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“Don’t let my mom scare you away from me. I know she has some stories,” Ryan said from her other side.
“I’d like to hear those stories,” Dakota said, smiling. “And she wasn’t trying to scare me away. She...actually thanked me for whatever it was that I did to you. Which, I honestly wasn’t sure what she was talking about.”
“I know.” Ryan’s tone held confidence, but he nodded to an empty pew before she could ask what it was. “Is that pew okay?”
“Sure.”
He held her elbow as he guided her to their seat. She slid in, giving him plenty of room, before sitting down.
He sat beside her, close enough to put his arm around her, resting it on the back of the pew. Again she had the feeling of being protected, of belonging and of safety. She smiled to herself, thinking that maybe this was what she’d been led to Strawberry Sands for after all.
Chapter 17
“Ihave something Iwant to show you,” Ryan said as he walked, hand in hand, with Dakota along the beach.
They’d eaten the picnic lunch he’d prepared, and had sat on the sand, talking about everything and anything. Nothing serious, just an easy friendship like they used to enjoy, with comfortable silences and conversation that wasn’t stilted or difficult. Dakota was the easiest person to talk to. She was thoughtful and articulate without being a know-it-all. She laughed at his jokes and wasn’t afraid to tease him, but gently. Not in an unkind way. And she was just as likely to make fun of herself as she was to prod him.
“Really? Okay,” she said, her hand holding to his as her skirt swirled around their legs, blown by the stiff breeze that was common over the lake in the spring.
“I loved the rodeo, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” he said, glad she wasn’t peppering him with questions about what he had to show her. She just trusted him, going along with what he was going to do like she knew he wouldn’t be taking her somewhere she didn’t want to go.
He hoped her trust wasn’t misguided.
“I’ve always loved it here.” Her words were a little dreamy. “I hope I can make the store work. I’d hate to have to leave.”
The idea of her leaving struck fear into his heart.
“Would you stay if you had a choice?” he asked, knowing that what he was about to do could give her that choice.
They took a few steps, with her looking at the ground as though thinking about his question. He tried not to hold his breath, knowing that whatever she answered, he was going to continue with his plan. He was sure it was what God would have him do, so to resist would be foolish.
“I don’t know.” Her words were so soft they were almost blown away by the wind. They weren’t what he wanted to hear, and his heart sank. He wanted her to want to be with him. But he couldn’t make her want that. Could only hope that she would decide that on her own.
Of course, he could be clear about his feelings.
But, he couldn’t hold onto her. If he loved her, he had to let her go, allow her to make the choice to stay herself. He couldn’t believe how hard that was. He wanted to make her love him, didn’t want to take the chance that she might choose something or someone else.
