Page 16 of Anything for You (Veterans of Silver Ridge #7)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Dorian

I heard Kenny’s voice again right as he opened my front door on his way out.

“Oh, hello there, Dove Jensen.”

My insides dropped, and I hustled to the door. Who knew what else Kenny would say to the woman, and since I hadn’t seen her in days, I wanted to set eyes on her.

Some part of me needed it, strangely.

“Hello to you, Kenny Carmichael and Luc… what should we call you?” Since Luc had readopted his last name once his identity came out, the question made sense. Luc murmured his response and Dove’s tired eyes blinked at Luc standing next to Kenny, then shifted to meet mine. “Hi, Dorian.”

A sweet, sharp jab pinched my ribs. “Did you need something? ”

Kenny scowled over at me, and Luc shifted around. Okay, so the tone wasn’t right. Noted.

Her cheeks flushed. “No. I was actually just dropping this off. Didn’t mean to interrupt.” She held out an envelope.

My pulse ticked up with anticipation, and I wanted Kenny and Luc to leave this instant so I could sit and read whatever it contained.

We hadn’t exchanged letters since before we picked blackberries. Before I’d seen her with baby Will. Before…

Just, before.

And now, I wanted whatever words she’d give me. I’d started to crave them.

“Not interrupting. We were just on our way out! We had a lovely tea time, and if you haven’t yet, you’ve gotta get Stone and Bear to have you over for tea. These boys know how to do it up right,” Kenny said with a wink at Dove.

Why would he be winking at her? It was a weird impulse for a man who had a wife. I didn’t like it.

I also had no plans to say anything, but I stood taller and might’ve been scowling now.

“Tea?” Her bright gaze landed on me right as my face was verging toward downright bothered, and she stepped back.

“Sorry. I really didn’t mean to pester you.

Just hadn’t had a chance to pop this over.

And now I’m finally off work for more than twenty-four hours, so I’m going to go…

not be at work.” She chuckled at herself with a twinge of what sounded like embarrassment.

She turned and bounded down the stairs as Kenny and Luc both bid her adieu, then disappeared inside her house before I’d even opened my mouth. I tended to be a little slow to speak in situations like this when things were moving quickly, but I hadn’t meant to be unfriendly .

Kenny folded his arms and turned to glare at me. “You have so much to work on. Like, I’m super proud of the ways you’ve grown the last few years, but that?”

“ C’etait une catastrophe ,” Luc said, somber and concerned.

“You answered the door. She—she was hardly here. What should I have done?” I asked, mild panic creeping into my tone and around the edges of my vision.

Kenny settled a hand on my shoulder. “You looked furious.”

“At you because you were being so… obvious.”

His eyes widened and then his Barbie takes over the world smile bloomed on his face.

“I knew it.” He clapped me on my shoulder again, then shook me. “You do like her!”

Inside my chest, tiny little caterpillars were dipping around, rolling up into cocoons and storing themselves up for a big reveal at a later date.

Luc simply grinned, eyes shifting between me and Kenny.

“I want to be her friend. I think I understand her.” At least some things about her. And I thought maybe she might understand a bit about me, impossible as that sometimes seemed.

“I love it. I love this so much,” Kenny started, but when he looked at me, he halted.

My frown was heavy on my face, pulling at me today and no doubt revealing too much.

“It’s nothing, and I don’t want her feeling pressured.

” The thought she’d somehow figure out I liked her, if that’s indeed what this was, and would feel anything but happiness or freedom, was a sentence I didn’t want completed.

“ Please don’t joke about this or speak about it. Please, Kenny, I’m beg?—”

“I promise I won’t say a word. I love you and I really like Dove, and I’d love for the two of you to click, but I’m sorry. I get that my reactions aren’t always helpful.” He gave me a wry grin. “I’ll lock it up until there’s actual reason to celebrate.”

I nodded.

“But will you tell us? And let us know if there’s any way we can help?”

I nodded again.

“And will you swear to allow yourself to have this, if she wants it, too? That you won’t deny yourself?”

My teeth clenched, and I exhaled. Could I do that?

There were so many ifs involved, I wasn’t sure I needed to think it through too closely, but I took a heartbeat. And then I nodded once more.

“Good. And will you?—”

Luc covered Kenny’s mouth with his hand and shoved him outside, both of them laughing as they stumbled onto the porch and into the driveway.

“Thank you,” I said, hoping they knew I meant for coming for tea and… whatever else had just happened.

Kenny blew kisses as though to a crowd and Luc rolled his eyes and dropped into the driver’s seat.

Looked like they’d driven together today.

When Kenny’s door finally closed and they eased out of the driveway, I nearly tripped over myself as I shut everything down and hustled to the couch.

Bear trotted along next to me, a spike of worry in his energy.

“It’s alright, bud. I’m being an idiot.” But damn if I could help the surge of excitement sending me to my favorite spot in the living room and sliding a finger under the edge of the envelope. She’d sealed it down this time.

Had she licked it?

Shut up, weirdo.

I was grinning by the time I unfolded the card.

Dear Dorian,

I’m writing this in a somewhat perturbed state. See, I saw you holding Jess’s baby (adorable, btw) and we chatted a bit. And then you disappeared.

Dorian Q. Forrester, why’d you do that? Aren’t we friends? Don’t we say hello and goodbye?

But then, I’ve ended up working for seven and a half of the last eight days and I haven’t seen you.

And I guess I’m writing to say I’d like to, because I had a great time picking blackberries and hearing about your life and the farm.

I’d like to do that again, especially if my dear neighbor covertly slides me a blackberry cobbler the next day and said cobbler sustains me for the next three days because I can look forward to it during my long shifts at a job I’m losing my passion for.

(Thank you for that, by the way. As with everything you’ve given me, I’ve never had a more delicious blackberry cobbler.

I’m sorry my gratitude is coming woefully late.

Also, are we going to finally acknowledge that you are the artisan of all these delicious delights?

It’s obvious to me now, even as much as it seems unlikely or maybe even impossible one human man could make so many things so completely perfect.)

Can we do that again? The berry adventure? I mean, no pressure, right? I don’t want you to think you have to haul me around with you, but it was good for me to get out and be reminded of things other than the antiseptic world that is nursing care.

So that’s all.

Have a good week.

With aspirations of friendship,

Dove L. Jensen, IV

Instantly, I wrote back.

Dear Dove,

You’re a fourth now? Will you be a fifth in the next letter? I wonder. I hope I’ll find out.

I’m sorry I left. I’ll explain in person because it is both less compelling and more valuable to tell you face-to-face.

I’m glad you came over today, and very happy Kenny interrupted your surreptitious delivery. I’m going to invite you to tea, but I’ll do that in person, too.

Do you think you’d like dinner, sometime?

I could drop something by on a day when you work so you don’t have to worry about cooking.

I’d love to do it. It’s more a favor for me than anything, should you decide to accept the offer.

Just drop me a note and let me know if you have any allergies or food preferences to be aware of.

And yes, I may as well confess. I love to bake.

It started as a way to learn something new at a time when I had neither appetite nor desire to learn.

With growing interest came some amount of capability and now I’m a bit addicted to it, but can’t eat everything I make so my newfound joy is to foist the things I make on other people .

Thanks for stopping by and for the note, and if I may be so bold, for accepting my invitation to tea.

Yours,

Dorian Q.