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“And I was gonna find a way out of the family dinner tonight. Good thing I didn’t because there’s no place I’d rather be.”
Maggie’s cheeks were already flushed from the run up the hillside, but they turned a deep crimson that matched the color of the canyon walls. She was breathtaking. And she’d said yes to going on a date with him.
“Well, I hope you saved some energy for the way down. Because we only have an hour to get back to our houses, shower off, and arrive at your mom’s before she has all our hides tanned.”
Bennett laughed. “After what you just told me, I think I have enough energy to run this thing twice and still make it in time.” He rubbed Maggie’s shoulder. “Thank you, Maggie.”
“For what?”
“For giving Deer Creek another chance. For giving us a second chance.”
“You’re welcome.” Her smile kicked up on the right side, mischief and joy dancing in her eyes. “But we’re taking it slow, okay?”
“Whatever you want, Maggie.” And he meant it.
If she was going to stay and make a life here in Deer Creek, he’d do whatever he needed in order to support her in that. Even if it meant giving up his dreams of owning the land and river that sliced through the canyon. Even if it meant not kissing her senseless like he wanted to, right here above the town they’d both call home.
Because he was proof that even the most stubborn men could change, their dreams along with them. As long as he had the hope of more time with a good woman like Maggie, he didn’t give a damn about the land he owned or the operation he managed.
He had everything he needed right on the path in front of him. The only trick was getting her to change for now to forever. Good thing he was up to the task.
Chapter Twelve
She opted to walk to Bennett’s since it was a nice, cool evening and she had fifteen minutes to kill. Along the edge of her property, there’d always been a small opening in the grass, matched by a worn, cracked panel of fencing that made for a perfect escape hatch when Maggie wanted to meet up with Bennett without the risk of being caught along the roadside.
In all likelihood, it was grown over by now, the fencing replaced with whatever modern, cruelty-free option he’d replaced everywhere else. Still, it was worth walking by since it wasn’t too out of her way and held memories dear to her heart.
A small gasp escaped her when she got to the clearing. It had been purposefully mowed on her side of the fence in the small square that used to exist from the natural wear of their path leading to one another.
Had he…
She reached the fence line. Sure enough, the whole mile-long stretch of barbed wire had been replaced with the synthetic magic Bennett conjured up around his property. All except the small swathe of ancient wood fence with the crack and gap. It wasn’t big enough for a cow or bear to slip through, but she could still fit.
Passing through the secret entrance to Bennett’s property sent a thrill racing along her skin like it used to when she was sixteen. No one cared whether or not she went out with Bennett anymore, especially since the man had done pretty well for himself; even her father wouldn’t be able to levy a complaint any longer. Besides, they were adults and could do as they pleased.
Either way, this manner of entering his land made it feel as if her father was still alive and well back at home. Her heart squeezed as she made her way down the still-worn path that eventually took her to the back of Bennett’s barn, a favorite place for them to steal kisses during the summer they spent wrapped in each other’s arms.
“I didn’t hear you sneak in,” a voice said from behind her. As it did every other time she heard it, warmth spread through her limbs.
Maggie turned, a smile on her face. Her skin flamed when her gaze landed on Bennett. His smile was just as bright, and his hair was still damp from his post-run shower. Maggie’s throat suddenly went dry.
He wore the same thing he did every other day—a flannel button-down and jeans—but somehow it looked different with his hair combed, his clothes clean and pressed. It was more casual and yet intimate.
“I took the old path.” That you didn’t let grow over.
He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, the corner of his lip worried between his teeth. “When you first left, I told myself I was keeping it up as faster access to talk to your dad, and even though over time that was true, I guess I always held out hope you’d come back and put it to good use.”
She followed Bennett into the house and down a hall with vaulted wood ceilings and picturesque photos lining the walls of local Deer Creek vistas. Some Maggie recognized from her swath of canyon, while others might be from McKinney State Park or the Chisos. Either way, the photographer had captured aspects of them not found in travel blogs or Instagram. They were intimate portraits that spoke to the heart of each space.
“Who took these?” she asked.
“Um, me, actually. My mom insisted on having them printed and hung, so I framed them as gifts over the years.”
He kept walking like he hadn’t blown Maggie’s world open yet again.
All Maggie could do was wade in wonder at the man fate had seen lucky enough to drop at her doorstep twice and hope she didn’t screw it all up again.
He led her into the dining room and Maggie wished she was alone so she could gawk without looking silly. It was the kitchen of her dreams. Concrete countertops and stained wood cabinetry bookended stainless steel appliances typically found in an industrial kitchen. Grace knew how to use her space.
