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They could take it slow—really slow. And when she was ready for them to move forward, they’d take that step.

A small smile tugged at his lips and he looked away. That’s all it took. A smile and she was putty in his hands once more. Grace placed her fork on her plate and grabbed her napkin. She dabbed at her mouth and then stood. “I’m going to use the restroom. Then we can go get your motorcycle.”

She strode toward the back of the restaurant. The bathroom was around a corner down a short hallway. Before she could slip into the restroom, a hand grasped her wrist. Grace spun around.

Riley’s gaze smoldered. The desire was far too easy to read in his expression. He tugged her closer and slipped his free hand around her waist. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“You’re sorry?” Her lashes fluttered. “Why?”

He shook his head and let out a heavy breath. “I shouldn’t have made a scene.”

It wasn’t really a scene. He’d had an attack. Why wasn’t he acknowledging that? Was he still so out of touch with his struggles that he couldn’t label what had happened? This was just another bit of proof that she might be in over her head.

Grace wanted nothing more than to help him. But how was she supposed to do that when he wouldn’t let her?

The only reasonable explanation was that he was prepared to take it slow, just like she was. He’d get to a point when he could talk to her. At least she hoped so. She pressed her lips together tightly. Part of her wanted to tell him that very thing. They wouldn’t be able to move forward in a relationship if he wasn’t willing to let her in.

There was one big problem with that. She wasn’t ready for something that serious. Not yet. And definitely not so soon after her father had made all these changes. Grace might not agree with Brielle on everything, but her older sister had made a decent point. Grace couldn’t predict what her father might do. She didn’t even want to think about what might happen if he rescinded his new rules.

Grace swallowed hard and smiled at Riley. She placed her palm against his cheek, letting her thumb trace over his cheekbone. “It’s a good thing we have plenty of time.”

His brows furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

She lifted a shoulder. It was a touchy subject. To tell him he still had a long way to go would only cause more contention. “We got past the hardest part, right?”

Riley leaned into her touch. “I suppose we have.”

“Then let’s just go at a pace that makes sense.” Nice and slow.

He dipped his face closer to hers, claiming her mouth with a deep kiss—one that curled her toes and made the hairs on her arms float. The fluttering of her heart started out slow, then sped up, thrashing around in her chest like the wings of a hummingbird.

Grace stood on her toes, throwing her arms around his neck and shoving aside all the fears and worries that plagued her. Time was the answer. It had to be. No one was perfect. Everyone had problems. They could get through this as long as they worked on their communication. This afternoon was just a small setback.

* * *

Grace leanedagainst her truck as Riley spoke with a pretty young woman in coveralls. If it weren’t for the simple ring on that woman’s finger, Grace might have been jealous. Who was she kidding? Shewasjealous.

Could that be a sign that she wanted Riley more than she was ready to admit?

Nah. That was ridiculous. She knew she had feelings for him. She knew she wanted to spend more time with him. And everything about his pain and the stuff he had to work through… that could be worked on. No one was perfect.

Riley glanced at her over his shoulder and she smiled at him, giving him a little wave. Nothing worth having was easy to get. At least that’s what her father had said on more than one occasion.

The man who stood a few yards away could be that thing worth fighting for.

That giddy feeling inside her continued to occur even when he wasn’t anywhere near her.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

Grace jumped and shot a look to her side where Faye all but hung out of the window. “Nothing.”

Her sister shook her head, a knowing smile crossing her face. “That look ain’t nothin’. I might not be in a serious relationship, but I can tell when something’s going on.”

Grace rolled her eyes. “You know something’s going on because I literally told you so.”

“No. You said you were dating the guy. You didn’t say you were in love.”

Grace stiffened. Every bone and muscle in her body went rigid and she didn’t dare move. Hairs stood at attention on the back of her neck as if wanting to jump in on the potential of where this conversation was about to lead.