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A full, charming Bennett smile came at her now, and she tried not to let Chase’s image loose in her mind. Not now. Not when she was trying so hard to be strong.
“Okay, let the cat hunt begin.” Carter rubbed his hands together. “Show me the rest of your home.”
They spent about twenty minutes on a cottage tour, catching up, and searching for Fey who was found sitting inside a potted fern in the kitchen. The kitten had allowed Carter to gently lift her out and carry her to the living room where he sat on the couch. Fey had climbed up his chest and was currently perched on his shoulder, batting his hair around.
Leah sat across from them in the recliner where she usually relaxed, graded papers, watched TV, or read. It felt weird to be entertaining a guest from that chair today, but maybe this was all a part of the process. If she could handle Carter as a guest, perhaps that meant she was ready for new people too.
She had to admit the notion of having Dakota in her cottage didn’t frighten her as much as it should have. The time she’d spent with him on the park bench had been magical or something. How else could she explain that every time she’d begun feeling sad in Carter’s presence, thinking of Dakota had stopped the flood of raw, agonizing emotions?
“So… what is there to do here?” Carter asked after he plucked Fey off his shoulder and settled her in his lap. Before Leah could answer though, he leaned forward and pulled something out of the back pocket of his jeans. “I forgot I picked this up at a rest stop on the drive.”
A folded, colorful square of glossy paper hit the coffee table and Leah picked it up. “A brochure? How touristy of you.” She unfolded the brochure and froze as she caught a glimpse of the wordsBirch Peak Adventuresin bold lettering across the front of it and recognized the logo.
“Hey, I’m considering this a vacation,” Carter said. “Some cool shit in that brochure. I’d love to zipline. Have you done that yet?”
She shook her head, not capable of words.
“Cool. Let’s do it. Think we can get in tomorrow or one day after you get out of work this week?”
The brightness in his eyes signaled to Leah that keeping active was one way to help Carter heal. And she wanted that for him. She did. Why did it have to niggle with her own plans for moving on though?
“Listen, Carter,” she began, “you should know something.”
He moved the corner of his flannel shirt around in his lap so Fey would chase it. “What? You’re afraid of heights? We don’t have to zipline.” He gestured to the brochure Leah was currently strangling to death in her hands. “This guy’s got hiking, ATVing, canoeing. Pretty much anything outdoors, he’s into.”
Yes. Yes, he is. He’s into kissing outdoors on park benches under the stars. Mr. Sexy Outdoors.
“Not afraid of heights. I’m good with ziplining, but you should know that this guy,” she held up the wrinkled brochure, “well, I know him. I’m… seeing him.” Wasn’t she? Did one field trip and a single date—with plans for another date this Saturday—constituteseeingsomeone? It felt like it did. Those kisses they’d shared at the park definitely felt as if they were seeing each other. She wanted to see more of Dakota.
Carter’s black brows lowered and he straightened his glasses as he pushed Fey off his lap and got to the edge of the couch cushion. His stare was intense and Leah wanted a shield against it.
“You’reseeingthis guy?” He plucked the brochure from her grip and flipped it over to the back. “This Dakota Brenton?”
She gave him a quick nod. Too late to turn back on this discussion now. Full steam ahead. “Yeah. It’s new.Verynew. Like two dates so far. I wasn’t looking to start something with anyone. That’s not why I came here. I came here to teach and that’s all, but—” She stopped when Carter held a hand up.
“Leah, you have every right to start something up with someone. Like you said, Chase would want us to be happy, and if you’ve found someone you want to give it a go with, you should take that chance. If you’re ready.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Mad?” He scrubbed a hand down his face, jostling then readjusting his glasses. “No. A little surprised maybe, but not mad. What are you supposed to do? Be alone for the rest of your life because Chase is gone?” He shook his head. “Besides, someone out there deserves to know how fantastic you are. Can I meet this…” he squinted at the brochure again, “Dakota Brenton?”
Leah studied Carter’s face for a quiet second. He truly supported her on this. What a relief! Perhaps it was also a sign that moving on with Dakota was the right thing to do. It wasn’t a crazy course of action after all.
“Sure. You’ll meet him if we zipline anyway.” She reached down and picked up Fey who had been rubbing her feet after leaving Carter’s lap. “Dakota doesn’t know about Chase or my parents or my sister though.”
“Got it. Not the stuff to discuss when a relationship is new, is it?”
“Not sure which date would be the right one to unload all that.”
“But if you’re serious about him, you’ll have to tell him eventually.”
“I haven’t decided if it’s serious yet.” But she did hope to get to the level of seeing Dakota’s tattoo. All she had to do was unwrap him. Could she do that?
“Fair enough.” Carter set the brochure down on the coffee table. “Shall I play the role of best friend from New York or something?”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Could it be this easy?
“I don’t mind. I feel compelled to check this guy out. Make sure he’s worthy of you.” Carter met her gaze. “Isn’t that what a best friend would do anyway?”
