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“I can’t, but that’s where friends come in. I give a lot of it away and only keep the kinds I like.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked. I could tell she was holding something back.
“I have two subscriptions, so the caramel comes twice a month,” she blurted out.
“What? Why not change the order to strictly caramel?”
“Because sometimes I’m in the mood for another flavor.”
I barked out a laugh because it was so ridiculous, but adorable. “I guess it’s a good thing I have so many movies then.”
“Yeah.” She smiled and darted off the couch toward her room. A few seconds later, she came out with a wicker basket filled with popcorn. “Take your pick.”
I leaned forward and looked through the flavors, putting my hand on a bag of caramel to mess with her. She inhaled sharply, and I chuckled.
“Just kidding.” I snatched the parmesan ranch flavor instead and settled back against the cushions. “What was this month’s special flavor?”
“Cinnamon roll, and it was divine.”
“How many bags do they send you of the month’s flavor?”
“Three. There are eight bags in total. I usually get a cheddar and then two bags of caramel, leaving two flavors open for them to give me whatever. One time, they sent me two of the pickle flavor. Yuck.” She stuck out her tongue.
“Do you throw out the ones you don’t like?”
“Not usually. Someone’s always willing to try them. Mindy took the pickle ones when she was pregnant with the twins.”
I chuckled and started the movie. I’d had enough popcorn talk. Kat settled back against the cushions. She had pulled a blanket out of the storage ottoman and draped it over her legs.
“Want some?” she asked.
I looked over, expecting to see her offering me popcorn, but was surprised to find her holding the corner of the blanket up. I nodded and slid over until I was under the blanket. Our legs brushed, and I held my breath, feeling like a teenager watching a movie with my crush.
I had an overwhelming urge to pull Kat close and feel her head on my chest, but I didn’t want to lead her on. I blamed that fucking dress. All I’d been able to think about since I saw it was getting my lips on hers again. This situation we’d gotten ourselves into had scrambled my brain.
I’d never been this indecisive before, but then again, I’d never had such strong feelings for someone. It scared the hell out of me, and I worried about the future. But I still couldn’t let go of the pain of the past to allow myself to fall for her. God, did I want to, though.
Chapter 19
KAT
“YOU’RE DOING GREAT,” Sid said from behind me. “It’s just a little farther.”
I let out a huff as I trudged up the path. Sid woke me up this morning and told me to dress warm and wear something I wouldn’t mind getting dirty. I dressed in gym clothes and a hoodie and met him in the living room. He was putting bottles of water into a backpack, along with a map, a small lunch cooler, sunscreen, and bug spray.
“What are we doing?” I asked.
“You wanted to see the trees in the fall, and today is a great day for it. A warm front came through, so it’s not too cold.”
Sid was right. The weather was nice, but hiking first thing in the morning wasn’t really what I had in mind. Shiloh hiked with us. Sid carried her leash but didn’t attach it to her. My boot slipped in mud, and I slid a little. Sid’s hands landed on my waist to stop me from sliding farther.
“You good?”
I nodded. “How much farther?”
He chuckled. “Not far. The trees open up ahead to a clearing, and you can look out over the treetops. We’ll take a rest there.”
It sounded lovely.
