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Maybe it was working here alongside Dax that had helped her realize that she might be able to do more with her life than be a little puppet. But right now, even that concept seemed unattainable.
“You don’t really think they’d do that, do you?” Dax’s soft voice ripped her from her thoughts.
“What?”
“Your parents. You don’t honestly believe that they’d cut you off from them. They’re your only family. You’re their only daughter.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I’ve seen them do a lot of things I didn’t think they’d be capable of. But I’d like to think I know my parents a little better than the average person. Not to mention, my lawyer was able to hide this whole thing from them from the beginning. What do you think? Would a guy do that if he didn’t think there was at least some risk involved?”
Dax’s mouth dropped open. She could see it in his face. He was finally starting to realize that her family wasn’t the norm. The realization was written all over his face. If she’d been raised by such people, then what prevented her from being just like them as she got older?
His hands still held hers, but the air had suddenly grown a little colder than she expected. She pulled her hands out of his and rubbed her arms up and down. “There, you wanted to know more about me, and I told you. My parents are crazy. I’m selfish. And even if I wanted to stay, I can’t.” Sarah turned and continued walking. She fought back the emotions that threatened to erupt.
She had come to several realizations today. She wanted to stay—to be with Dax and see if they might be able to work it out. But doing so risked her inheritance, her reputation, the reputation of her family, and even the relationship she had with her parents, however strained.
Dax jogged after her, his heavy hand landing on her shoulder, forcing her to stop and face him. “Why are you walking away?”
“Because I canseeit, Dax. There’s just too much baggage to make a relationship with me work. If we decided to stick it out this summer, what then? Would you move to the city to be with me?”
His brows pinched and he didn’t say a thing.
She let out a sharp laugh. “Exactly. You couldn’t move to the city any more than I could convince my parents that I should stay here. There is no life for me here. And I’m not interested in doing anything halfway. I don’t want to open my heart to you only for things to end abruptly when I leave.”
“Why not?”
Sarah blinked. “Did you just ask me that?”
Dax shrugged. “We don’t know what the future holds. Summer ends in a few months, and then we can figure things out. The city isn’t that far away. Maybe your parents wouldn’t be upset with you relocating out here. Wedon’tknow.”
She couldn’t tell if it was awe or shock, but one of those two sensations had made her completely freeze up. Dax stood before her, the words coming from his mouth more logical than anything she’d ever considered. Somehow, she’d managed to make this huge deal out of what could possibly be nothing. Dax didn’t care about how she was raised or that she had money. At least that’s what he was saying. He wasn’t buying into any absolutes either. She found herself drawn to his clear-headed thinking and a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Not even Brielle or Zeke knew about her parentage. The only one privy to that information had been the sheriff.
And now Dax.
He reached for her hands and held them firmly within his own. “Besides, what if the end of the summer arrives and you decide you can’t stand to be with me anymore?” Dax chuckled, then lifted his thumb to trace the length of her jawline. His touch left a wake of tingles just beneath the surface of her skin. “I’m not saying that we’ll end up together, and I’m not saying we’ll break up. All I’m suggesting is that we give whatever this is a decent chance.”
Her throat closed up, not allowing any words to tumble from her lips. Sarah nodded and threw her arms around his neck. No one, not her parents, not her past relationships, had ever been this supportive. Perhaps that was the main reason for her anxiety with oversharing. She’d held her cards so close to her chest for so long that when she finally found someone who was willing to accept her for who she was, she didn’t know what to do with herself.
Dax’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. He cupped the back of her head as she buried her face in his chest. Dax smelled like soap and mint with a hint of leather and dust. The more time she spent with him, the more secure she felt.
He’d been there for her multiple times, always showing how much he cared about her. She’d stupidly let her worries get in the way of something good. While she still couldn’t fathom confessing to the mistakes of her past, she felt confident in moving forward with him. There was nothing she needed to learn about him that she wasn’t willing to overlook.
She pulled away from him and they headed back to the house, each quietly locked within their own thoughts. Rather than the tension that had filled the air between them, there was an almost sense of peace. She felt lighter, happier.
Dax squeezed her hand as they arrived once more at the porch. He tugged on her until she stumbled against his chest. Their eyes locked and her lungs refused to operate. Dax tucked a stray hair behind her ear, his fingers tracing along her jawline.
Heat tickled deep in her stomach, lighting along each of her nerves. Dax dipped closer to her, grazing her lips with his. The kiss was an echo of the one they’d just shared. Soft, sweet, and almost hesitant.
Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into their kiss, letting it deepen with her desire. The heat that had started as a trickle burst into a flame that consumed her. Everything fell away, all the worries, all the anxiety, all of the unknowns—leaving behind just Dax. He wrapped her up securely in his arms, and with each kiss he bestowed on her, it was as if he was making another promise.
This was not a typical infatuation.
This was something better.
This…was worth the risk.
22
Dax
