“Hey. You ghosted me today.”
“Tried to,” I correct him. “But I’m here.”
“Why did you do that?”
“You didn’t seem into it today.”
His eyebrows pull together. “What makes you think that?”
“You were…distant. No handholding. Didn’t talk to me much at the picnic. Didn’t want to go to Miss Lily’s party. It seemed like you might be remembering how different our backgrounds are.”
He scrubs his hands over his face. “You are such a frustrating woman.”
“Me?Youkeep blowing hot and cold.”
“I was trying to follow your lead today. I didn’t hold your hand because I thought it’s what you wanted. I spent all my time at the picnic talking to your family for the same reason.”
“But…but you left as soon as you could.”
“I turned down the invitation to Miss Lily’s because I wanted to be alone with you, not because I wasn’t having a good time! Your town is great. Your parents are great. I love your mom. If you won’t take me back, I might ask her to adopt me anyway.”
“Oh.” OH. Oh my.
“Want to guess why you’re up here under threat of abduction?” It’s fairly dim up here, but I can see a small smile on his lips.
My mouth goes dry. I know what I hope, but it feels like too big of a wish. I shake my head.
“You’re here to fulfill the terms of your challenge.”
“Um.” My voice is a croak, and I clear it softly. “Which terms?”
“Come here, Tabitha Winters.”
I do. As easy as that, I do.
He takes a step and reaches out for both of my hands, rubbing his thumbs over my knuckles.
“The terms of the dare you laid out were that I got three dates and a kiss. If I don’t think there’s anything between us after that, we walk away. Am I getting it right?”
“It was your challenge first.”
“Tab.” It’s a calm warning.
“Okay, yes, that’s right.” I don’t know who this suddenly assertive alpha male is, but I don’t hate it.
“What was date three?” His dark eyes gather the faint moonlight and shine it back at me. “Tab? The third date.”
I shake myself. “Scavenger hunt in the woods around Creekville.”
He gives my hands a light squeeze. “I’m sorry I missed it. But what do we do now that we can’t have our third date?”
I’m not quite sure how to read this yet, but Iamsure Sawyer didn’t blackmail me out here to dump me to my face. Past his shoulder, another shower of sparks explodes over the lake with a distant boom.
I gesture in their direction. “There’s a fireworks show happening right there we could count. We could walk down to the dock to watch it.”
“Not bad, Tabby Cat. But if you don’t mind, I have another idea.”
“Okay…”
