A small smirk plays on his lips as he steps forward. I takea step back, unknowingly boxing myself in against the truck. Now my heart is really pumping. It’s almost loud enough to hear ricocheting off the cold metal of the vehicle. Knox looks me dead in the eye and cages me in with both of his arms.
“I’m okay with letting you go because I know you’ll come back,” he says, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “You might not be ready to let me love you, but you will. I know I’m an idiot half the time, but I know when something is meant to be, and baby, that’s us.”
My knees buckle, and I’d collapse if two strong arms weren’t holding me up. “That’s not fair,” I whisper. “You shouldn’t have to wait around for me to make up my mind.”
He leans in closer. So close that his breath tickles my ear, sending goosebumps skittering across my skin. “I’m not waiting. You’re already mine. You just have to realize it. Even if you decide to sell the store and move away, I’ll be here. There’s a reason I haven’t given my heart away to anyone else, and now I know it’s you.”
“Now please let me help you,” he says, slipping his keys into my hand.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” I say, trying to stop the inevitable heat from curling up my body.
“Come back when you’re ready to make a decision,” he says, finally stepping away. Air returns to my lungs, and the mind fog lifts around me. “Do what you need to do, but just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?” I ask, stretching out my spine.
“If you do decide to sell and leave Honey Grove, promise me you’ll say goodbye first,” he says, his voice low and heavy with sinking emotions. “We never got a proper goodbye last time and that haunts me every day.”
I study his face. His jaw is tense and strong, but it’s the tremble of his lips that lets me know how much this is killing him. Maybe if I just stay—no, I can’t. I need to make my next move for me, not for anyone else.
“I promise,” I whisper, twirling his keys in my hand.
And then he steps closer again, but this time he’s bolder. He grabs both sides of my face and smashes his lips against mine. My eyes widen at first, but then I sink into him. Fireworks cloud my vision, and pure want pulls me in deep. It’s only when he pulls away that my body aches with how much I’m going to miss him.
“I’m sorry if that was weird,” he says, stepping away, but I catch his arm before he can go too far. And then I pull him in close again, letting his hands rest on my hips.
“It wasn’t weird,” I say, curling my head into his chest. I let out a breathy laugh, trying to break the tension and to keep from crying. I’m sure there will be plenty of that on my road trip.
He stiffens for a second, but then he lets himself relax and rests his chin on my head. “Is it too late to handcuff you and force you to stay?”
I yank my head back with a huge grin. “You would resort to crime to get me to stay?”
“Maybe,” Knox replies with a lopsided smirk. “I’m sure most of the people in this town would look the other way. And the other half I’d bribe with free oil changes for life.”
We both laugh, letting the ease of our banter take hold again. These past two days have been full of so many revelations and big decisions that all I wanted to do was bottle up this feeling.
As the laughter dies down, Knox leans forward and places one soft kiss on my forehead. "Promise me one more thing."
My heart stops, but I nod. “Okay. As long as it has nothing to do with resisting capture. I’d like to think I’d put up a good fight.”
“I know you would,” he smiles with a twinkle in his eyes, “but this is non-kidnapping related. I want you to bring me back one of thoseI love New YorkT-shirts.”
“Seriously?” I ask, pulling back my head. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” he murmurs. “I’ve never been to New York City, but I’d like to think that’s the kind of cheesy souvenir I’d buy. Or maybe a shot glass.”
“Okay,” I say, peeling myself away from him. “But you should go someday. Everyone should experience the city at least once.”
“If you move back there, I’ll come visit you.”
“Knox, I?—”
“Don’t say anything else, Bambi,” he says, holding a finger up. “I don’t want to ruin the moment we just had.”
“Right,” I say, nodding. “I should probably get going then. Do you need a ride back to the shop to get your tow truck?”
“No,” he says, slumping against the hunk of junk. “Sal will come and get me. He’s not completely senile yet.”
I smile, and he returns the favor. His grin carries me all the way down the road until I can’t see his face in the rearview.
