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“Okay, okay,” Ty said, laughing at the exuberance of his dogs. “Let me get the gate for you.” He stepped past Sage by trailing his hand along the waistband of her shorts and unlatched the gate for his hounds.
They trotted down the steps to the backyard, which was fully fenced and boasted more trees, tons of shade, and not much grass. It grew in patches at best, and Sage had seen plenty of yards like this on the island. Not enough sun, too much salt, and the dogs didn’t really help either.
They ran around, sniffing, and Sage leaned against the railing and watched them. She didn’t realize that Ty had gone back inside until she smelled the scent of warm butter and something frying in it.
She called, “Come on, Brother,” and that got both dogs to come back to the steps. Sherman bolted up them like a bullet, but Brother took them more cautiously. They were good dogs, and Sage gave them each a pat before she opened the door to the kitchen. Ty had left it open a crack, but not big enough for a dog or a person to get through, and Sage paused on the threshold of the house to watch him before she entered fully.
He stood at the stove, wielding a spatula, and looking incredibly sexy doing it. He glanced at the dogs as they approached him, gave them a smile, and then checked for her. She got moving, because she didn’t want to be hovering on the edge of his house.
“Smells good in here,” she said, joining him in the kitchen. She leaned into him and saw he was crisping up potatoes in the pan. “Mm, a man after my heart.”
“With potatoes?” He chuckled as he flipped over one of the golden fingerlings.
“Definitely,” she said. “One of my favorite foods.”
“Good to know,” he said. “Any other favorites I need to know about?”
“Peaches and cream?” she suggested. “What about you? Favorites?”
“Uh, well…”
Sage’s interest piqued, because this wasn’t a hard question. “You don’t know your favorite food? You’ve eaten all over this island.”
“I’m trying to decide if I tell you my real faves, or if you want the ones I tell all my friends.”
Sage blinked at him. “Uh, the real ones, I think.” She inched a little closer to him. “Are you not being real with me?”
“I am,” he said, but his voice pitched up. He switched off the gas and moved the pan back. His shoulders boxed up and then dropped. “Okay, look.” He turned toward her and put his hands on her waist.
They didn’t start swaying, but there was something going on with Ty. “I feel like I have to be perfect all the time,” he said. “Every time I leave the house, every single thing has to be exactly right, from my socks to my tie to my teeth.”
Sage smiled at him. “Your teeth?”
“I whiten once a week,” he said, dropping his hands and moving away from her. “And I know you don’t care—at least I don’t think you do—but I’m tired of being perfect.”
Sage sobered and realized Ty was being real with her. “I’m sorry if I gave off the impression that I expected you to be perfect. I don’t.”
“I just want to be. For you.” He paced away from her and ran his hands down his face. “I want to give you the world. All the adventure in it. I want you to have your waterfront way, and I want to be right there with you when you do.”
“Ty, you are.” Sage took a step toward him, not sure what had set him off. “I had a great morning at the house. With you. And this lunch is going to be amazing, I just know it.”
“I baked the potatoes last night. I was up cleaning until almost midnight. I—”
Sage found his frustration adorable. He was so handsome, and so good, and so…perfectly imperfect that she started to laugh. She stepped over to him and smoothed down a lock of his hair that had stuck up when he’d run his hand through it.
“You’re wonderful,” she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him. “I’m falling for you, whether I get that house or not. Whether we just have a quiet evening at home—inyourhome—that’s full of dirty dishes and smelly dogs and…us. That’s the adventure, Ty.”
“Really?” His insecurity endeared him to her and she touched her lips to his lightly.
“Really.”
“I want to give you the world,” he whispered against her lips before moving his mouth along her ear.
“Every day should be the adventure,” she said. “Just seeing you makes me smile, and I want to spend more time with you. I want to know your real favorites, not the perfect ones you tell other people.”
“I’m like a ten-year-old boy,” he said. “I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.”
Sage tipped her head back and laughed. “Why haven’t we ever gone to get pepperoni pizza? Why are you making this fancy grouper and fried potatoes? Let’s get pepperoni pizza and eat it on the front porch of your pink house.”
