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He held his breath.
“I...” She let out a breath. “I canceled my account with the matchmaking company.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Because they sent me another match and he’s everything I’d asked for.”
His stomach sank like a stone. She’d found someone else. The last day they were at the cabin together, she’d tried to reach him. Tried to connect with him.
And he’d pushed her away.
History was repeating itself, but this time in reverse. Maybe they were destined to never make the leap into being together. Their timing was all wrong. Always.
“I’m happy for you,” he said, the words sour in his mouth. “That’s great.”
“No, it’s not great. It’sterrible!” She threw her hands in the air, tears shining anew. “Because I didn’t even want to meet him. He has a great job, loves animals, has plans for a bright future. He wassogood-looking. And what do you think happened, huh?”
“What happened?” he asked, the sinking feeling turning to churning waves in his gut.
“The whole time I was walking to the place where we were supposed to meet I was thinkingoh yeah, he seems great and all...but he’s not Keaton.” She jabbed him in the chest, her voice rising. “Because no man, no matter how amazing, will ever compare to you in my head.”
She sounded angry. At her wit’s end.
“I’m sorry?”
“Is that a question or an actual apology?” She folded her arms across her chest. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. It’s not your fault I’ve been infatuated with you from the moment my hormones kicked in. That’smyfault. Because I’m incapable of making good choices when it comes to men. I keep searching and trying to find someone that makes me feel the way you do but it’s fucking pointless, Keaton. It’s pointless.”
He stood there, wide-eyed and unsure exactly how to take the outburst. On one hand, he was thrilled to hear she still had feelings for him. But on the other hand, she didn’t seem happy about those feelings.
Don’t screw this up now. You were making good progress. But this could all blow up in your face at any moment.
“Uhh...”
“And now you invite me here and you put up this beautiful tree and you say all these amazing things.” She was sniffling now, the tears dropping down onto her face. “When I had just decided that I was going to be a spinster! I was going to make peace with being single forever and I was going to adopt some dogs and save for a nice house and make some other single lady friends and learn how to crochet and be happy. Alone.”
“You can still learn how to crochet,” he offered.
She laughed through her tears, the sound filled with humor and raw emotion.
“And we can get a dog,” he added. “I like dogs now. But...and I understand that maybe this isn’t the time to put in requests. Can we please not get a husky?”
She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. “Stop it, Keaton.”
This wasn’t going very well. “Stop what?”
“Being so sweet and perfect and—”
“I amnotperfect.”
“Yeah, you are. Perfect for me.” She pressed a hand to his chest. “Because it turns out that perfect for me isn’t about ticking any boxes on a matchmaking list. It’s not practical at all. In fact, it’s decidedly emotional and illogical and I’m not sure I like it.”
“Then whatisperfect for you?” He closed his hand over hers.
“Someone who knows me, inside and out. Someone who has a strong sense of family and the resilience to keep turning things around. Someone who’s willing to make a complete ass of themselves by trying to convince a dramatic husky to behave while you take a bunch of photos just to make your sister happy.”
“The couple who makes an ass of themselves together, stays together?” he offered with a hopeful smile.
She smiled. “You’re not too late, Keaton. Not at all. Because it wouldn’t have mattered if I was eighty-five and sitting in a rocking chair. I would still want you.”
