“They’re genetic.” As if she thinks I’m wearing false ones. “Nathan has them, too.”
Really wish I didn’t bring him up right now.
“That must be why you have such pretty eyes.”
Pretty eyes. Not at the top of my list of body parts I’d want her to compliment, but I’ll take it.
She shakes her hands through her hair, combing it with her fingers. Her gaze darts to mine, expectant. “Do I look okay?”
Her dark hair is lopsided now, one side falling in soft, lush waves, the other hanging in limp, wet tendrils. I tuck the stem of blue flowers Fran gave me behind her ear on the damp side. “You always look beautiful.”
Her smile has a hesitance to it. She’s not sure if she believes me. I could go on and convince her properly. Tell her that the first time she walked through the coffee shop’s doors I couldn’t breathe for how stunning she was. That she’s stolen my breath every day since. That as easily as she knocks me out, her external beauty is the least interesting thing about her. It’s her gorgeous heart that truly makes her shine.
That even if our fake dating scheme pulverizes my heart when it ends, I can’t bring myself to stop. Not if it means I get to spend more time with her.
“Come on.” She loops her arm through mine, tugging me back to the craft fair. “Let’s go find safety in numbers. We still have more to see.”
We covered most of the vendors already, but we dutifully explore the last of the booths. She smiles over everything, chatting with people in the stalls about what they make or if they’re having a successful day. She’s got an ease with people I’ve never had and frankly, don’t understand. It would never occur to me to talk to everyone I see.
But it does something dangerous to my heart that she does.
“Let’s get some ice cream.” She pulls me toward a vendor standing next to a big purple freezer case. “You’ve got a sweet tooth to indulge.”
I fake a grumble because it makes her laugh. We choose our flavors—banana for me, honey lavender for her—and slowly walk around the edge of the park. I keep an eye out for water assailants lying in wait, but the kids must have had their fun and left.
“Mmm.” The sound she makes over her ice cream couldfeature in any of my more creative daydreams. My stomach tightens as every sensible thought flies from my brain. “This is so good.”
She takes another bite, dragging the spoon from her mouth in a move so unintentionally sinful, I have to stifle a groan. I take slow breaths, willing myself not to make this weird.She’s just enjoying her ice cream. It has nothing to do with you.Doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an effect.
“We’ve talked about my exes,” she says out of nowhere. “What about yours? Anyone I should know about?”
Have to hand it to her. That’s one way to kill a vibe.
“My family’s not going to ask you about that.”
She keeps walking, eating her ice cream, but her mouth tugs down between bites. I want to kick myself. I’m being closed off for no reason. She’s been nothing but an open book with me, and while I suspect that’s her default, it still shows a level of trust I’m not mirroring back.
I’m not an open-book guy. But for her, I want to try.
“My last serious relationship didn’t end well,” I offer. “Brooke. This was before I took over the coffee shop.”
Rose nods, gently waiting for more. We cross into the shade of a pine tree, the sharp scent filling my lungs.
“I was still working seasonal park ranger jobs, going to different places every year. I’d be gone from April through September, only coming home for a week each season. The first year, we made it work with a lot of phone calls and a few trips she took to see me. The second year, most of my calls went to voicemail. When I came back in the fall, it was over. Had been for a while, I just didn’t know it. She told me she liked me better when I wasn’t around.”
Says a lot about me that the longest relationship I’ve had was when I was gone half the time. Says even more that she preferred it that way.
“Well, that’s just rude.” Rose’s sharp voice snaps me out of mypity party. “If she didn’t know the good thing she had with you, she was a dummy. I’m sorry, but someone had to say it.”
I exhale a laugh, mentally highlighting her calling a relationship with me a good thing.
“You’re a great guy, Reed. The best one. Far and away my favorite—” She swallows the end of that sentence down. “She didn’t deserve you, and I hope you haven’t wasted a minute of time feeling bad about her since.”
Rose’s heartfelt defense of me twists something behind my ribs. She’s an army of one, ready to charge into battle to protect me from lovers past. If I was in danger of falling for her before, the threat has fully overtaken me now.
“It wasn’t all her fault,” I say before I can stop myself. “I’m not the best at communicating. I probably put extra distance between us with all the things I didn’t say.”
I’ve never been skilled at the emotional side of things. Sharing mine or dealing with anyone else’s. Some part of me needs to be sure this sweet woman who leads with her heart knows it’s not my nature to do the same. I’m warning her against myself, like anyone who cared about her would do.
