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Dax nodded and turned the steering wheel to pull into a parking space in front of the country club. It was dusk and people were coming and going, chatting happily with one another.
If tonight was to be a success, he had to settle a few things—get some things off his chest. He pulled the key from the ignition and faced her. “I want to make something perfectly clear.”
“Okay?”
He chuckled at her hesitancy. “It’s nothing bad. I just wanted to say that while we’re out tonight, I don’t want you to view me as your superior. I want this to be fun. Let go. Be yourself. I want to get to know the real Sarah.”
She stilled, every part of her once again stiff. Then again, maybe he imagined it. While she didn’t appear to be at ease, that could be due to any number of reasons. Once again he admonished himself. Sarah needed space and a reason to trust him. She needed to know that he wasn’t going to push her to do or say anything she wasn’t comfortable with.
He offered her a reassuring smile. “Does that sound good?”
“Sure,” she hedged. “But there are still parts of my life I’m not ready to discuss.” Her eyes darted away from him and she let out a shaky breath. “I don’t want that to upset you.”
Dax didn’t know why, but he reached for her hand. He laced his fingers between hers, igniting several sensations at once, causing him to stare where they were connected instead of continuing with his train of thought. It felt like it took almost a full minute before his head was clear enough that he remembered where he was going with this conversation.
He squeezed her hand. “This is a first date. I don’t have any expectations.”
Well, that was a lie, but she didn’t have to know that. He fully expected to find out by the end of the night whether she was someone he wanted to share more of his life with. It seemed strange, and a little rushed, but that’s how he’d always been. He was pretty good at figuring that sort of thing out from the beginning. And based on what he knew about her so far, all he had to learn was whether or not they were compatible.
Dax was relieved to find her smiling at him and not pulling away. His heart beat just a little faster, then returned to its normal pace. “Okay. Let’s get going.” He climbed out of the truck, letting the cool evening air bathe his face and calm his heart.
He opened her door and held out his hand, pleased and excited when she accepted and again didn’t pull away from him. It appeared that Sarah was just as invested in tonight going well as he was.
They headed toward the front entrance and up the stairs. Sarah stuck close to his side, and he tightened his hand on hers. Whatever she was nervous about, he would be there to shield her from it. Already he had this connection with her when it came to her safety and wanting to be the person that took care of her.
It wasn’t too far of a stretch to believe that after tonight, things would be very, very different. The country club was far more congested with people than he thought it would be. A lot of the people on the dance floor weren’t local. He could pick out anyone in a crowd if he’d seen them around town, and at least sixty percent of the people they passed were new faces. Was Copper Creek really growing that much? Or had the city kids found out about this place and come to make it their own?
Dax frowned at that thought. He’d come out to Copper Creek to get away from the drama that was the city. There were too many people who were bad influences on others. Out here, people were generally good, kindhearted, and hardworking folk.
“Dax?”
He jumped and stared down at Sarah.
“You’re holding my hand a little too tight.”
Shoot. He released her hand and muttered an apology.
Right away, Sarah reached for his hand again. “You don’t have to be sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
Her kind words were one more reason he knew that she was worth the effort. The Sarah before him was someone who deserved a second chance to show the world that her mistakes were simply that. Mistakes.
He brought her hand up to his lips and brushed a light kiss across her knuckles, relishing in the way she sucked in a soft, sharp breath. Her eyes and her complexion brightened along with her smile. “What was that for?”
Dax lifted a shoulder. “I’m just impressed by you.”
Sarah glanced away. “You don’t have to say stuff like that.”
“I know.”
That prompted another smile to cross her face.
He jerked his head toward the dance floor. “Do you want to dance with me?”
“I’d love to.”
19
Sarah
