“Yeah, it is.” She opens her mouth to say something else, but cuts herself off as our server approaches.
Fortunately, he doesn’t linger long, just drops off our steaming pizzas and tells us to enjoy. Then Noelle and I are alone again, which I much prefer.
As she takes in the two large pizzas, her eyes go wide. “Um. Maybe we should have stuck with one pizza, instead. This is a ton of food.”
I take a slice of the hot honey pizza and deposit it on my plate. The tang of pepperoni and sweet aroma of honey hit me, making my mouth water. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. And besides, we have to fortify ourselves for the hike.”
Noelle takes a significantly smaller slice of the bacon and cheese. “Assuming I don’t eat so much you need to roll me down the trail.”
A beat later, she blushes. “Forget I said that.”
“Why?”
“That I’m going to be so stuffed full of pizza I can’t even walk?” She lets out a wry laugh. “I’m not sure that’s something you’re supposed to say on a date.”
“Oh, and what should you say? Are you supposed to pretend you’re not eating because you exist on air and good vibes?”
Noelle stares at me for a long second before bursting out laughing. “Did a woman tell you that?”
Chuckling, I reply, “Actually, yes. When I asked her why she wasn’t eating anything, she said the fresh air and positive vibes were enough to fill her up.”
“Webb. Are you serious?”
“I am.”
“Should I say that, then? That the crisp mountain air is better than pizza?”
“Definitely not. I want you to eat when you’re hungry. As much as you want. And if you’re too full, or tired, or outdoors-ed to finish the hike, I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”
Her lips twitch. “Even if I gain ten pounds from all the pizza?”
“Even then.” Worry niggles at me again. “I meant what I said, Noelle. About the hike. We don’t have to go. We can find someplace to park and look at the view from there. I don’t want you going just because you’re afraid of disappointing me.”
“I know. And I told you, I want to go. Truly. I want to see the waterfall with you. Work off some of the pizza I’m about to gorge myself on.” She hesitates. “And I just… this is the most fun I’ve had in a while. I’m not ready for it to end.”
This time, when I touch her hand, her fingers lace between mine. “Good. Because I’m not ready for it to end, either.”
CHAPTER 5
NOELLE
So much fortaking things slowly.
“I hope you don’t think it’s too soon,” Webb prefaced as we stood outside my apartment door at the end of our Mount Hood date. “But one of my buddies is stopping by in a few days for a quick visit on his way back from a wedding in Vancouver. Sam separated from the Army about a year before me, and he’s been working for a charter company out of White Plains, New York. We’re just going to hang out on the deck at HQ, grill up some burgers and dogs, nothing fancy. But I was wondering if you might like to come.”
“Don’t you want to spend time with your friend, though?” I asked. “If you haven’t seen him in a while?”
Webb shook his head. “It’s not going to be like that. The whole team will be there. Ace, Tyler, Indy and his fiancée, Bea, and Rafe and his wife, Eden. Plus me and Sam. And hopefully, you.”
There was a part of me that agreed that itwastoo soon. That it would only be our second date, and therefore far too early tomeet Webb’s closest friends. Plus, going to the Blade and Arrow headquarters didn’t mean just visiting where he works, it’s also where he lives.
On the drive back from Mount Hood, Webb had told me about his living situation, explaining, “We all live right on the Blade and Arrow property. It makes it easier when emergency cases pop up, that we’re all right there. And if we have a client in need of protection, we have the option of bringing them to HQ.”
With images of a camp-style bunkhouse in my head, or possibly a giant estate with a wing for each person, I asked, “How does that work? Do you have any privacy?”
“Absolutely,” he told me. “I have my own apartment. So does Ace. The others have their own sort of… tiny houses on the property. Rafe and Eden have one, Indy and Bea have another, and Tyler has his own. We have some common spaces we can use, but if I want privacy, I’ve got it.”
With the implications of seeing Webb’s apartment and meeting his friends weighing on me, I almost said no. That irritating voice of logic whispered to me,A hiking trip is one thing. But seeing his home? Meeting his friends? Isn’t that moving a little fast, considering everything?
