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“Huh? Again?”
The way she scrunched her nose was adorable. “I haven’t shown you what I wanted to yet. We need to cross the creek for me to show you.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “You’re walking across the creek?”
“It’s not that wide, and there’s a rock path I made years ago.”
She giggled and squeezed me with her legs. “Smart boy.”
I replied, “Not really. I had to slip and fall about ten times before I came up with the idea.”
Once I made it to the other side, I squatted so that she could jump off my back. “It’s right over here, but close your eyes.”
Rory smiled as she closed her eyes and let me guide her, no questions asked. I loved that she trusted me like she did.
The memories of being out here by myself quickly came back to me. “Open your eyes.”
Rory gaspe
d as she took in the view.
“Finn! This is beautiful! I’d have never guessed there was a view like this here. And this building is so cute!”
I nodded. “This was kind of my secret spot. Been coming here since I was about ten. I built this little fort because I needed a place to go to get away from my brothers, and somewhere to hide from Angie when she wanted me to play tea with her.” My eyes moved over the old wooden hideout. I’d made it out of fallen trees and a few left over pieces of lumber my father had.
Rory laughed and shook her head. “I’d give anything to have seen that.”
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “It was always me and Mr. Giggles at her tea parties. I have no idea why she never invited Wes or Preston.”
Rory pressed her lips together to keep from smiling full-on. “It’s probably because they told her no.”
“Probably,” I said while walking around the fort. “They didn’t care if she got upset, but I did.”
When I glanced up, Rory was staring at me and chewing on the corner of her lip. “You’re amazing, do you know that, Finn Ward?”
“Yeah, well, don’t ask me to build you a house. I’m not sure how sturdy this thing is.”
Her eyes filled with tears. She spun around, then started down the path and back to the creek. “Rory? Hey, what’s wrong?”
Reaching for her arm, I stopped her before she crossed the water. I faced her to me and lifted her chin with my finger. Those blue eyes looked so sad. “Talk to me, Rory. Please.”
“It’s…I don’t deserve you.”
My head jerked back in shock. “What? If anything, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you. But I’m greedy and want you all to myself.”
She gave me a weak smile before saying, “I’ll always be yours, Finn. I know we haven’t been together for long, but the way I feel about you…”
Glancing at the ground and then back to my eyes, she continued. “The way I feel about you is undeniable. I love you. I promise to always love you.”
I cupped her delicate face in my hands. “And I love you, Rory. I don’t care who tells us we’re moving too fast, because I don’t think we’re moving fast enough. If it were up to me, I’d have you move in with me.”
She sucked in a rush of air, then closed her eyes.
“Is it your dad?”
She didn’t say a word, but I saw it in her eyes when she opened them. Her father had to have said something to her last night to make her this upset.
“I’m sure he told you how I’m going to break your heart, or never be home, or how you’ll worry every time I go out on a call.”
