AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He instructed Carter on buckling into the harness and helmet and how to control his speed on the line. “Whenever you’re ready, let ’er rip. Unhook yourself on the other side and stay behind the yellow lines so you’re not in the way of us coming in.”
“Got it.” Carter gave him a thumbs up then turned to Leah. “See you on the other side, hotshot.” He stuck out his tongue and pushed off the platform.
Leah laughed when Carter’s arms flailed a bit. “He is such a goof.”
“Now is that a nice thing to say about your best friend?” Dakota watched her face carefully, searching for any sign that she and Carter were more than friends.
She shifted her gaze from Carter’s retreating form and stared at Dakota. “You don’t believe we’re just friends, do you?”
Shit.Why was she so good at seeing right through him? “I don’t see how anyone would want to be just friends with you. Is he gay?”
Leah’s laugh echoed through the woods, brightening her entire face. “Carter is not gay, although he did once have a guy at a video game convention ask him out.” She shook her head then got serious. “There is more to Carter and me, but… I’m not ready to share that story yet.” She stepped closer and hooked her hands on Dakota’s arms which were folded across his chest. “I will tell you, however, that Carter and I have never dated. It’s never been like that between us.”
Something in Dakota’s chest loosened at that news. “Why not?”
Leah started buckling herself into the harness. “I prefer outdoorsy type guys who kiss well on park benches and have super secret tattoos.” She slipped on her helmet and stood ready to hook herself to the line.
He stepped up next to her, only a sliver of mountain air between them. “My skills extend well beyond park benches, Miss Greenstead, and the tattoo doesn’thaveto be super secret.”
“I look forward to experiencing your other skills and revealing that tattoo.”
So did he.
Chapter Nine
Ziplining was the best thing Leah had done for fun in a long time. Well, maybe saying yes to a date with Dakota had been the best thing, but ziplining was a close second. And it just so happened that Dakota had been a part of that experience too.
The October air rushed over her body, blowing away any lingering pieces of her New York self. The autumn scents of cool soil and fading wildflowers filled her nose as her ponytail streamed behind her. She experimented with stretching her limbs out then curling them in, alternately slowing down and speeding up her zip along the line. The ground was a leaf-covered blur beneath her, the sky a blue blanket above her.
Is this what being a bird feels like?If so, she wanted wings. Immediately. She’d never felt so… free. All the things that weighed her down and held her back dissipated as she soared past the trees.
Until she saw Carter waiting on the platform in front of her. Though he was smiling, obviously having loved the ride as well, the sight of him was like a super clean sliding glass door in her flight path. She had to keep herself from bouncing off unexpectedly—painfully—in a flurry of feathers. That kind of mental impact would send her reeling back to her past. The past she shared with Carter.
Again, a thought of Dakota, who would be whooshing down the line behind her in a few minutes, kept the total darkness from seeping in. She’d picked up on the jealous undercurrent when she’d introduced Carter to Dakota, and though she shouldn’t have been affected by it, she totally was. It’d been fun imagining what thoughts were bouncing around in Dakota’s head as he struggled to remain civil in Carter’s presence. She almost hadn’t put him out of his misery by telling him she and Carter had never been more than friends, but there had been moments when his sea-glass eyes had looked truly stormy.
How into me is he?
Sure, she’d gotten the feeling they could be something wonderful. She’d been playing it casual though, mostly because she wasn’t sure whatshecould handle, this being her first attempt at a relationship since losing Chase. Dakota had come on pretty strong to start and that had made her more cautious, but during their field trip fun and on Friday night’s date, she’d gotten the sense that he was a little surprised at the connection they were experiencing. As if he wanted her more than he’d expected. Today only added evidence to that idea. Was he not on solid ground either? Were his feelings for her—however new and unexplored they might be so far—deeper than what he’d felt for anyone else? What was his dating past anyway?
If she wanted the answer to that, she’d have to give him details about her own past. Was she was up for that yet?
Her feet hit the platform, and Carter stopped her continued stumbling forward by wrapping his arms around her.
“I got you,” he said into her hair where his face was buried.
While she appreciated his help, something about being that close didn’t feel right. “I’m okay.” She took a step back and unhooked herself from the line. “That was amazing, wasn’t it?”
Carter sifted out a breath. “Totally. I’m glad we did this.” He looked down the zipline. “I see why you like him. Dakota seems nice.”
Leah glanced at the line too, but Dakota wasn’t in view yet. “He is nice. Everyone in town will tell you that too.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to move on though?” Carter chewed on his bottom lip as he watched her take off her helmet and untangle herself from the harness.
“Honestly,” she let the harness drop to the platform between her feet, “no. I’m not sure of anything, Carter, but I do know I’m tired of being alone. I had all these dreams. For Chase and me. Those dreams didn’t get the chance to come true, but maybe some new dreams will.”
A faint whiz sounded as the zipline vibrated, indicating Dakota was on his way.
“New dreams,” Carter said. “That’s probably a good idea.”
