you pushing me to think bigger, Dr.Brown wouldn’t have submitted me to the board as her top choice for the RN position.”
“Congratulations, Liv.” He said it sincerely, but there was a heavier emotion weighing down his words.
“I was going to tell you, but you haven’t been home.” Liv closed the lid and traced a finger across the seam. “You were in Shasta?”
“Yeah, a missing hiker. They needed a relief team, so Bullseye and I drove down,” he said. “We found the hiker today. He’d fallen down a cliff and broken his leg, but he’ll be fine. I just got back. Bullseye is in the car sleeping.”
“You were out there for three days?” she said, noticing that he looked way too good for a guy who’d spent three days in the wilderness.
“Why?” He grinned, that charm in full effect. “You miss me, cupcake?”
Liv could have twirled her hair or one of the other silly things Avery would tell her to do, but instead she went for honest. “I did. More than I should have.” And then because there was no point in playing coy, she asked, “Why did you come here tonight? Was it just to bring me a cupcake?”
Ford went stock-still, staring silently at her. She had confused him, which was fine by her since his little sweet gift had her so flustered she couldn’t think straight.
“No,” he finally said, and her body gave a little shiver.
The heat between them was so tangible it made it difficult to catch her breath. He didn’t help the situation, letting his gaze purposefully fall to her lips, taking that shiver to a full-blown zing of anticipation. And when she realized he wasn’t trying to hide his interest, she knew she had two seconds to make up her mind.
“Then why did you come?”
Without a word, Ford stepped forward, heading straight for her, his face taut, his brown eyes blazing.
This caught her completely off guard, and she took a step backward, her back coming flat against the wall of the building.
Grabbing the bill of his ball cap, Ford flipped it backward and closed the last breath of air between them. “I came for this.”
Liv didn’t have to ask whatthiswas, because the second his fingers threaded through her hair, lifting her face to meet his, she knew she was ready. She wasn’t sure what she was ready for, but she knew she wanted this.
He gave her a breath to think about it, just long enough for her to know she was tired of thinking. She wanted to feel.
