So now I was left doing my best to pretend like what I felt for her didn’t exist.
“You know I can’t stay here forever.” Her words had dimmed to wisps, and I reached out and brushed back a lock of soft, brown hair from her face.
“You can do anything you want, Dakota.”
She choked out a laugh, and I could feel the way she pulled back a fraction, like we were getting too close.
“Anything, huh?” She fronted the tease.
A grin climbed to my face, and I touched the edge of her mouth, right in the little divot on the left side of her chin that drove me out of my mind. Not quite a dimple but the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
I wanted to lean in and lick it.
“That’s right, Dakota. Anything.”
She gave me a feigned scowl. “You sure have a way of trying to boss me around when you say I can do anything.”
A rough chuckle skated free. “Anything unless it’ll hurt you. How’s that?”
I was number one on that list.
“It seems to me like you’re trying to take the fun out of it.” There was her sweet sass, and a rumbly sound vibrated in my chest, and I knew I had to get out of there before I did something that I was going to regret.
“I need to run down and grab the mattress. I’ll be right back. Hold down the fort while I’m gone?” I smirked as I paused to look at her in the doorway.
She shook her head with a slight laugh. “I’ll do my best to survive without you for five minutes.”
“It’ll be rough,” I told her, loving the way she got flushed anytime we went to teasing like this.
Then she rolled those cinnamon eyes, even though they were flashing with warmth. “It’ll be a breath of fresh air, is what it’ll be. Get out of here, I’m already sick of you.”
Low laughter tumbled from me, and I sent her a cocky grin. “Whatever you say, Cookie.”
I started out, only her voice froze me, all the teasing gone as she looked at me from across the space. “Thank you, Ryder. I don’t know how I’ll ever fully repay you.”
I knew what she was referring to. That it wasn’t just her staying here while she was in need. The money I’d given her. It’d been my biggest pleasure and my greatest downfall.
But I knew, standing there looking at her right then, that I’d do it a thousand times over.
“What’s that you always say? Love is on the house.” Then I tapped the heel of my fist on the doorframe before I walked out.
FOURTEEN
DAKOTA
On Saturday morning, I was on the enormous rug that took up half of Ryder’s living room, playing dinosaurs with Kayden.
I’d finally gotten the café to the place that I didn’t work on the weekends.
I loved it.
The time to spend with my son.
The time to breathe.
The time for myself that I’d had to sacrifice to build the restaurant to what it was today.
It’d been worth it, but I was definitely relishing in the reward of it.
Roaring, Kayden clashed two dinosaurs together. “I get you,” he shouted, banging them together again.
“Don’t you think the dinosaurs should get along and be friends?”
“No! Fight!”
Soft laughter rolled. Apparently, Kayden couldn’t be bothered with my lesson about cooperation and unity.
Yesterday, I’d ended up taking off the rest of the day, and Ryder had gone with me to pack more of our things before he’d insisted we go to Wal-Mart to purchase a bunch of stuff for Kayden’s temporary room.
Whether it went against my better judgment or not, I’d decided to stay here for a while.
The thing was, when I’d gotten to my house and had seen the old door that had been removed and sat propped on the wall as the carpenter installed a new one, I’d had zero regrets about agreeing to spend a little more time here.
All it’d taken to get me firmly on Ryder’s team was seeing the way the wood had been torn up at the edges, deep grooves gouged into it where a metal object had been shoved in and the actual lock had been pried out.
I’d realized that person could have come the rest of the way in, that my son was there, that we were vulnerable, and I’d known I was making the right choice.
Ezra would find whoever was responsible and everything would go back to normal.
Plus, last night after I’d put Kayden down to sleep, Ryder had sat at the table in his kitchen with me and had designed a metal security door that he was going to fabricate and install.
Once we had that extra security in place, we’d go home.
Taking extra precautions to protect my son didn’t make me weak.
It made me smart.
I grinned when the raucous rapping suddenly sounded at the front door. There was only one person I knew who could create a stir as wild as that one.
Paisley had texted me yesterday demanding to know what had happened Thursday night before we decided she was going to come by to start planning Caleb’s party this morning.
She was only ten minutes late.
She deserved a medal.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Kayden, pushing to stand before I walked to Ryder’s front door.
I peeked out the window and onto the front porch.
Paisley frantically waved back at me like a goof.
I worked through the lock and let her in, and she came flying at me, long hair so blonde it was almost white, wearing a red tank and cut-off shorts and her signature cowgirl boots.
She threw her arms around me and swayed me back and forth, squishing me and making me laugh as she clung to me like she had thought she would never see me again. “Doodle-Boo.”
Then she released me so quickly to take me by the outside of the upper arms I thought I’d get whiplash. She gave me a small shake. “Why in the world didn’t you call me? I’m so mad at you right now.”
My brows rose to the sky. “And you wanted me to call you in the middle of the night, when you’re all the way out in the middle of nowhere?”
“Um, yes, isn’t that what I’m for? To come running when you need me? But okay, fine, I know Ryder is closer and it was the actual wise choice, but I’m still mad.” It was a pout and a tease.
Then her expression deepened as she searched my face. “Are you okay? I can’t believe that happened.”
“I’m fine. I mean, it was scary while in the middle of it, but I know Ezra’s going to find whoever it was.”
“I’m glad Ryder was there.”
My stomach tipped, and I tried to ignore the fact that I could hear his footsteps echoing from his room above. The way I constantly felt him, his movements and his breaths.
The way he was all bristly and rough.
The way he was so caring and sweet underneath.
“Me, too.”
“Auntie Paisey.” Kayden climbed to his feet, and he bounced over in all his roly-poly adorableness.
“My K-Bear.” She sang it as she swept him into her arms. She spun him in a circle, making him squeal, before she hooked him on her hip.
“Evie?” he asked, smacking his chest in a clear demand for Paisley to bring her little girl to him.
Paisley laughed her deep, throaty laugh. “Not today, K-Bear. She went on a special ride with her daddy, just the two of them.”
“Aw, that is really sweet,” I said.
“I know.” I swore she swooned. “They’re so precious together, I can hardly stand it.”
“That makes me so happy.”
Joy radiated from her. The genuine, real kind that you could almost reach out and touch.
“I’m so thankful for it,” she admitted.
Emotion crested before she seemed to shake herself out of it and set Kayden back on his feet, then she lifted the strap of the bag she had draped over her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re up for working on the menu?”
“Do you think I’d let anyone else cater Caleb’s special day?” And honestly, I was glad for the distraction.
She giggled. “True. Besides, no one could compare, and I’d have to spend the next two weeks weeping in bed before I could heal enough to even begin to look for someone else.”
I touched my chest. “The atrocity. I would never let that happen to my bestie.”
“You better not.”
I let go of a soft laugh. “Why don’t we get set up at the kitchen table?”