Page 31 of Sweet Devotion

“Enough to do it again?” His one brow rose high on his forehead and his lips curled up in the sweetest grin. Anyone watching would think he’d made an indecent proposition.

Even knowing he was only asking about dancing, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “I’d like that.”

“Then it’s a date. We’ll come back next week. Saturday night good for you?”

She came within inches of nodding yes when she remembered. “That’s the fundraiser festival. It’s all day and then the dinner party with the silent auction is the grand finale.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “Then the following Saturday?”

Her head bobbed so fast she was surprised it hadn’t snapped off. “Looking forward to it.” Though at the rate he was improving, she wasn’t sure there’d be many more Saturdays for dancing. That thought made her sadder than it should have.

“So,” he turned onto Main Street, “about your new therapy office.”

“The garage?” Not that he could be talking about anything else.

“I’d like to start right away.”

She shifted in the front seat of the car. “I don’t think you should—”

With the raising of his hand, he cut her off. “Helping isn’t up for discussion or debate. I can do what you need and help get your started on the right foot. So to speak.”

“While I’d love to say yes—”

“Great, then we agree.”

Tugging on her seat belt, she twisted a little more. “I did not say that.”

His smile spread. “But you will.”

“Rather cocky, aren’t we?” She bit back a smile. It was actually kind of nice having a competent man stepping up to help.

Pulling into the driveway of her house, he put the car in park, undid his seat belt and without a word, exited the truck, circled the hood and opened her door. “That which I do well, I do. That which I don’t do so well, I delegate. Of course,” he smiled and extended his hand to her, “there’s not much I don’t do well.”

That had her laughing out loud as she climbed out of the car. “In other words, I’m going to get my practice up and running sooner than later whether I like it or not?”

“Yeah,” he bobbed his head, “that about covers it.”

Her cheeks tugged hard at the corners of her mouth. A girl could really get used to this guy. Really.

Chapter Thirteen

“He’s been waiting for you.” Alice stood at the kitchen sink scooping hard boiled eggs from the biggest pot Aiden had ever seen.

“Excuse me?” If he didn’t know this was a cattle ranch, the mound of eggs piled by the sink would have shouted chicken farm.

Her arm waved to the screen door. The back door was open and Romeo lounged on the porch like a doormat in front of the screen door.

A smile tugged at Aiden’s lips. Truth be told, he missed the dog too. Opening the door and stepping outside, he hunched down by the dog now swishing his tail like a metronome. “How are you doing today, fella?”

Rising to a seated position, the dog’s tail picked up speed and to Aiden’s surprise, the dog’s head came to rest on his leg.

“Well I’ll be.” Alice stood at the other side of the screen door. “Maybe if you left the house more often, he’d come around faster.”

He knew she was teasing, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t a grain of truth in her words.

“As much as I’m enjoying this love fest, I have four dozen more eggs to boil.” She blew on her finger tips and preening, brushed them against her shoulder. “My deviled eggs are in high demand.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He watched her return to the massive pot of boiled eggs then stayed crouched by Romeo longer than his hip appreciated, his hand moving along the dog’s neck in the long slow strokes that Romeo had decided were now acceptable. That bit of progress made Aiden almost as happy as having spent the day with Colleen—well, maybe not quite almost. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Romeo’s ears moved at the sound but he didn’t lift his head. Aiden straightened carefully and checked the screen. Kade Sweet. “Hey.”