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“It’s what I’m here for.”
CHAPTERTWELVE
Luke gazedup at the cute little house on the corner of the street. It was probably about the size of the cottage he had on his property. It definitely seemed to suit a teacher lifestyle. There was a porch with a swing that hung from the awning. It was painted a powder blue and there were planters beneath the windows filled with bluebonnets. The grass was trimmed neatly. Everything about this place screamed white-picket-fence life.
He couldn’t fight the smile that stretched across his face as he wandered up the stone pathway to her house. He’d left Molly with her cousins so she could go riding. It was getting late and the sky was already turning an orange color which made the house pop even more.
For the past few days, all he could think about was seeing her again and what he might say. There was so much he wanted to tell her and so much he thought would turn her away from him. He had to do this right.
Before his knuckles made contact with the door, it swung inward, revealing Allie, now clad in jeans and a blouse. Her red hair was down in waves around her shoulders and her cheeks were flushed.
She was absolutely breathtaking.
Allie tilted her head, peering at him as if something was wrong. “Are you okay?”
Luke blinked then turned away from her, caught staring. “Yeah. I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting…” He cleared his throat. “I’m glad you let me come over.” He glanced at her once more relieved she wasn’t studying him as much as before.
She opened the door wider and gestured for him to come inside. His eyes darted toward the interior of the house, uncertain if that was a good idea. The last time they were confined to a space it had turned heated.
His chest clenched at the memory, and he took a step backward then nodded toward the porch swing. “How about we sit out here. It’s a little chilly but with the right jacket, it’s nice.”
Allie leaned out of the house to glance at the porch swing then at Luke. “I guess that would work. Let me get my jacket and I’ll be right out.”
Luke moved toward the swing but couldn’t bring himself to sit down on it. Instead, he paced back and forth, going over what he wanted to tell her. This shouldn’t be as difficult as he was making it out to be. He should be able to just lay it all out. “I think I have feelings for you.” He uttered the words aloud.
It wasn’t until he heard her voice that he realized his mistake.
“Excuse me?”
He whirled around and found Allie standing by the door, her hand still on the doorknob. She stared at him like he’d just confessed to murder. Luke took several steps in her direction then stopped himself short. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong.”
Her eyes narrowed. “It did?”
“No, I mean I meant what I said, but I wanted to build up to it.” Heat spread across the back of his neck inching its way into his face. “I just… can we…” he gestured toward the porch swing. “Please sit down with me.”
Allie released the doorknob, a tentative smile on her lips. She moved past him, giving him a wide berth. He couldn’t really blame her. He’d gone about this all backwards. His gaze followed her until she took her seat. She scooted all the way to one side then motioned for him to sit beside her.
“I don’t know if I should.”
She gave him a funny face but if she knew what he was dealing with in his heart then she wouldn’t be so confused.
Instead, he took his position across from her on the porch, leaning against the railing. His hands gripped the rail behind him, if only to prevent him from losing his nerve. “About the other night.” He wasn’t surprised to see the way she stiffened. She didn’t appear ready to have this conversation with him right now.
“Yeah?”
“Why…” He frowned but kept his eyes trained on her. “Why did you run?”
She was the first to break eye-contact. Her feet pushed against the wooden porch and the swing creaked with the movement. Her lips pulled between her teeth as she gnawed on them. Then she stopped and glanced back up at him. “I was embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed?” If anyone should have been embarrassed, it was him. The way he’d reacted to her touch was nothing if not carnal. His feelings were just barely reaching the surface of discoverability. At least she knew what she wanted.
She always knew what she wanted.
Allie nodded. “And maybe a little scared.”
That statement got him. He took a step forward, releasing the railing. “Scared? Why were you scared?”
She heaved a heavy sigh as she settled back against the swing. “Come on, Luke. You can’t tell me you didn’t know at least a little.”
