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“No.” He didn’t even have to think about it. He shook his head. “I don’t. I don’t think anyone should ever settle. Life should be an adventure, with excitement at every turn. It should be fun. I mean, it’s your life.”
“I think thatseemsnice, but it’s just not reality.”
“Why not? We only get so many trips around the sun,” Cole argued. “Why not make the best of them?”
Her face changed and Cole caught the shadowed look of defeat in her eyes before she shrugged and turned away.
“You don’t agree?” He softened his voice, put down his tools and crossed the room to her. Earlier, he’d tried to tell himself that he could keep his hands off her for the day, at least until they got their work done, but suddenly that seemed like a terrible idea. He wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on her neck.
Amber turned in his arms. “What was that for?”
“You seemed a little bummed, and I don’t want to see you sad. Especially if it was something I said.”
She forced a smile that was clearly fake, but it was also clear that she didn’t want to talk about whatever had bothered her. “I’m fine. Let’s get this finished and go see what’s happening with the festival today.”
He kissed her gently. She might not want to talk about it now, but Cole was pretty sure it was a subject he’d be revisiting with her. Especially considering he hadn’t even told her how hereallyfelt. That his feelings were changing every day. He wasn’t ready to admit it yet, but more and more, Cole couldn’t help but think that he would trade his life of excitement at every turn, for the love of a woman. A woman like Amber.
No, he really wasn’t ready to admit that out loud yet.
So instead, he smiled broadly. “Deal.” For now, it was definitely easier to play his cards close to his chest. No sense getting ahead of himself.
ChapterNine
Amber almost feltguilty for the lack of work they’d done on Josie’s house. On one hand, they had made a little progress and it was fair to say that they’d donesome things. But there was no doubt that if Cole had been visiting his sister on his own without her to distract him, he could have accomplished at least double the amount of work.
On the other hand, Amber was enjoying her time with Cole so much that she really couldn’t feel guilty about it. Besides, it was coming to an end soon. Josie would be home in less than twenty-four hours, and their little…whatever it was would come to a crashing halt.
She snuck a glance in Cole’s direction as he navigated the truck toward town. Freshly showered, he smelled even more amazing than he usually did, and Amber needed to sit on her hands in the truck to keep from grabbing him and kissing him. Then they’d never get to the activities in town. And despite the attraction of staying in with Cole, she’d really enjoyed the first night of the festival and was excited for more fun.
“What did you say was happening at the Tipping Cow?” Cole asked when he saw her looking at him.
“I think it’s some sort of drink tasting,” she answered. “Some of the locals create a unique cocktail, and there’s a vote at the end of the night to see which one was the favorite. I think there’s a few other things going on in the main square, too. Besides, it will just be fun to walk around and take it all in.”
“You like the small-town stuff.”
It wasn’t a question and she didn’t bother denying it anyway. It was true. She’d grown up in a suburb of Vancouver and although it definitely wasn’t the big city, it was far from a small town. After graduation, she’d gone to school on the other side of the country in Toronto, which was as opposite from a small town as you could get. Amber never thought of herself as a small-town girl. Maybe it wasn’t something she could sustain for a long time, but there was no doubt that seeing a town with such a close sense of family was appealing. Really appealing.
Maybe moving is an option after all?
There were still so many questions about her future. And now that she’d opened her mind to the possibilities of actually having a choice instead of taking the job at the firm if it was ever offered, there suddenly seemed like even more options than she’d ever considered.
“I really do,” she finally agreed with Cole. “I’ve just never experienced this type of thing before. It’s kind of cool.”
“It is. But you know, you don’t have to live in a small town to experience that.”
“I actually think that’s the whole point.”
“No. You don’t.” He pulled the truck into a space against the curb, turned off the ignition and looked at her. “Working at the ranch over in Australia is just like that. I mean, it’s definitely not a small town, but it’s bigger than a family. The best way to describe it is like a community. There are a lot of things going on, and everyone cares about one another. It’s actually pretty fantastic.” Cole hopped out of the truck and ran around to help her down from her side.
“It sounds pretty good,” she said truthfully. “So I assume you’ll go back.”
“To the ranch? No.”
“Why not?” She stared at him, but he only shrugged in response. “I mean, if it’s as great as you say it is, why wouldn’t you want to go back?”
“There are lots of places in the world,” Cole answered easily. “Why settle for just one?” He took her hand in his and they walked toward the main square, where people were gathered. Children ran around while the parents stood around various fire pits, sipping hot chocolate and apple cider. The whole scene was incredibly small town, and it made her happy just to watch it.
Cole made it sound so simple and Amber couldn’t help but envy his easygoing attitude. He was right. There were a lot of nice places in the world, and she’d love to see some of them. She’d never been the type of person who had wanderlust in her veins, but then again, maybe she could be. Maybe she’d just done a really good job of burying it beneath all the responsibility she thought she had. Maybe it was something else to consider.
