Page 11 of Heart Set on You

He’s smiling when I look up and it’s thrilling. I take in his rich, deep eyes, and how they seem to be laser focused on me. I feel a flutter in my stomach.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I assumed you’d be used to hearing that a lot.”

I’m not sure how to answer him and thankfully I don’t have to. The waitress appears at our table with green tea and a bowl of edamame, causing the tension in the tiny tatami room to ease. Over tea, we slip into an easy conversation, Miles telling me about his two brothers and sister, about his childhood in Reed Point. I share my own stories of small-town living, of my grandparents’ farm. He seems fascinated.

“Goats and chickens. A few cows and horses,” I answer when he asks the kind of animals we had on the property growing up.

His eyes are as wide as vinyl records. “You are kidding me.”

I laugh. “I swear on my life,” I say, crossing my heart with my fingers.

“You don’t look like you grew up on a farm. I never would have guessed.”

I cock my head to the side. “And what is that supposed to mean?” I ask him. “Please tell me you’re not picturing pigtails, Daisy Dukes and cowboy boots?” My voice is laced in sarcasm.

He begins to laugh, shaking his head, “That’s not how I meant it.”

I look back at him with an oh really expression and he laughs again. It makes me feel happy. I want to hear his laugh on repeat.

Our conversation is so natural, so easy, but as we chat about our families a small part of me waits for Miles to ask about my parents. It’s not something I talk about with anyone. After all this time it's still so difficult for me to revisit, so I don't. Ever. But the question never comes, and I'm thankful for it.

Our waitress stops by our table with our food, setting down small plates of rolls, tempura and sashimi. We rip open the paper chopstick packages, diving into our meals.

“Do you miss it?” Miles asks, after a mouthful of a sushi roll.

“The farm?” I ask, and he nods. “I do. It’s peaceful being so far away from a big city. The fields, the stars at night. There’s a small lake not too far from my house that is perfect for swimming. My brothers built a rope swing one summer and the three of us would take turns cannonballing into the water, over and over and over. I’d go there to read. I’d bring my camera and take photos of the field flowers or the red squirrels – but they were usually too quick to let me get a good photo. My gran would always get mad at me for staying out there too long. She’d send my brothers to come and get me and they would be so irritated about it.”

“I feel their pain. My sister Jules is the rebel of our family, believe it or not, and my brothers and I were always having to cover for her. She was always getting into trouble. She felt like a full-time job sometimes.”

I laugh. “I am team Jules on this one. I know first-hand what it’s like to have a couple of older brothers who constantly interfere in your life. It drove me crazy. Everyone in school knew I was Cole and Walker’s younger sister because they made sure of it. I hated it and wished they would mind their business.”

“They were just doing what any good brothers would do. I bet I would like them.” He leans back in his seat, taking a sip of his green tea. “Are they both back home in Tennessee?”

“Cole is. He’s the oldest. He lives not far from my grandparents with his wife and three kids. Walker lives overseas.” I tell him about Cole and Cara, and about Walker, who is a Marine Corps infantry unit leader. Walker is the serious, always-in-control brother who craves structure and an itinerary and all of his ducks in a row. I tell Miles how I look nothing like either of my brothers, who both have lighter hair and tower over me. He tells me his brother Liam, who is a lawyer, reminds him of Walker. Both serious, over-achieving and brooding. He says his brother Parker, the oldest of his siblings, followed in their father’s footsteps, working in the family hotel empire with his sister Jules.

Everything he tells me feels so personal, like he’s letting me in on little secrets that the tabloids, the media and entertainment reporters don’t know. I have to pinch myself to make sure that this is really happening. How is this my life? I’m sitting across from a Hollywood heartthrob, in a Vancouver sushi restaurant, listening to the intimate details of his life. It all seems too impossible to believe.

Using my chopsticks, I take the last bite of my salmon nigiri. “That was really good sushi.”

“Vancouver gets it right when it comes to sushi,” he says, stacking his chopsticks across his empty plate. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“I should really get back. Thank you, Miles,” I smile at him, a little sad that our lunch date is coming to an end, that whatever just happened between Miles and I is over. Then he surprises me.

“I want to see you again. Can I have your number?” he asks.

What did he just say? I would have to be a sucker for punishment to spend any more time with a man so utterly out of my league.

“You will see me… on Monday, at work,” I tell him.

“I want to see you outside of work. Just the two of us. We could have dinner. Or if you prefer, we could grab coffees and walk the seawall.”

Looking across the table at Miles, I’m really wishing I was the kind of girl who was okay with a one-night stand because let’s face it, that’s what this would be. But that’s never been me. I need commitment, but even that isn’t something I’m looking for right now.

I watch him tip back his glass of water, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. Any other girl on the planet would probably jump at the chance to go out with Miles Bennett. But I know better than to believe he really means what he’s saying. I’m just not sure how to say no.

“You’re persistent,” I say, stalling.

“I know what I want,” he says, his hazel eyes narrowing in on mine. It sounds flirty. I wish I didn’t like it so much. He also sounds completely genuine. “Rylee, I want to get to know you. From the minute I laid eyes on you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

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