Grabbing Skye’s hand, Ford hurried her out the kitchen door to the backyard, then over to his patio. She hadn’t yet said she loved him, only that she was halfway there. He’d do his utmost to tip her over the line.
“Ford,” she laughingly complained, practically running to keep up.
Under the awning, away from prying eyes, he turned her, pressed her to the door, and took her mouth in a kiss meant to convey everything he felt, including things he had no experience articulating.
“Mmm,” she murmured, and as soon as he let up, she said, “I know none of this was in your plan.”
“It was your plan. But let’s forget it.” He kissed her again. Left uninterrupted, he could have gone on kissing her all day. All week.
A lifetime would suit him.
She gently pressed him away. “Does this mean you don’t mind?”
“That you’re falling for me? No, I don’t mind because I’m doing the same.”
“Loving yourself?” Far too seriously, she said, “You should, you know. Everything Paul said is true. For a hundred different reasons, you’re an incredible person.”
Bemused, he shook his head. “I meant that I feel the same about you. I like how things are going—added emotion and all.”
“You’re sure?”
How could she not know how special she was? “It’s my fault that you aren’t already certain. I was trying not to rush you, but if you recall, you were upfront about not wanting anything to do with a romantic relationship.”
Her grin went crooked. “Sounds like it’s my fault, not yours. And you’re right. I was adamant—until I saw you with Maybelline. Or maybe it was before that, when you were amused by Laylee instead of panting after her.”
Laylee was sweet, but she wasn’t for him. “Knox is panting, FYI.”
“I noticed. I hope Laylee gives him a chance.”
Watching her closely to gauge her reaction, he said, “I love how you are with Maybelline. How you are with everyone, including me.”
She ducked her face, but only for a moment. Then she stepped against him and squeezed him tight. “This little chat has been enlightening.”
“Hasn’t it?” He was rather pleased with how things were going, too. He wanted to talk to her more, to explain . . . everything.How much he cared. That he was in it for the long haul. He wanted to promise her so many things, but they had people waiting for them. “Should we get back over there before your sister scares off Knox and Paul?”
“Yes.” With new excitement, she said, “We need to convince Paul to be our dog walker. That would be a huge help, right?”
“He’s exactly what we need.” With Paul’s assistance, maybe Ford would finally have everything, including time enough to prove to Skye how good they were together.
Taking his hand, Skye started them back across the lawns. “The fence will be great, too.” She peeked up at him. “Maybe if Laylee can just let the dogs into the yard, they’ll be less destructive.”
“We can hope.”
They both laughed, and that was the best thing about Skye. She was undoubtedly tired, her house was a mess, but she still embraced life, and the dogs....
And him.
They’d made a lot of progress today. Soon, they’d have it all worked out.
Chapter 6
Skye was hustling to get out the door on time. Hiring Paul as a daily dog walker had made a world of difference. In the past two weeks, the fence had almost been completed, and their lives had calmed down considerably. The dogs still made occasional messes in their houses, and she didn’t yet have all the time she wanted with Ford, but she was optimistic.
On the one hand, she’d never been happier. Ford had so effortlessly stolen her heart that she didn’t even miss it. On the other hand, they were trying to keep up two households with two mismatched pets, work their busy jobs, and pursue a hot new romance all at the same time. There were days when she saw Ford a lot, and days when they seemed to spend all their time corralling animals and cleaning.
As she stepped to the right of her hallway to hurriedly move around Laylee, her sister had the same idea, and they nearly collided.
Skye flattened to the wall to make room, but to her surprise, Laylee just stood there . . . her face crumpling.
