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Her tiny sandal landed on his boot. “Oops. Sorry.”
“You’d have to stomp those little feet awfully hard for me to suffer injury.”
She laughed, something sweet and light. “Noted.” She looked up at him. “Friends?”
He swallowed. “Yes. Friends.”
He was in trouble. There was something so soft and sweet in Beth—she made Deep Haven feel a little like…home.
The song ended and rolled into a slow ballad. No one else left the makeshift dance floor. Even Doug had made his way to the dance floor with Janet, though Grayson wasn’t sure Beth had noticed.
She relaxed. Let him draw her close.
As fast and as far as Grayson had run from Deep Haven, the buzz of the evening made him wonder if everything he’d been missing had been right here all along.
The only things waiting for him in Oregon were long, hard hours and quiet, lonely nights. And a lot of work getting his would-be ranch and camp up and running. Which, really, was just fine with him. Wasn’t it?
It used to be. Right up until Bookworm Bethy stumbled back into his life.
He lost track of how many songs they’d danced to, until Grandma announced that they were going to head inside. And Grayson felt the strangest reluctance in letting Beth go.
She pulled away, smiled, and scooped up a stack of unused cups to carry inside.
Dylan was watching him from the doorway, his face unreadable.
Wow—two for two with the men in Beth’s life.
Dylan walked up to Grayson and glanced over his shoulder to make sure the door had closed.
“Hey,” he said, “I see all that.” He nodded toward the back door Beth had disappeared through. “Don’t hurt her. She’s had enough people bail on her.”
“We’re just friends.”
Dylan let out a sound. Cleared his throat. “You just keep telling yourself that.”
* * *
Beth neededto steer clear of all things Grayson Fox before she got caught up in his cowboy ways.
Which was exactly why she’d hopped out of bed early to drive into town and have breakfast with Dad. Why she stood over the stove cooking sausage links and pouring batter.
Her skin prickled at the memory of dancing with Grayson the night before. He’d smelled of aftershave and the outdoors when he’d drawn her into his arms. The tenor of his voice had vibrated against her, and his laughter had lifted in the evening air, so unexpected. Surprising.
Yes. Friends.
And it made some little piece of her wonder what life might be like in Oregon.
Yep. She needed to put some miles between herself and Grayson.
Beth watched bubbles form on the pancakes and rolled the sausages sizzling in the second pan. Waited. Flipped the pancakes. Yep, she needed to ground herself in reality today.
She inhaled the savory smells mingling with the sweet maple syrup.
Breakfast with Dad. Check his freezer-meal supply. Make sure he rescheduled his eye appointment. Then pick up more sausage, eggs, and orange juice.
You might be doing just a little too much for him.
Courtney’s words prodded at Beth. Okay, likely there was some truth in that.
