“So did mine. And we’re both old enough now to realize that doesn’t mean anything in the real world.”
“Yeah, but to colleges it does. So we’ll see. It’s always been my dream to go through this program, get my degree, and open a landscape design company of my own.”
“Well, I have to hand it to you. When you decide to shake things up, you go big. But this is awesome. I’m proud of you. And I have total faith that you’re going to get in.” Even if it might just break his heart a little bit when he had to let her go.
She was one of his best friends, after all. What would life in Haven be like without her?
“You want to do something tonight?” she asked after they’d hiked a few minutes in silence.
“Can’t. I’m bartending from six until closing.”
“Oh. Bummer.”
Yeah, it was.
She looked over at him, a sexy smile curving her lips. “Maybe I’ll stop by for a beer.”
Now he was remembering that night not so long ago when she’d sat at the bar and driven him crazy in that form-fitting red top and jeans. The night he’d first felt this crazy pull of attraction between them. It just kept getting stronger every day. Didn’t seem to matter that he’d had her in his bed. He still wanted her something fierce. “I’d like that.”
“It’s a date.” She leaned in to give him a quick kiss.
They kept hiking, and soon the main building came into view. “So I’ll see you later then?”
She nodded. “Thanks for the climb this morning. I never thought I’d do something like that, certainly not a few weeks after my first lesson.”
“I have a feeling you can do anything you put your mind to.”
She stopped and gave him a funny look. “Notanything, but you’ve got me thinking about the bluffs again. I want to do that with you this summer.”
He stopped in his tracks. “The bluffs?”
“Yeah. I mean, nothing crazy like you and my brother used to do, but if there’s an easy climb there I could do, I want to. And if not, I’ll hike up. But I want to jump.”
Yeah, she’d mentioned that when he brought her out there last month, but he hadn’t thought about it since and didn’t like it one damn bit. “Not a good idea.”
“That’s not what I asked,” she said with a smile. “I’m jumping, and I want to jump with you. And I’d really like to do a little climb while I’m up there, if you know a place that’s safe enough for a noob like me.”
“Yeah, I know a spot.” He did, and even though he still didn’t like it, he’d keep her safe.
“Great.” She pointed a finger at him. “So this is your warning. I’m doing it. You better teach me whatever I need to know in the meantime.”
He could teach her how to climb and keep her safe from a fall from the rock. But how did he keep them from falling for each other? Because Emma was headed for bigger and better things soon, and he’d never, ever be the guy that held her back from chasing her dreams.
* * *
Ryan was halfway home when he noticed Emma’s silver RAV4 on the road behind him. He’d been thinking about her all afternoon, about how sexy she’d looked as she climbed that rock this morning and the fire in her eyes when she’d decided to tackle the bluffs. The truth was, they had a lot of fun together, more fun than he’d ever had with a woman.
And she was leaving. He was having trouble wrapping his head around that fact.
When they passed the turnoff to her apartment, he realized she was following him. He couldn’t take his eyes off the road to check his watch, but if memory served, it was only a few minutes after five, and he didn’t have to clock in at The Drunken Bear until six. Which meant he had at least thirty minutes to spend with her.
He wanted to fuck her senseless, but really, any thirty minutes with her would do. A half hour talking about the weather or the stock market sounded good if it meant he got to be with Emma.
He pulled up in front of his condo and cut the engine. Emma’s SUV pulled in beside his bike.
“You’re working at six, right?” she said as she stepped out. She’d obviously been home since he saw her that morning because now she was wearing a white top and a long, blue skirt.
“That’s right.”
