Page 28 of Anything for You (Veterans of Silver Ridge #7)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Dorian

B ear bounded away from me directly at Dove, who was wandering down a trail looking like a fantasy.

Cutoff jeans shorts and a long-sleeved T-shirt with a repeating pattern that said “One More Chapter” on it.

Two blonde braids hung over her shoulders and rested on top of the shirt.

She wore sturdy running shoes on her feet, and the stretch between the hem of her shorts and her socks revealed a glorious expanse of her skin.

“How are you boys this fine morning?” she asked, a bounce in her step I hadn’t seen in a while as she practically hopped closer to me, then dropped to one knee to give Bear her full attention.

“He’s perfect. I’m better now.” Maybe too honest. So be it.

She paused, then restarted her pets, blinking up at me with her long lashes and bright eyes .

My chest pinched.

“That’s good to hear,” she said, a smile growing on her lovely face.

My god, had she gotten more beautiful since the last time I’d seen her? It’d been fourteen hours—maybe fifteen—since I’d refused to join her at Craic and she’d suggested we spend time together today.

She might have. She’d taken the rays of the fall sunrise, stolen them right out of the sky, and they were shining directly back at me.

“Thought we could have lunch together. A picnic, if you’re up for it.” I forced my feet to stay put so the antsy energy rising up in me didn’t reveal itself through shifting side to side like I wanted to.

She stood, brushing off her knee, and nodded. “That sounds perfect. What time?”

Now? This second?

“Noon? That work?”

“I’ll be there. What can I bring?”

“Just yourself. See you then.”

I whistled the sound Bear knew meant “come” and he reluctantly pulled away from his seat facing Dove and trotted along with me back to the house.

Inside, he plunked his furry butt down and panted at me, tongue lolling just a touch in a way that said, “That wasn’t nearly enough outside time, thank you very much. ”

“We’ve got work to do right now, but I promise we’ll go back out. And you can come on the picnic, too.”

Not that I anticipated needing him, but who knew. I wouldn’t put it past Dove to send me into a panic attack considering my heart rate shot through the roof every time I got near her lately, and if she got close enough? If she touched me ?

I might just need Bear to keep me conscious.

At five to noon, I stepped outside with a backpack full of food to find Dove rocking on one of the chairs on her porch.

“You’re early,” I said, not quite yelling but louder than I’d normally speak to make sure she heard me across the space separating our homes.

She hopped up, showcasing her new outfit.

Gone were the T-shirt and shorts. Now she wore a teal dress in a similar style I’d seen before, almost a fifties flair with a full skirt that ended below the knee and tucked in at her waist, fitted through the bodice, with a marigold sweater covering her arms. On her feet were bright white sneakers, and her hair fell in cascading waves behind her.

Heart-stopping.

“I was too excited.” She flashed a bright grin and kept coming, right to the foot of my stairs where we met, nearly toe to toe. “Thank you for this.”

“You don’t even know what’s for lunch.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Doesn’t matter.”

I utterly failed to hide how she charmed me, my smile likely visible from space. As a devoted home cook, I should be offended she didn’t care what I’d made. As a man who wanted nothing more than to sit next to her and feed her and listen to her talk?

Delighted.

“We’ll see about that. Mind if Bear comes?” I asked, though I’d already brought him out, so he’d get leashed in the backyard if she preferred he didn’t rather than get banished back inside. It was breezy and beautiful today, and his coat hadn’t thickened up for winter yet, so he’d be fine.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She looked at Bear and beamed.

It might’ve made me a simpleton, but I loved that she liked my dog.

Right now, I ate up anything she did or said. She had me under her spell, and I had a firm suspicion there would be no turning back.

The three of us wandered along the path that would lead to our destination.

I asked about her time at Craic and she gave me a recap, not failing to mention more than once how loud and crowded it’d been.

I had no regrets about not going, even if it meant I’d missed time with her.

In that context, I wouldn’t have been able to give her my attention.

This was better. A few persistent crickets chirped and little forest sounds chittered as we walked. Squirrels ran from Bear as he loped along, and Dove went quiet after a few minutes so we ended up walking in silence.

When I glanced at her, hoping I wouldn’t find her upset or frustrated by the silence, I found her smiling to herself as she watched Bear’s excitement. The dog was hard to miss, big as he was, and he also barked and rushed into the bushes now and then.

“He’s not supposed to do that,” I said, watching him bolt off the path.

“Seems like normal dog behavior. I just pity the squirrel if he finds him,” she joked.

“It’s decently normal. He should probably be over here with me, but he needs exercise today and I don’t have the heart to call him back.

” He should be a bit closer so he could sense if something was amiss, but he was also blissful when he got to simply run and be wild for a bit.

“Living on the farm lets him run around and get his energy out before it piles up and he becomes restless.”

There were long months where I had no energy for him.

I had nothing but a scrap of a will to live.

Adam and Kenny, Luc when he was in town, and Beast, Tristan…

they all tried to get him to go out with them.

He’d usually acquiesce to a walk, but if they tried for much more, he’d get antsy and agitated until they brought him back to me.

Thinking about that made my heart squeeze like it was being shoved into a too-small glass jar. It hurt, and it made love for my best boy run over.

“I bet it feels good. You’re doing okay, right? I mean, do you need him right now?” Worry tented her brow.

“I’m good.” Keeping my eyes straight, I admitted, “Very happy to be with you today.”

A few minutes later, we reached the small clearing next to the western tranche of Douglas fir trees. Our view started with the trees and past them, the purply-blue mountains rose with patches of autumnal colors beginning to appear.

We ate and talked—mostly her, but I did some talking, too.

She asked questions, and I gave more than one-word answers.

Kenny would’ve been proud. I tried not to revel in the way she devoured the roast chicken, warm potato salad, steamed green beans, homemade baguette, and cheese plate I’d brought.

She sipped champagne from a stemless glass and hummed as she finished the drink before leaning back on her elbows so she was nearly fully reclined.

“I think you’ve spoiled me for all other picnics. The food was perfect, the champagne was perfect, and I’m sorry, but if it doesn’t end with a cheese plate, I don’t want it.” She flicked her hair over a shoulder for emphasis.

My laugh came out low but overtly pleased. “I’ll have to think of something to one-up myself next time. ”

I said it before I could register how it might sound, but Dove didn’t let me off the hook. Instead, she tilted her head and asked, “Next time?”

“I’d like it if there was a next time,” I admitted.

Bear snoozed in the grass twenty feet or so from the blanket to avoid him attempting to pilfer scraps.

He didn’t tend to be a beggar, but something told me he might try with Dove.

I wondered if he could feel my heart rate tick up, and when I glanced over at him, his head was no longer tucked down at his feet.

Head up, ears perked, his attention was on me.

As subtly as possible, I held up one hand to show him I was okay.

“Are we dating, Dorian?” Dove asked, effectively pulling my attention from my dog to her in a snap.

Her cheeks were pink from sun and champagne and maybe a touch of self-consciousness in the wake of asking the question. But she didn’t need it.

“Are we, Dove? I have to say, I’d be very happy if the answer was yes, but I don’t want you to feel?—”

“I say yes. Yes. I would like that, too.” She tucked her lips between her teeth. “Sorry to interrupt you, I just didn’t want you to give me an out, because I don’t need it. I’d be absolutely delighted to be dating you, if that’s what you want.”

Oh, this woman.

She had no idea how much I wanted.