The dogs stopped barking and hurling themselves against the fence, but kept moving, clearly agitated. They sniffed the ground, huffing and ruffing here and there. They paced the rear fence line, whining as if to convey their unhappiness or perhaps alert someone a squirrel was loose in the neighborhood.
“Boris and Natasha? Are your next-door neighbors spies with a sense of humor or something?”
“Nope. Cartoon Network fanatics.”
Valene laughed. “Even better.”
The lock finally clicked and Wyatt opened his back door. He gestured her into the kitchen. Before entering, he gazed out at the darkness toward where the whining dogs still paced the fence.
“Do you see anything suspicious out there? Or anyone?” she asked.
“Nope. Probably a rabbit or something they want to chase to the ground, rip to shreds and devour.”
“Ew.”
“Despite their cute names, they are security protection dogs.” Wyatt closed the back door tight, turned the deadlock to secure it and faced her with an odd expression.
“What?”
He took both of her hands in his and squeezed. “I’m sorry I’ve been so determined to bend you to my will regarding my proposal and—”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Wyatt,” Valene interrupted his heartfelt apology. One he didn’t need to give her. “I’m at fault. I shouldn’t have been following you around like a lovesick puppy in the first place. I knew we couldn’t be together, but I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve loved you for so long.”
“How long did you follow me like a lovesick puppy?” Wyatt asked quietly.
Heat crept in her face. “Quite a while.”
“Two years before we met?”
“Maybe.” They stared at each other. A half smile quirked Wyatt’s sexy mouth. “Fine. Okay. Yes. It was two years. Since the day I saw you shoot in that competition. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from finding out everything there was to know about you.”
“I’m flattered. And also stunned that I had no idea you’d been stalking me for two years before shamelessly running into me.”
“That really was an accident.”
“Oh?”
She nodded. “You went into the restaurant and I shifted position to get a better place to watch you inside the place, but you came back out so fast that, boom, I slammed right into you.”
“I remember.”
“So do I.”
“Now what?” he asked softly.
Valene inhaled a deep breath and let it out. “I want to play thewhat ifgame.”
His brows quirked. “I’m not familiar with that game.”
“Sure you are. Here’s an example: What if I wasn’t an alien only allowed to marry another alien, even though I’m in love with an earthling?”
“I see. What if I don’t care that you’re an alien? What if Iwaswilling to move to another planet so we could be together?”
Valene inhaled again and let the breath out. “I’d say you really need to think it through. I haven’t been able to get past the part where you leave your family behind without so much as a word. How long before you resent me for making you change your entire existence and, worse, from taking you away from your family forever?”
Wyatt put an arm around her shoulders and led her to his living room. They eased down onto the well-worn sofa, a hand-me-down from his folks that had already endured a decade of five active children on its solid frame, according to a story he’d told her when she visited his home the first time.
Seated side by side with the length of their bodies connected, Wyatt said, “I haven’t been thinking about anything else since I found out why you think we can’t be together, but resentment won’t ever be a factor.”
