Sabrina gritted her teeth before she snapped at Bradley again. Noah would have texted her that question while standing next to her. As a joke. Apparently joking wasn’t allowed while training with Nathan Bradley. Neither was fun.
Noah had fun without trying. It was just part of his nature.
She jammed her phone back in her pocket without responding to him. This was getting ridiculous.Shewas ridiculous.
“Reset,” she told Ripley, who immediately moved to heel position. Perfect form, no matter what Bradley claimed.
For the next hour, she threw herself into the training. Focused on the technicalities, on proving that she and Ripley had what it took. That she didn’t need anything. Or anyone. Sabrina West would get SAR certified and be the best of the best.
But with every correction, every clipped command from Bradley, a voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Noah’s whispered that if he was so fun, why had she backed off? Noah’s middle name might as well be Fun, so what was the real problem here?
Her phone buzzed again right after she and Bradley wrapped up.
Sexy SAR Expert: Dancer says Ripley is ghosting him.
Despite everything, she smiled. Noah had a way of doing that—cutting through all the crap with his ridiculous charm.
That was exactly it, wasn’t it? He made everything so easy. So natural. Like being part of his family, part of his world, wasn’t a big deal. It could even be considered fun.
Ripley bumped against her legs, brown eyes full of concern. Even her dog knew something was wrong.
“Good job today.” She scratched behind Ripley’s ears, ignoring Bradley’s pointed comments about their form. “Sorry I subjected you to that.”
What was she doing? Running away from the best training partner she’d ever had because…what? Because his family liked her? Because he made her want things she’d convinced herself she couldn’t have?
Because she was scared?
All at once, she had a minor epiphany that felt more like the onset of a migraine. All those relationships that had fizzled out—had she been the cause?
All this time, she’d been convinced she’d never met a guy who could keep up with her. Had she been running too fast to make it worth their while to catch up?
Was she doing that with Noah?
Sexy SAR Expert: Everything okay? You’ve been quiet today.
Her throat tightened. Even through text, he noticed. Cared.
What was she doing?
They were having fun. They’d never stopped having fun, and then out of nowhere, she’d freaked out over nothing and pulled the rug out from under the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Ripley whined softly, still picking up on her mood.
“I know, girl.” She sighed. “I’m being stupid.”
She was. Noah hadn’t breathed a word about picking out furniture together. He was just being Noah. A thrill a minute, funny and genuine. Not terrifying at all.
Sabrina: Training ran long. I miss you.
There. That wasn’t so hard.
Sabrina: We should go away together for the weekend.
Okay aliens had possibly taken over her body. But she sent the text anyway.
CHAPTER 15
Never let it be said that Noah Colton turned down a challenge. Especially not one issued by a gorgeous woman who suggested they “blow off some steam” by going rock climbing in Moab. As if he needed an excuse to watch Sabrina do anything, but he had a feeling she’d scale vertical walls as if gravity was more of a suggestion than a law.
