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“Eccentric,” he translated for her.
She lowered her gaze to the cobbler, stirring the peaches around. “I’m pretty sure that I am, too. Either way, I’m going to make a lot of changes… for the better. I can’t think only of myself, anymore.”
“Leave that to me.” His fingers went to her jaw. He lifted her chin so that she could see the twinkle in his blue eyes. “I’llthink about you.”
She laughed. He was too good to be real. Even if this happiness that she felt with him also disappeared, she didn’t want to let go of this moment. The glimmers of hope for a better future were few and far between, like the fireflies dancing in the distance. No matter how impossible, she wanted to reach out to their warm glow in the rare instances when they blessed her with their presence.
She’d come a long way from that little girl who pushed everyone away because she was filled with so much fear.God, thank you. I don’t know how fleeting this moment will be, but my heart is so full right now, and I have a feeling that every good thing comes from you. Help me be the kind of woman who brings this same hope to others.
Porter’s arm rested against hers. Under the skittish porchlight, she saw that his eyes were only on her. They locked with hers, dipped to her lips, then traveled back to her eyes again. He grinned sheepishly. “So are you the kind of girl who likes surprises or…?”
She bit down her smile. Was he talking about kissing her? The guy was adorably cute in his nervousness. No, he was perfect. What did he have to worry about? “Is it a good surprise?” she asked.
“Maybe.” His lips twisted. “Okay, there’s only one way to get this out. I… uh, don’t faint, like last time…”
Her lips curled in amusement. Was that his problem? He thought that he was dealing with the fragile pregnant lady, and maybe he was, but… well, she was a big girl too. She put her hand on her heart. “I promise not to faint.”
“I think you’re amazing and… you’re so beautiful, I can’t think straight around you, and I’m trying to tell you something, but first… you know I like you, right?”
How could he be so wonderful? She’d had to drag all these confessions out of Lacy, almost to the point that she doubted that anything he’d said was real.
“I like you, too,” she said. Her boldness would’ve surprised her at any other time, but now, it just felt natural to tell Porter exactly how she felt, because despite his nervousness—or maybe because of it—he was a fountain of sincerity and kept nothing back.
He looked surprised. “You do?”
“Uh huh,” she whispered.
He leaned closer to her. She could smell their day on his neck—a whiff of that paint, the fresh scent of the waterfall and surrounding pines, the citrus soap he’d borrowed from Grey, the sweetness of smoke from the fire—all to make the man that was slowly wrapping around her heart.
It was a captivating scent, and she was drawn to him like he seemed to be to her. His hands found her arms. His fingers slid over her skin to her elbows, holding her like he never wanted to let her go.
“Angel, I need…”
He cradled her against his strong chest. She melted into his embrace, never before feeling the kind of protection that he was offering her. His mouth brushed against her ear. Her eyes closed in response, feeling the roughness of his jaw against her cheek. His hands found her waist next and he inched her even closer, before she heard his sudden intake of breath. “Wait,” he whispered. He pulled back with a grunt of extreme frustration.
All without kissing her!
She was startled.
“Wait, wait,” he said. “First…” He set his elbow back into the picnic table where it caught the bowl of cobbler. It overturned with a crash and spilled all over his shirt. Her shorts were the next casualty. She hopped up with a shrieked laugh. Luckily, it wasn’t hot enough to burn her.
She’d never had such a disastrous first kiss! Well… almost kiss. And she was the nerd from the library! Strangely, that only made her like Porter more. She kneaded his shoulder.
He leaned his head back, groaning out a laugh.
Funches stomped through his open door, squawking out in his best impression of Sebastian fromthe Little Mermaid.“La, la, la, la, kiss the girl!” Well, maybe more the seagull, the guy couldn’t hold a tune, but she knew the reference.
Porter jerked up like he’d been shot and twisted around. “Funches! Keep your princess songs to yourself.”
“If it fits… my chickens have more guts than you do!”
Cadence giggled into her fingers, and wrapped her arms around Porter to console him. She sat in his lap. His arms found her in response. She brushed a kiss against his cheek.
“Too late now,” Funches said, shaking his head. He inspected the mess. “And now you’re throwing my good cobbler around.”
She felt Porter’s chest rise and lower under his derisive chuckles. “Get out of here, you stalker.”
“What? And have you dump all my cobbler? I don’t think so.”
