Instead, all she felt was peace.
Peace she’d never experienced in her twenty-six, going on twenty-seven, years. It was as if her soul recognized his and knew it was safe.
“I’m not much for flowers,” she admitted before she gave in to the urge to kiss him a third time. She wanted a peek into the picnic basket before she could be distracted by those dangerously tempting lips again. “I have a hard enough time keeping my personal relationships in check. Flowers in my hands would probably die a horrible, neglected death.”
“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit, Sadie. You’re more resilient than you know. And you go out of your way to make people feel appreciated. Maybe that wasn’t Old Sadie. But it’s definitely New Sadie.” The compliment warmed her from the inside out. She’d never felt so seen before. Not by anyone she’d dated, not by her friends, not by her family.
Conner led her by the hand to their picnic setup at the end of the dock. Boomer whined as he waited for them to make a spot for him. Or maybe it was his eagerness to stick his nose in the picnic basket to find those peanut butter treats.
“Fishing or dinner first?” Conner asked.
“Oh, definitely dinner. We can’t start fishing until it’s actually midnight, right?”
“Right. And good answer, because I’m starving.”
Conner unpacked the meal Edith prepared for them, and they ate in comfortable silence as dusk fell around them, giving the wood-lined river both a magical and peaceful overlay. At the edge of the dock with feet dangling a few inches above the rushing water, Sadie didn’t worry about bears or unwanted company.
She felt safe, but most of all, she felt calm.
“I posted another video of Boomer today,” Conner said as he held out a treat for the pup and made himtake it nice.
“The one with the carrot sticks. I saw.” She rested her head on his shoulder because she could. He finished his sandwich and wrapped an arm around her, tugging her closer. Boomer wedged his nose in the small gap between their hips, but after deciding his big head wouldn’t fit, groaned and lay behind them. His massive, warm body butted up to Sadie’s back like a heated blanket.
“Some brand of dog toys reached out to me. Asked if I’d product test a couple of things and post the videos.” He gently caressed her shoulder, making her melt with each stroke. “I’ll need some help.”
“You know I’ll help. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. I’d miss you.”
“Did I tell you I got the apartment?”
“Really? That’s great news!” He kissed her temple before resting his chin against it. “You still going to get a dog?”
“Only if you think Boomer would like a brother.” She reached behind her and rubbed the pup’s haunch. “I don’t want him to feel replaced.”
“I think he’d love a brother.”
“Haylee’s going to come with me after the festival’s over Sunday. To the animal shelter. Maybe you should bring Boomer.” Her heart raced at lightning speed as she awaited his response. A conversation like this was serious. It implied a future beyond a few dates. It was the closest she’d come to wearing her heart on her sleeve in a long time. A week ago, she would’ve laughed at anyone who tried to tell her she’d be on board with a committed relationship anytime in the next hundred years.
“I’d like that,” Conner said.
“Yeah?”
“Of course. You mean a lot to me, Sadie. I want you to know that. This isn’t just some fling I’ll tire of. So, if you’re only here for the thrill of going behind Marc’s back—”
“Stop it,” she teased, turning to face him. She reached for his cheek again, softly running her fingers through his beard. It needed a trim, but she hoped he didn’t get around to it for a couple more days. She liked him a little scruffy. It made him look more Alaskan. “I’m breaking my resolution to stay for a year to be here right now. My entire family will remind me of that publicly declared vow when they find out about us. It’ll be an entertaining family dinner,” she added with a laugh. “And you want to know a secret?”
“What’s that?”
“I thought I’d be single . . . forever.”
“Yeah, right.”
She swallowed, because talking about this made her feel vulnerable. “I mean it. After Aaron . . . he messed me up in ways I can’t even explain. Played all these mind games. He made me cry hysterically over the stupidest thing and then the next day, acted like the fight never happened. Acted like we were this perfect couple who was so in love. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I was going crazy. But it was all him and his narcissistic need to control everything, especially me. I never wanted to risk going through that again.”
“He never deserved you, Sadie.” The firmness in Conner’s voice bordered on protective. It held a possessive edge that gave her a slight thrill. Made her long for a real future together. She could handle this for the rest of her life, couldn’t she?
“I don’t exactly have a great track record when it comes to dating,” she added. “It’s still a little hard to believe I stumbled across a unicorn who notices me.”
