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“If?”
“If I hadn’t met you. So it’s your fault.”
She grinned then grew serious. “Are you feeling the pull to go somewhere?”
“Only slightly. Not like I usually do.” He let the rocks drop one by one. “Again, your fault.”
“I would never want you to hang around because of me. You should take off if you want to.”
Here goes.“Would you consider traveling somewhere with me?”
A full body shudder rippled through Leah and she closed her eyes. “I’m definitely not ready for that, Dakota.”
“Fair enough.” He knew it would be too much too soon.Stupid.It was too easy to want more with her. “Can you promise me something though?” He stepped up in front of her and corralled her between his arms and the boulder behind her. “I need to see stuff. To experience what is beyond Maplehaven.” He moved his hands to her shoulders and when she didn’t shrug off his hold, he was encouraged to continue. “But I feel as if I need you too. Can you promise that we can still explore this?” He used one hand to gesture between them. “I think we have something here and would hate for my pro-travel and your anti-travel sentiments to spoil everything.”
She cupped his cheeks and let her thumbs scratch along his stubble. “I think we have something here too. Something I didn’t think I’d ever be ready to have again. You’re a hard guy to resist Dakota Brenton.”
“So we’re a couple then?” He gathered both of her hands in his and brought them to his heart.
“It would appear so.” She said it with a smile, but he sensed some trepidation. His travel bug scared her.
He kissed her knuckles. “Thank you.” He’d been truly worried there for a minute that they were about to say their goodbyes. He didn’t think he’d be okay with that. Not even a little bit. Sure, he was disappointed she wasn’t interested in traveling. Shouldn’t his true heart match want to do something that meant so much to him?
But maybe, in time, she’d change her mind. He’d gotten her to date him when she hadn’t dated anyone since losing her fiancé. Perhaps she’d learn that traveling didn’t always mean disaster. That he’d try his best to keep her—and her heart—safe.
Chapter Fourteen
Leah sat across from Dakota at Mountain View Pizza after their hike. A hike reminding her adventuring was encoded directly in his DNA and he wouldn’t be able to stay put for too long.
But he does always come back.
He’d said it himself. Maplehaven was his home. She could be one half of a couple with him—the non-traveling half. Of course, she’d worry like wild about him when he was off on a trip, wondering what disaster might injure him.
Or kill him.
Bleck.She didn’t want to think about any of that tonight. She’d tuck it away for now and enjoy spending time with him. He was here. They were together—a couple. That could be enough.
Couldn’t it?
“Ginger told me she wanted us to bring her some of Kyle’s meatballs,” she said as she perused the now familiar menu.
Dakota looked up at her, his mouth slightly opened. “Did someone tell you that I bring meatballs home for her?”
“What?” She shook her head. “No, I was just goofing around. Why, you do?”
“Most of the time, yeah. I forgot to when we had our date here last week, but my attention was elsewhere.” His feet caught hers under the table, his legs rubbing against hers in a way that made her instantly wish they were both naked.
Does Mountain View Pizza deliver?She’d need an answer to that question if this relationship was going to continue.
“Maybe Ginger did really tell me then.” She shrugged.
“Could you get her to tell you where she picked up a tail full of nettles the other day? Because I’d love to keep that from happening again. She was not happy with me as I brushed them out. Had to cut two clusters out because they were so ensnared in her fur.”
“I thought I detected some unevenness in her tail fluff. Poor baby. She definitely deserves meatballs then.”
