She sighed and studied him. After what felt like an eternity, she relented. “Okay.”
Her hand in his felt more than right. It felt like it had always been there.
forty-three
DHILLON
Dhillon pulled into his driveway and looked at Riya. She hadn’t said much on the drive back, and he knew her patience was wearing thin.
“You brought us home?”
He grinned at her and got out of the car. She followed, Scout behind her. She secured Scout and handed the leash to Dhillon.
Scout was officially his dog now. She was completely house-trained and well on her way to learning more commands.
He took the leash. “Just walk with me.”
She was gorgeous in her trademark cutoff denim shorts and tank top as she leaned against his car, her mouth pressed into a line. He was trying her patience. The idea made him smile. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she had on no makeup. She was beautiful. “I knew you’d keep her.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m predictable. Whatever.”
“We’re walking Scout? That’s what you want me to do with you?”
“Yes.”
She sighed and shook her head like he was ridiculous. “Let’s do it, then.”
He couldn’t stop staring at her, suddenly nervous around the girl he’d loved since he was five. But the amusement in her eyes relaxed him instantly.
The sun was properly up, beating down on them, the humidity rising. Dhillon led them around the neighborhood, Scout in front of them, Riya beside him. He relished her presence.
“Do you remember when you moved in?” Dhillon asked, staring straight ahead.
“We were what? Five, six?”
“Five.” He stole a glance at her. She was smiling as she remembered. “Samir would have been ten.”
“Way too cool for us.”
They chuckled.
She continued. “You were painfully shy.”
“No. I had just never seen anyone as cute as you before.” He caught her flush from the corner of his eye.
“Whatever. We were five.” She bumped his shoulder.
He led them out of their neighborhood and into the next. A mere fifteen-minute walk. A community of smaller single-family homes. He stopped in front of one.
“That was the day.” He looked at her.
“What day?”
“The only day that was better than the day I got Lucky was the day we became neighbors.”
She tilted her head. “Dhillon... I...”
He turned toward the house, drawing her gaze to it. “What do you think?”
