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Padding over to the couch on bare feet, Leah sat, hoping to let her long hair air dry a bit before hitting the pillow. She picked up the TV remote and flicked through a few channels before settling on yet another Hallmark movie. Another cozy town with another cast of beautiful people and another happy ending on the way. She’d seen a million of these movies. They both broke her heart and gave her hope.
As Leah’s eyes grew heavy watching the flick, she had a thought that Maplehaven would make a perfect setting for one of these movies. She even had a good idea of who the hero would be.
She just wasn’t sure she was up to being the heroine.
****
Dakota’s muscles strained as he pulled himself up to the next foothold. Noah grunted a few feet away from him as Noah’s two cousins took a quick break on the outcropping of rock ahead of them. Brenton Mountain had a southern face perfect for climbing, and Dakota had led many a group on this particular adventure. He often climbed it by himself for exercise, for the challenge of tackling the mountain, for the serenity climbing provided him.
And he needed some damn serenity. His mind could not get off one sexy fourth grade teacher who apparently wanted nothing to do with him.
What is up with that?
Never had he had to work so hard. Never had hewantedto work so hard. That was a mystery as well. Dakota wasn’t bashful about asking women on dates, but that level of confidence came with the fact that, on most occasions, the women said yes the first time he asked.
Leah… she was a challenge. She’d stared at him though. He’d seen her when they’d talked in the park. Her gaze had done a full inventory of him and he hadn’t minded one bit. It was what had fueled him to suggest she bike with him. It was what had him getting a little hard in his workout pants. Her perusal had caused his thoughts to travel to what they could do togetherbesidesbiking.
But she’d shot him down. Again.
He hauled himself up to the outcropping and took a seat beside Noah, who had reached the natural platform before he had. Also out of the ordinary, as Dakota was usually the one to be ahead of any group he took out.
“What’s with you today?” Noah asked after taking a long pull from his water bottle. “I’m not feeling your usual level of ‘let’s climb this fucker.’ I mean, Jimmy here left you in the dust.”
Noah’s cousin laughed. “Hey, I’ve been working out. I’m fit now.”
“That gut doesn’t say you’re fit,” Noah said.
Evan, Noah’s other cousin and Jimmy’s brother, pointed to Jimmy’s stomach. “That’s all beer. This kid doesn’t understand the difference between a six-pack,” he lifted up his own T-shirt to showcase his ripped abs, “and a six-pack.” He pantomimed cracking open a beer can.
All four of them chuckled, then Jimmy said, “I don’t need ripped abs. I got me a wife.”
“So you just let yourself go now and hope Melanie stays with you even if you look like total shit?” Noah adjusted his harness to get ready for the next segment of the climb.
“Dude, Melanie’s a pastry chef,” Jimmy said. “Do you have any idea how many cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and pies I have access to at any given time? And she’s the one providing them. That makes me figure she wants me to weigh nine hundred pounds. It’s what she finds sexy.” He pointed to the rest of them. “Besides, don’t judge me. Out of the four of us, I’m the only one who’s gotten a woman to sayI do.”
“The man’s got a point,” Noah said.
“You’ve got a woman all picked out though.” Dakota knocked his boot against Noah’s.
His buddy puffed out a breath and raked his hand through his short black hair. “I do, but I can’t compete with Elijah. Krista likes me. I know that. Why else would she engage in my verbal shenanigans on an almost daily basis?” His lips quirked up on one side. “But until she comes to terms with the fact that Elijah is most likely gone, she won’t move on with me or anyone else.”
“One day she’ll be ready though.” Dakota knew Noah and Krista would make a great match and he’d love to see his two best friends blissfully happy.
“And I’m stupid enough to wait.” He gave Dakota a sad smile as he pulled off his own sunglasses and wiped his face. “In the meantime, I get my jollies climbing rocks with a dickhead like you.”
“A dickhead that’s in slow motion today.” Dakota pulled his sunglasses up and wiped his face with a towel he’d pulled from his backpack. “And because we’re talking about women…”
“Oh, boy,” Noah, Jimmy, and Evan said at the same time.
“Yeah.” Dakota stuffed the towel back in his pack then looked at Noah. “Have you met the new fourth grade teacher at Maplehaven?”
“Leah?” Noah’s hazel eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. I met her yesterday at the animal shelter. I brought Titan in for a vet appointment next door and figured I’d goof around with some pups to kill time. Leah was in there adopting a kitten.” He bit his bottom lip and held his hands out as if he were cupping butt cheeks. “She’s tight, man.”
Dakota swatted him in the shoulder with the back of his hand. “Hey, don’t do or say that. Not about her.”
“Oh,really?” Noah laughed. “Is that how it is?”
“Why do I talk to you?”
