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“I need like ten minutes,” she said.
Caden waited for her in one of the oversized leather chairs in the shop, thumbing through a coffee table book on picturesque hikes in Texas, while she finished balancing the register and turned off all but one light. “Did you want to take that book to finish looking through it?” She asked absently, her mind mulling over the words she’d say when she told Caden the truth about his brother.
He looked up at her. “No, I’m done. You ready?”
She nodded, and flicked the last switch off, sending the store into near darkness with only the street lights and passing cars’ headlight to illuminate the space. She paused on her way back to the register realizing she’d forgotten to turn off the music. She started to go back, but Caden stepped in front of her, pulling her into his arms. “You okay?”
She forced a smile. She was far from okay - mostly nervous and terrified of how Caden would react to what she had to say, but right now, being in Caden’s arms, there was no place else she’d rather be. “I just realized I forgot to turn off the music.”
“I noticed, and I’m kind of glad. May I have this dance?”
Hallie wrapped her arms around his neck. “I never thought of new age music as dancing music,” she said, “but you’re making it work.” She rested her head on his chest, her cheek pressing up against his dress shirt. He often took off his jacket when he was with her, and tonight was no different.
As they slow danced in the middle of The Mystic Cow, a draft made the windchimes tinkle, and their shadows moved across the walls and bookshelves. They turned in small circles, and she caught glimpses of people and cars passing by outside. She couldn’t help feeling like she was in a fairy tale she never wanted to end.
When Caden stopped moving, she looked up at him to see if anything was wrong, but he just smiled down at her. “I ordered dinner from that Italian restaurant we both liked.”
“Sounds good.”
“I figured we could take it back to my place.”
Hallie smiled. “Perfect. Let me just get my bag and -” She turned, but he pulled her back into a gentle kiss.
Hallie drank him in, savoring the musky masculine taste of his soft lips. “I missed you so much,” he breathed.
“I missed you too.” And she had. Being with Caden was fun and easy. He went out of his way to make her laugh and feel loved and protected. If it wasn’t for this huge thing she had to tell him, she’d be over the moon about tonight.
He drove to the restaurant, holding her hand while the radio played softly in the background. When they pulled up in front of the restaurant, he said, “Don’t move, I’ll be right back.” He left the keys in the ignition and returned in less than two minutes.
By the time they got to his new house, the sun was setting behind the tree line, and she could just barely make out the pink and purple hues in the clouds through the thick leaves. “Come on, it’s not much, but I’m excited to give you the tour,” Caden said. “You know, none of this would’ve happened without you.”
“I don’t know about that,” Hallie said, getting out of the car.
Caden met her at the hood, carrying the takeout bag. “I do. I didn’t plan for any of this. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have realized how lonely I was without you during our separation, and I wouldn’t have needed to do something - anything - to take my mind off missing you.”
“You didn’t buy a house because you missed me,” Hallie said.
“No. But I had Garrett contact a real estate agent for me because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And I agreed to see this place because I couldn’t stand being in my cramped-up apartment for another second because spending time with you made me feel free and light and that place was suffocating me from the inside out.”
Hallie had no idea she’d made such a huge difference in his life. “Well, you inspired me to open up to people. I don’t think I ever would’ve implemented my marketing tactics if it hadn’t been for you coming into my life and accepting me so easily, glimpses and all. Not that I told them about that, but still…”
Caden pressed a kiss to her lips and she let out a little sigh. She definitely wanted this man in the worst way possible. But she couldn’t have him. Not yet. There was still so much she needed to tell him.
He pulled back, his gaze longingly locked onto hers. “I set up my small kitchen table in front of the bay window so we’ll have a view of the creek and the last few minutes of the sunset while we eat.”
“Sounds perfect,” Hallie said, though food and hunger were the last things on her mind. She wasn’t sure she’d even be able to eat anything before telling Caden what she should’ve told him weeks ago.
As soon as they stepped inside, Hallie smiled. All of Caden’s old furniture was there. The couch, the large recliner, the coffee table, and the flat screen television were set up in the living area. His coffee maker was set up in the kitchen, and just as he’d said, his small dining table was set up in the nook with a perfect view of the creek, the trees, and the sunset. “I like it,” Hallie breathed.
Caden chuckled. “It needs some work, but it’ll do for now. Garrett’s going to help me with most of the work to save on costs.”
“I can help too,” she said. “I mean, I know how to paint and I’m pretty good at the design stuff after watching a bunch of those home remodeling shows.”
“I would love your input on everything I do here,” he said. “But first, let’s eat so the food doesn’t get cold.”
He went over to the table and set out the to-go boxes, along with the plastic utensils and napkins that were in the bag. “I have bottled water, Cherry Coke, and a bottle of wine that someone gifted me a while back. Do you have a preference?”
“Cherry Coke,” Hallie said, not surprised in the least that he hadn’t forgotten her favorite drink.
