Chapter 9
9
CASSADY
I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to close up and go home. Yes, I could sit here and check emails for another three hours, but my stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten all day.
I’d taken a stab at downing half a sandwich at lunchtime, but my appetite was gone. It would be tough to even summon enough of an appetite to eat dinner, but I had to give it a try. I couldn’t starve myself.
With a sigh, I grabbed my phone and my jacket and started toward the door. This office was basically two rooms and a bathroom—my boss rarely came in, so it was always just me in here—but next to us was a law firm, and on the other side, an insurance office. The whole thing was across the street from The Shoppes at Brighton Village, which made it a great place to work.
Yes, I loved my job. I loved my life . But all of a sudden, it seemed so empty. I’d just walked away from the best thing that had ever happened to me. Was I crazy?
I came to a dead stop only a few feet from the front door. Yes, I was.
I hadn’t even given Dane a chance. What was wrong with me? This was definitely a case of self-sabotage.
But I knew where he lived. I could go straight to his house and tell him I’d been an idiot. I might not be ready to start popping out babies right away, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t ready for a relationship and maybe even marriage.
People mixed families and careers all the time. In fact, most people who ran businesses had families. What would be the difference?
With a nod, I walked the rest of the way to the door and pulled it open. I had a big smile on my face as I prepared to pull it shut and lock it, but what I saw in the parking lot froze me in my tracks once again.
It was a big, white truck. And standing in front of it, like something straight out of a movie, was Dane.
“Hi,” I said.
He smiled. “I thought about stopping to get flowers. I probably should have.”
I looked around. It was still daylight outside, but it was off season, so cars weren’t streaming by like they usually did. Just the occasional vehicle whipping past.
“I was about to come see you,” I admitted. “I was going to drive straight to your cabin and tell you I’m an idiot.”
His eyebrows arched, and he pushed away from his truck, dropping his arms, which had been crossed over his chest. “You were going to come to my cabin just to tell me you’re an idiot?”
“For running away last night. I got a little freaked out.”
“I’ve been racking my brain,” he said. “I couldn’t figure out what I did to make you run away.”
I shook my head. “You did nothing. You were perfect. It’s just… I started seeing my future flash in front of my eyes. I probably shouldn’t tell you all that. You’ll think I’m crazy. We just had sex. That was it, right? And of course, I want to see you again, but I shouldn’t be assuming that you want love, marriage, kids, the whole nine yards…”
I was doing a terrible job of explaining things. I might not have ruined it by running away, but I was doing it now with my big mouth.
“Yeah, I was thinking about all those things,” he said. “But not necessarily right away. I mean, I’d like to spend time around you. As much time as possible. We can take the rest as it comes.”
“My career is important to me,” I said. “You should know that. I want to run my own property management business someday. That’s what I’m working toward.”
“And you think marriage and kids might get in the way of that?”
I didn’t answer for several long seconds. I just looked at him, realizing how my impulsivity had gotten me in trouble yet again. This man was not going to get in the way of my dreams. The opposite, in fact. He’d support me in anything I wanted to do. He was the type who’d get up in the middle of the night if the baby was crying. He’d have dinner waiting for me at the end of a long day, and maybe even draw a bath and light some candles.
“Not with you,” I said. “I realize that now. Some of the other guys I’ve met, sure, but you wouldn’t be that kind of husband or father. You’d support me in everything I wanted to do.”
“Exactly.” He nodded. “And you’d support me. I believe marriage is a partnership.”
He laughed, looking around the mostly empty strip mall. The parking lot, which still held plenty of cars, was quieter now.
“I was the guy who said I would never get married and have kids,” he said. “That’s all changed in the past couple of days.”
He said that last part, shifting his stare back to me, and my heart skipped a beat. He meant every word of it. I knew that now.
“I said I never wanted kids when I was in high school.” I sighed. “All my friends were talking about it. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want them, of course, but I was sure of it. I’ve been less sure in the past couple of years as I’ve met women around here who weren’t that much older than me when they got married and started having kids.” I shook my head. “Anyway, I suddenly can see all of it. Just maybe not the kids for a couple of years.”
“Or a few years, if you want. We can take as long as you need. That’ll give us more time as a couple.”
I liked that idea.
He took a few steps toward me but stopped several feet away. That wasn’t far at all, but my body told me it was too far. I had to be closer. So I took a couple of steps and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my body to his.
“I see why people want to have kids now,” I said. “Well, one of the many reasons. But it makes sense. That feeling that you’ve found someone you want to build a life and a family with.”
I rolled my eyes at myself, and he laughed. But he was smiling down at me, and there was a twinkle in his eye I’d never seen before.
He was just as happy as I was. And that meant everything.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said. “And then I’ll take you to a delicious dinner at that Mexican restaurant you mentioned. Or anywhere else you want to go. After that, I’ll take you back to my cabin and give you a night you’ll never forget.”
“I like the sound of that,” I said. “In fact, you’d better get me out of here before we do something that’ll get me fired.”
“You’ve got it.” He paused. “What about your car?”
I gestured to my SUV. “We can come back and grab it after dinner, and I’ll drive it to your place.”
I didn’t need to leave it here overnight. That would definitely get people talking. Seduction Summit was still a small town, and this strip mall was right next to the main road. Enough people knew me around town that if they saw my vehicle here at two in the morning, there would be talk, for sure. And that talk might get back to my boss.
Or he might drive by himself. He had a cabin up here in the mountains somewhere. Yeah, it was better not to get on the wrong side of Finn Taylor.
Still, I didn’t care if anyone saw us holding hands as we went around to the passenger side of Dane’s truck and he opened the door for me. I was proud to be dating the hottest man in Seduction Summit. And tacos and lovemaking sounded like the best night of my life. The first of many best nights.