Daniel sighed. “Fine. I’ll do better. But I will not be happy about it!”
“When you see how happy she is, you will be happy about it.”
“If he’s the one.”
“I’m pretty sure that you can take that ‘if’ out of that sentence.”
~~~
Angelle’s heart thudded as she walked beside Boon, her hand resting in the crook of his arm, with his other hand covering hers as he led her toward Maverik’s house.
She smiled up at Boon, just almost brave enough to look him in the eye for longer than a brief second before looking quickly away. “I didn’t know you were here for another visit with Tempest.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re not?” Angelle asked, confused because he was most certainly here.
“I’m here to see you,” Boon said, smiling warmly at her as he repeatedly glanced away to quickly survey their path to make sure there was nothing that would trip her, since her attention was focused on him and not their path.
“Oh,” she said, her nervousness ratcheting up a notch or two.
“Is that okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure.”
“You seem a little nervous,” Boon said.
“I just didn’t expect you to make the trip just for me.”
“I think any male of any worth would do just about anything for you.”
Angelle looked up at him, her eyes registering surprise as he came to a stop at the base of the wide, wooden steps leading up to Maverik’s front deck. “Breakfast at Maverik’s?”
“I’m staying with Maverik and Valerie for a little while.”
“You are?”
“I am. They live closer to you and will give me more opportunity to spend time with you — at your convenience, of course.”
Angelle nodded absently as her gaze focused on the outdoor table set with two places and a lot of food.
“Do you mind that I planned a visit to be able to spend more time with you, instead of just staying with Tempest for a day or two?”
“I don’t think so,” she said hesitantly.
“Just because I’m here doesn’t mean you have to spend any time with me that you don’t want to. It just means I’m close, and I’m available if you’d like to see me. And if you’re going fishing, or camping, or anything, I’d like to go along if you don’t mind the company.”
Angelle nodded as she smiled up at Boon again, her nervousness even more apparent than it had been before.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered, and placed her foot on the first step, as Boon gently pulled his arm from her grip to hold her hand with one hand and steady her with the other at her back as she ascended the steps. “You know, I’ve always wondered why Uncle Maverik calls this a porch, it’s very clearly a deck. It’s as big as the one out back.”
“I think your Uncle Maverik does things his own way without fail,” Boon said.
Angelle laughed. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
“Here, let me help you get seated,” Boon said, pulling out the chair that would put her back to her house so she wouldn’t be distracted by her father watching the entire time they tried to have breakfast.
