“I can’t leave her though. What if something goes wrong?”
I notice he’s wearing a thin T-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, but that’s it. It’s been warm lately but chilly at night. “Okay, we won’t leave her side, but how about you run in real quick and get a jacket? Maybe a blanket?”
He looks down at how he’s dressed. It’s dark out here, but I swear I can see a little blush on his cheeks. “Oh, okay.” He stands up slowly, looking down at Mavis and then at me. “You’ll stay with her?”
I smile. “I promise.”
“O—okay,” he says a little shakily, and I honestly feel a little bad about seeing him rattled and thinking he’s cute because it’s clear he’s had quite a night. He heads very slowly toward the front door, looking back a few times before disappearing inside.
I sit with Mavis, trying to give her encouraging words and pets as she works toward giving birth. It’s not long at all before Dakota rushes out the door with a hoodie on and a few fluffy blankets. “I was going to get some hot cocoa or something, but I was...” He lays the softest looking blanket right up against Mavis—who takes the hint and crawls onto the fabric. I guarantee he’s blushing bright red as he says, “I wanted to get back out to her.”
I smile and stand up, taking one of the blankets from him and laying it out next to Mavis. I gently take his hand to pull him down next to me onto the blanket. We use the other blanket to put over our laps as he checks on her, petting her softly.
“This is nerve-racking.” He looks up at me, and I wish there was more light out here, though the moon is pretty big. “Distract me?”
God, the things I would love to do to distract him. I’ve been thinking about those things nonstop, more and more each day. But I don’t think he means any of that. “So... trivia night was fun,” I say, leaning back against his house.
“It was,” he says. “I like your friends.”
I quirk my eyebrows. “Oh, yeah?”
He laughs. “I’m as surprised as you are. But yeah, they were really nice.” He laughs, but it sounds self-deprecating, and he shifts a little nervously, looking back down at Mavis and away from me. “Especially for the guy who overshared and had to look so pathetic to men like them.”
I can’t say I wasn’t surprised when Dakota told the guys about the assholes who used to torment him. He didn’t go intodetail, and I still don’t know all the details, probably not even close to all of them. But the fact that he told them at all was a shock to me. “I thought it was brave. And so did they. They think you’re great, Dakota.”
It’s true. They couldn’t stop talking about him yesterday at the shop. Oakley wants to find every bully who ever dared hurt Dakota and beat them to a pulp. And I gotta say... same. They have his back.
He snorts a quick, unsure laugh at that. “They’re all so...”—he looks at me, I think searching for the right word—“manly.”
It’s my turn for an awkward laugh. “Oh yeah. Especially Missy and Sarah.”
He rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. And I’m sure those two could kick my ass.”
I laugh earnestly at that. “Same,” I say in agreement. “I wouldn’t mess with either one of them, but they really like you too. And they’re tough nuts to crack. They still can’t stand Jackson. Barely put up with Oakley.”
He grins. “I get that.”
“Me too.” I laugh but then turn serious, lowering my voice a little so it’s not too intense, though I need him to know. “You know it has nothing to do with being manly or not, right? That you shouldn’t be ashamed of what those pricks did to you?”
I hear him audibly swallow as he looks at me, licking his lips nervously. “I felt weak.”
“But you’re not. You’re brave. So brave, Dakota.” I want to kiss him. I know it may not be the best time, and I still don’t really have a good read on how he feels, but the way he’s looking at me—his eyes shining with hope—I want nothing more than to kiss him.
But he looks vulnerable, so I stay put. “They hated me. For no reason at all. They just set their sights on me and went on the attack.”
My blood boils, but I don’t think he’ll respond well to any kind of aggression—even if it’s not aimed at him. “They’re assholes. Probably sad little men now, living in their mothers’ basements.”
He laughs. “A couple of them are local cops. And one is a high-school baseball coach.” He shakes his head sadly. “I hope they aren’t torturing anyone else. I can’t imagine them growing up, but who knows?”
“I hope for the sake of the town, they have, but one thing I do know...”—he lifts his eyes to meet mine—“you’re safe.” And God, I hope he knows it. Knows that he doesn’t need to hide away. Knows now that he’s under my skin like this... I’m not going anywhere.
Whether we’re friends or more, it doesn’t matter. Until he tells me with 100 percent certainty that he wants me to leave and never come back, I’m here.
He licks his lips again, and I can’t help but track the movement. “Oh, I forgot to ask.” His voice is raspy, and I have a hard time pulling my attention to this change of subject. “Did you have your daughter this weekend? Please tell me you didn’t have to shuffle around your schedule because I’m having a freak-out.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Nah. I get her tomorrow afternoon.”
“Good.” He looks relieved, and I’m reminded how thoughtful and kind the man actually is.
