“Caroline.”
She looked at him, and she wasn’t sure why she’d started to dig this hole.Lord, she thought, and God performed a miracle for her. He opened her mind and heart, and Dawson Rhinehart waltzed right into both.
“I love that you brought breakfast,” she said. “Even if it was a little on the cold side.” She squeezed his hands. “I love that you talked to my sister about my birthday and that you coordinated things with her this morning, and Iadorethe idea of dinner and a movie.”
She leaned toward him, adding to their game. “I adore you, Dawson.”
“Good,” he whispered as she neared, obviously about to kiss him. “Because I adore you too.”
He kissed her and kissed her, and when he finally pulled away, Caroline couldn’t catch her breath. “So, it’s a yes to dinner and a movie, or you want to lie on my couch and talk this afternoon?”
Caroline giggled and buried her face in his chest. “I want to do what you planned for us, baby.”
“Okay,” he said. “Then we only have a few more minutes for kissing. That movie is almost three hours long, you know.”
“Mm, I think it’s okay if we miss the first few minutes,” she said just before she kissed him again. And she decided in that moment that all the physical tokens—the flowers, the brownie, the breakfast—didn’t matter.
Kissing Dawson on her birthday was the best thing he could do for her, because it ironed flat all the jagged edges inside her.
Caroline knew she’d have to do something about those on her own, but for now, kissing Dawson was enough.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Dawson ignored his phone while he finished up the last of his work for the day. If he could just get this last order submitted, he could be done for tonight. Done for the weekend—except his small animal chores every morning and evening. Just done.
But his phone was blowing up, and when it chimed five times right on top of each other, he growled and reached for it. Duke, Zona, April, and Shiloh had all texted, and Dawson’s first thought was, “Daddy.”
His father had passed away. Or he’d fallen while trying to do something around the house that Duke, Dawson, and Brandon had all told him to stop doing.
He got to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest and neck and throat. Duke had just texted, so Dawson tapped there. His brother had messaged several times, each one about…Caroline.
Dawson quickly put the pieces together, and his brow furrowed. “She’s at the house already?” He checked the time, and she was a whole hour early.
Zona had texted about her early arrival, as had April and Shiloh. It was a little odd, because Caroline didn’t miss details like this. And Dawson hurried to leave his barn-office, despite the fact that he hadn’t put in the last order for the fertilizer he needed.
By the time he arrived at his brother’s, he realized he hadn’t gone home to shower. He hadn’t changed. He wasn’t ready for dinner with his girlfriend and his brother’s family.
He got out of the truck frustrated and irritated, and he went right up to the front door and inside, calling, “I’m here.”
No one responded to him, and Dawson’s boots practically echoed in the empty house. “Hello?” He hadn’t texted anyone back, because he’d run out of his office so fast and come straight here. It had to have been maybe five minutes since the flurry of texts had come in.
“Where the devil are they?” Evidence of dinner prep sat on the counter, but Zona didn’t stand there at the cutting board. He looked toward the back door, and sure enough, his sister-in-law came inside.
“There you are,” Zona said, pure relief in her voice. She quickly brought the door closed behind her. “Caroline’s here.”
“I gathered as much from the five thousand texts,” he said dryly.
“The kids are entertaining her now. April’s got her feeding the rabbits, and Duke’s got the grill going a little early.”
“I don’t know why she’s early,” Dawson said. “I told her six-thirty, and she’s always got her details together.”
“She said she wanted to meet us.” Zona picked up her knife and kept cutting up the zucchini.
“Meet you?”
The door opened again, and Shiloh came inside with April and Caroline. “Momma, it’s too hot outside. We’re coming in.”
“Fine,” Zona said, clearly stressed.
