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He paused mid-step at the sound of her voice. That tiny flame he’d been trying to squash all morning flared in his chest, and he looked up to see Molly standing on the dock.
“I—” To be honest, leaving without saying goodbye was exactly his plan. He’d chalked the idea up to being the best thing for her, but truth be told, the decision was more about him. He’d already watched her walk away once. He wasn’t sure if he could handle having to go through that a second time. “Goodbye seemed so final. I thought we could save it for later.” At least, that had been the plan. He’d never said it was a good plan.
“Smart.” She nodded as if she agreed with his half-hearted excuse. “Let’s put a pin in the goodbye thing and we can circle back.” She took two, slow sauntering steps toward his boat, her warm, expectant gaze fixed on him. “But first, I thought I’d tell you about my new assignment. Want to take a guess on where it is?”
He paused, his eyes darting from side to side as if somewhere there would be cue cards feeding him his next line. “Somewhere on the coast?” Seriously, did she have to look so kissable while they were having this conversation? It was hard to stand here and think when all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms.
She took another slow step toward him. “Bingo! From what I hear, it’s a charming beachy town with tons to offer.” There was a peppiness to her voice, a cheekiness that said she knew a secret. It caused the flame to grow inside him. What was she up to?
“And where is this charming beach town that will be lucky to have you?”
Her gazed locked with his, her eyes twinkling. “Sarasota.”
“Sarasota?” The shock of the news caused him to sway, stealing his train of thought. “That’s only forty-five minutes from where I’ll be.”
“That’s what I hear.” Her cheeky grin widened. “And as a semi-local, I was hoping you could show me around. Maybe we could try out some of your favorite places to eat.”
Confusion twisted through him, and he shifted. “You want us to grab dinner?” He treaded carefully, not exactly sure of where this was going.
“I do.” She grasped the railing and stepped aboard his boat; her eyes twinkled with the sort of playfulness he loved. Of course, if he were being technical about it, there was a long list of things he loved about her, and it seemed to grow every time he was around her. “But just to be clear, I’m not looking for a friend. And I’m no longer interested in being your non-date plus-one.”
He could feel his own wide smile spread across his face as this conversation took a turn. “No? So what exactly are you looking for?” He took a step toward her.
Her passionate gaze burned into him. “Us.”
The word washed through him, causing the flame in his chest to spread with the speed of a wildfire. “Now there’s a word I can solidly get behind.”
Molly glowed as she took one last step, closing the gap between them. “I’m only there for a six-month assignment, but it’s a start. And we can figure the rest out as we go.” She slid her arms around his waist. “As long as you’re up for it, that is.”
Her grin, her look, the culmination of the past ten weeks overtook him, and suddenly he could no longer hold back the truth he’d been wanting to tell her. The truth that had been building inside him since the first moment he’d seen her in the vet clinic. “I’m in love with you, Molly.” The world seemed to brighten as he said the words. He slid his hand behind her head, letting his thumb graze her cheek, and cherished getting to hold her without anything holding him back. “Fully, deeply, helplessly in love with you.”
She swayed as if his words were more powerful than she’d been expecting. A dreamy look washed over her. “I’m pretty sure that was supposed to be my line.”
Grant chuckled, confidence surging in him. “Was it, now? Sorry, I didn’t mean to steal your thunder.”
She huffed with playful annoyance. “So, I’m guessing that’s a yes to the ‘us’ idea.”
“That’s a yes to all of it as long as we get to be together.”
“That’s good to hear.” She gazed into his eyes with a look of pure adoration that said more than words ever could. “Because, as it turns out, I’m in love with you too.”
The words blew through him like an invigorating wind, fanning the flames and making him feel more alive than he’d ever felt before. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. “You are, huh?”
“I am. Fully, deeply, helplessly.”
“Now who’s the one stealing lines?” he teased.
“Borrowing—although, to be fair, I have every intention of using them again.”
“I’d like that.” He leaned in and kissed her. It was the kind of soft, passionate kiss that had been building up since the night of his sister’s wedding. And much like the charming girl in his arms, it was perfect. “Why the change of heart?” he asked eventually.
“I’ve been wanting to add more adventure to my life. As long as those adventures are with you.”
“I think that can be arranged.” He gently tucked a flyaway lock of her hair behind her ear. “So what’s next?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I have two more weeks here, then I’ll head that direction. Maybe you can help me look for an apartment. It’ll be hard to beat my setup here. But maybe someplace nice with a view.”
“Or you could come with me.”
