AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kiara crouches down in front of Tilly and asks what she’s drawing.
“It’s a princess,” Tilly explains proudly.
I sit down and listen to them chat for a few minutes until Kiara gets up and joins me.
“That went better than I thought it would,” she whispers. Her eyes are bright and happy, and I can tell that Tilly’s reaction to us was a big concern for her. Her phone pings and she picks it up, reading the message with a confused expression on her face.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Ellie just texted me asking what time I’m dropping Tilly off,” she laughs.
I choke back a chuckle. “About that…I asked Grant and Ellie if they’d look after Tilly for the weekend so I can take you away.”
“Now?” Kiara asks, her eyes wide. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” I say with a grin. “Pack warm and we’ll get going.”
Kiara gets to her feet, looking frazzled. She shakes her head and disappears down the hallway, leaving Tilly and I alone in the living room.
I sit forward and study Tilly’s drawing. “You should add a dragon,” I say decisively.
“A dragon?” she whispers, her eyes wide. “Can you draw me a dragon, Mr. Walker?”
“’Course I can,” I brag, joining her on the floor. I stretch my legs out under the coffee table and reach for a crayon. God, it’s been years since I’ve used a crayon. It kind of makes me miss teaching.
Tilly and I continue coloring as we wait for Kiara to get ready. A few minutes later, she resurfaces carrying two small bags, her face flushed.
“I had no idea what to pack,” she giggles. “Especially since you won’t tell me where we’re going.”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” I grin, getting to my feet.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kiara
Opening my eyes, I groan as I ease my neck back into a more natural position while Max chuckles next to me. It takes a moment for me to remember where I am, the tall trees and running green hills we’re driving through sparking my memory.
“You slept most of the way,” he comments, a wry smile on his face.
“Sorry,” I say gingerly. “I guess I needed it. Where exactly are we going?”
“It’s not much further,” he promises, making it clear that I’m not going to be finding out until we get there.
I sink back into my seat and gaze out the window. Wherever we’re going, I know it’s going to be beautiful. Max slips his hand inside mine and I jump. I turn to face him, my heart racing. I process what I’m feeling and realize I like feeling him so close to me. I smile, suddenly feeling shy, as I curl my fingers around his.
I still cringe when I think about the other night. I go over and over it in my mind, wishing I could erase the whole memory—or at least go back and relive it. I haven’t had a panic attack that severe in years, and to have it at that moment of all moments…I shudder.
Regardless, I’m so glad I ended up spending the night. Being wrapped in his embrace, with no judgment or expectations, was exactly what I’d needed. My feelings are becoming less and less confused as it becomes apparent what I want.
I know what I want; the question is, am I strong enough to go after it?
We pull up outside a mud brick cabin with a beautiful wraparound balcony. The property sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking a stunning waterfall. I eagerly let myself out of the car and race up the stairs and onto the balcony to take in the view while Max gets our bags. The pang of guilt I feel leaving him to carry everything quickly dissipates when I see the bubbling hot tub in the corner of the deck.
“This place is amazing,” I gasp to Max, who has joined me through the internal sliding door.
“Wait until you see inside,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. “I wanted to take you somewhere special, and when I heard about this view I knew I couldn’t beat it.”
“This is amazing,” I repeat, my mind incapable of thinking anything else.
