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“Let’s get this cleaned up first and then we can go,” I assure him. “I’ve fallen more times than I can count on this trail. Sucks ass when you hit this gravelly patch.”
“Totally sucks ass,” Kaden agrees.
“Don’t say ass,” Sloane adds with a smirk my way.
I grin at her and then set to cleaning up Kaden’s scrape with my supplies in the kit. After putting on some antibiotic ointment and a giant Band-Aid, I roll his pant leg back down and offer my fist.
“Thanks,” he says as he bumps my fist. “I’ll try not to fall again.”
“We’ve got five more Band-Aids, so we’re good.” I shake the first aid kit and the contents rattle inside the plastic case. “If you fall after that, I’m just going to feed you to a bear. You’ll be beyond help at that point.”
“Come on,” Gemma says, offering her arm to Kaden. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall. Let’s keep going.”
They continue along, once again leaving me with Sloane. I can feel her curious stare on me as we walk. When I find my balls, I glance back over at her.
“What?”
She shrugs. “You.”
“What about me?”
“You’re really good with Kaden. That means a lot to me.”
“He’s a cool kid.”
“And you’re a good man, Dempsey.”
Her words, though plain and simple, have life and joy racing through my veins. She called me a man. Not a boy or kid or troublemaker. A man.
“You’ve seen my record,” I joke, voice gruff. “I’m anything but good.”
“I see a lot more than you think I do,” she agrees, side-eyeing me. “I’m surprised, honestly. Pleasantly so.”
As we make it the rest of the way to Park’s Peak, I mull over her words and let them replay in my head over and over again.
You’re a good man, Dempsey.
But she’s wrong. Good men don’t obsess over their mom’s best friend. They certainly don’t con them into dates and draw the object of their affection’s tits every damn night.
This man is anything but good.
And a woman like Sloane deserves all the goodness in the world.
I hate that I’ll never be a part of her world.
Sloane
If I’m going to be expected to go on more dates, I’ll need another dress. This same boring blue one is going to be obvious if I wear it to every special event.
Is that what this date is?
It certainly feels monumental considering I never date. I’m nervous, which is probably normal. I feel like Jamie would save me if he looked like a toad, so he’s probably good-looking on top of being successful. Better yet, he’s around my age.
Unlike Dempsey.
This morning was fun. I felt awkward after how we left things the other night, but today nothing was amiss. In fact, I really enjoyed myself. Dempsey is easygoing and makes me laugh. His smile is pretty too.
Ugh.
