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“Not yet. I like being taller than everyone else,” she says with a giggle and he laughs.
We walk along the edge and eventually Charlotte wants down. She holds onto Heath’s hand as she leans over, dipping her fingers into the cool water.
“Are you hungry?” Heath asks as we start to hike back.
“Yeah!” Charlotte yells.
“There’s a little café around the corner that we can go to.”
“Sounds good,” I say as we head back to the car.
We didn’t see any rabbits on our outing and Charlotte was a little upset, but Heath promised to take us back to his cabin and said we could hike around and look for some there. She seems to have forgotten all about her disappointment, though, as Heath carries her back to our car.
I strap her into her car seat and try not to laugh as Heath tries to fit his large frame into my little car. I have a feeling he’ll be buying a car seat for his truck very soon so that we don’t have to move mine or keep taking my car out when we’re together.
We make the short drive around the corner to the Pine Cone Café. It’s a cute little place nestled back by the forest and mountains.
It’s after the lunch rush so the place isn’t that busy as we head inside. We sit down at one of the wooden tables and Charlotte scoots close to Heath on the bench seating. The place is rustic with animal heads on the wall and plaid curtains and seat cushions.
“What are you hungry for, bunny?” I ask as I grab one of the menus off the table.
“Can I have pancakes?”
“I’m not sure if they’re doing breakfast anymore.”
“We can ask,” Heath says and I smile as he flags down Aspen, the owner of the café.
“Sure, we can make you some pancakes, sugar,” Aspen says with a smile and Charlotte bounces in her seat.
“I’ll take the burger and a Coke,” I say as I slide my menu back in the holder.
“That sounds good. Me too. Thanks, Aspen,” Heath says as she writes down our order and heads back toward the kitchen.
“Have you been here before?” I ask him and he nods.
“Yeah, sometimes I stop by on my way to or from my cabin. The food is always good.”
“Have you ever ordered the pancakes?” Charlotte asks Heath and I watch as he leans over and talks with her.
“Yeah, and the egg sandwich. They’re both really good. Do you like eggs?”
The two of them talk and my heart feels like it’s beating out of rhythm. Charlotte was always super close with her dad. The two of them were practically inseparable and watching her and Heath bond has me wondering if he’s good for more than just me.
Charlotte giggles, grinning up at Heath and it’s obvious that she likes spending time with him. He’s so good with her. So patient and easy going.
I used to think of him as the grumpy guy who snapped at me the first time he came into the diner, but he’s opened up with us so much since that first meeting. Maybe he was just having a bad day. He’s not the gruff loner that the rest of the town seems to think he is. At least not with me.
He’s funny, intelligent, and kind. He makes me laugh, makes me take time for myself, and is a great role model for Charlotte.
He’s perfect and I think that I might be falling for Heath.
Aspen comes back and sets our food down in front of us, but my stomach is tied up in knots at my revelation and I watch as the two of them dig into their food.
When did that happen? We haven’t been together for that long, so I must just be getting ahead of myself.
As he leans over and wipes a stray smear of cheese from her face, I realize that it’s more than that.
I’m already in love with Heath.
