Page 58 of Fake It Till You Make It

“Huh, huh… that’s heavy for a child to process. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, I did the right thing. But in the end, I got punished. Not him,” she said, a little too cheery for the damage his father’s selfish actions had caused to his wife and daughter’s relationship. “So now you know why trains can suck it.”

Though she didn’t look at him, Eli could feel the tension radiating from what he knew were pliable curves that had molded against him to perfection.

“No more train talk from this cowboy.”

“Much obliged.” She did turn and smile at him then.

An alarm went off.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“It’s nine o’clock, I need to go, but I can come back in the evenings to help with the kids.”

“Not kids. Kindle. And I accept. I like the idea of youvisiting every day.” He pressed his hand to her shoulder, allowed it to linger. “You could stay longer.”

Her breath hitched. “Whoa, partner. That’s not the kind of help I volunteered for tonight.”

“You seriously think I would lure you up to my cabin to take advantage of your kindness?”

“No—I don’t know. Maybe.” She winced. “I mean we danced, held hands, then you called me sweetheart. So yeah, I thought…” She made this weird kissy face that totally blew his high.

“I wouldn’t blindside you, okay.” This was just plain weird now. “Today was… nice. I thought we could prolong the moment. That was all I was asking. So, can you stay?”

This game they’d started was far from over for him, but he wouldn’t rush things. The way she’d sunk into his growing erection last night on the dance floor, he knew she’d felt the claw of desire pulling them deeper into the furnace, burning hot between them.

“No. It’s time for me to study for my nursing exam.”

“Can it wait?”

Amarie stiffened. “No. This is important to me.”

“Okay. I’ll drive you back to the house.

“You don’t have to. I enjoy walking.”

“That’s not an option. What kind of man do you take me for?”

“Would you carry my books, too?” She laughed.

“Every day.” Eli’s expression sobered; the humidity seemed to evaporate right out of the atmosphere, leaving him thirsty for a drink of something sweet and juicy. “Let me grab my keys.”

Eli grabbed his fob, keys jiggling, and wallet from his dresser. He followed the meows through the house till he reached the front door.

His heart nearly stopped in his chest. Amarie had scooped up all five kittens in her arms. She talked to them, telling them about their new life and how beautiful they were. Eli thought to himself how beautiful she was inside and out. Standing on his porch underneath his stars with his dog at her side and, more than likely, five kittens that he’ll be raising for the next fifteen years because that was their lifespan, she was one of the most beautiful stars he had ever seen, and she had lit his night with wonder.

“I have something for your next trip to the farm.”

“What is it?”

He pulled a bag from behind his back, rubbing Hiccup’s head when he pawed at the plastic. “Down, boy.”

Nervous, Eli pulled a box free, handing it to her.

Amarie smiled, lifting the lid to sift through the noisy tissue paper. She paused and stared directly into his eyes. “A new pair of boots? You bought me boots.”

He scrubbed at his beard, thinking himself a fool. She hated them. Nothing sexy about boots, Eli. “They… er, they were at the Trading Post.”