She’s implying some indulgent wild cowboy fantasy, but he’s not delusional enough to believe she’s serious. They share a soft laugh and settle in for the night, long moments passing while trying to get comfortable and fuck if he doesn’t hate how far away she is. Isn’t brave enough yet to scoot closer, but then remembers his plan. Operation Courting Kara is still a go, and this is a prime opportunity, or it would be if he had any game left whatsoever.
She’s fidgeting a lot tonight. Tosses and turns and fluffs her pillow. If he pays close attention, he can see her casting glances his way when she thinks he’s not looking.
He can do this. No big deal. Wade grabs his pillow and shifts it under his head, the barest half an inch in her direction.
No response.
He does it again, going a little further and covering by ruffling the blankets, too.
Her fussing has gone silent, then she surprises him by doing the very same thing, inching closer until their pillows touch at the ends.
“The mattress is kinda stiff, huh?” she says.
“Mhmm. Pillow’s lumpy.”
“Mine too.”
They’re both just restless, that’s all. Has nothing to do with wanting to be closer. That’s what he tells himself, even as he works up the courage to go an extra step further and gently lean his foot against hers.
It’s one thing to sleep wrapped up together while he was still so fresh off his captivity, and the only comfort he could find was her. It’s another thing entirely to do so when his overall goal is far from innocent.
When he checks her face, she’s smiling up at the ceiling, her voice wistful as her foot nudges him. “They’ve got a nice life here, don’t they? Simple. Easy.”
“No battles to fight, no enemies to chase down. Just the three of them, this house, and the fields around it. Harvesting crops and putting up windmills.”
“Sounds good to me.”
It sounds good to him, too. A lot like what he hopes might happen after their road trip is over, if he’s able to convince her to pick a spot and put down fresh roots with him. He falls asleep the same way he does every night, thinking of them out west in their own version of paradise.
* * *
Wade has never put together a windmill. They already got most of the pieces assembled, and all he really has to do is help raise it.
Once finished, he heads back into the house to check on Kara, who’s been making lunch with Addison, leaving Wyatt behind to fiddle with electricity-related details.
Wade is not a quiet person, but he must be today because they don’t hear him coming at all, though he hears them loud and clear from the hall.
“He’s handsome, that one. You picked well.”
“He is. Don’t know if I picked so much as just got lucky.”
Yep, that’s Kara’s voice, he thinks, leaning carefully against the wall.
“Looks at you the way Wyatt looks at me sometimes, when he thinks I ain’t lookin’ back. All sweet-like. Got them heart eyes for you.”
It’s silent for a moment, and much as he hates eavesdropping, he absolutely has to know what Kara says in return.
“I feel like I should be honest with you. You’ve been so kind. Me and Wade, were not really—”
“Oh, I already know.”
“You do?”
“You both still have that brand-new look. Got those butterflies still, I bet. That’s a before thing. Not an after thing. Well, not for long after, anyway. Unless you’re lucky like me and Wyatt. I still get butterflies for him. Question is, why not?”
“Why not what?”
“Why aren’t you together yet?”
