“Yes?” I ask, confirming because I need to hear her say it again.
She nods.
“Oh, there’s line dancing, too. My favorite bar on the Riverwalk turns into a space for dancing after dinner.” I frown as I remember her injuries. “But we probably won’t?—”
Ellyn surprises me when she cuts me off with her lips on mine. I don’t pull away from the kiss. I’ll never, ever shy away from the opportunity to kiss or touch her.
“Yes to dancing, too,” she says when she pulls away.
“Your hip.”
“Will be one hundred percent by next weekend. I’ll make sure of it.”
“You will not try to speed up your recovery on my account. If yo?—”
Another kiss immediately silences me.
It’s me who pulls back, laughing. My belly fills with something strange as I stare into Ellyn’s shining eyes.
“Don’t think that just kissing me is going to make me forget about your injuries,” I gripe. “I’m not going to let you hurt yourself just because?—”
“I can’t wait,” she cuts me off.
Looking into her eyes with the fluttering still happening in my belly, I’m reminded of a conversation I overheard years ago between Micah and Ace.
Ace was telling Micah about the first time he’d met Savannah. “My stomach started feeling all funny,”Ace had said.
It took me a long time to realize that what he was expressing was the first signs of falling in love.
I take a step back.
“Next Saturday,” I grunt. “You ice and rest that hip and wrist before then.”
“I’ll be sure to do that,” she says as I take another reluctant step back.
I stare for a few more beats before turning to leave. But when I make it down to the first step, I stop and turn back, pointing at the door.
“And don’t forget to lock the door behind you.”
She pushes open the door. “I always lock the door.”
“Good, that’s good. Harlington is one of the safest towns in Texas, but you never know who or what could lurk around out here,” I say, knowing I’m sounding like a fool but I can’t seem to close my damn mouth.
“Okay,” she replies, laughter in her voice as she steps into the front door.
“And the windows,” I yell out, pausing on the third stair. “A lot of people lock the doors but then fool around and leave the windows open. What kind of sense does that make? There are criminals who will figure out a way in through that window.
“Make sure all of the windows are closed and locked,” I say firmly.
“Anything else?” she asks, her lips twitching.
“Yes,” I say, fully turning to her once I reach the bottom of the porch. “Have a good night.”
“Thank you.”
I watch as she goes in, but right before she closes the door, I call out, “And don’t forget to ice that hip. And your wrist.”
I hear her laughter through the door.
