Dylan’s lips curved up. “I’ve got plenty of money, Sarah. And I’m looking into other opportunities.”
“The thing with Trent Ramsey. I remember.” Sarah shook her head, then held up a hand. “And before you get defensive, you have to forgive me. I’m in no position to ask questions like that. I quit my teaching job almost three years ago and I’ve been temping ever since. I make decent money and the jobs pay the bills. I’ve got my savings, too. When you spend so much time at home alone, there isn’t much to spend money on.” She smiled. “But I don’t know what I want to do yet, so I haven’t committed to anything. I know where you’re coming from.”
When Sarah met his eyes again, she noticed his smile was wicked.
“Let’s go somewhere, Sarah. A few days. Let’s get away from everyone and everything.”
Was this his way of escaping reality for a while? Was that what she was? An escape?
Darn it. She did not want to think like that. It didn’t matter. They were having fun.
“Tell me you don’t think about it from time to time,” he urged.
“I do, sure,” she admitted.
Could she really do this? Other than her cats, she didn’t have anything pressing to take care of. She knew she could take Smokey and Blue to her mother’s house and Jillian would take care of them while she was out of town. She always had Jake to help out, but she didn’t like the idea of burdening him. He was young, needed to live his life to the fullest and not worry about taking care of her.
“Say yes, Sarah,” Dylan whispered, leaning in close.
She studied him for a minute. Being with him last night, here in the hotel… It felt like they were in their own little world. Was that what he was hoping for? To avoid real life for a while longer? Sure, the idea sounded intriguing, but she knew that the real world would eventually intrude once again. When they got back, would he disappear?
“Forget I asked,” he said, leaning back and taking a sip of his coffee, the light in his eyes dimming.
“No,” she blurted. “I’d…” Sarah sighed. “I’d like to go somewhere with you. I’m not saying no. I just think … maybe we need to take it slow.”
Sarah watched Dylan’s throat move as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing slowly several times. He was obviously conjuring up something, but for the life of her, she didn’t know what.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, almost too low for her to hear over the muted sounds from the others in the coffee shop.
But she had heard him. And she couldn’t believe her ears.
“Excuse me?” she asked as she leaned forward, trying to get his attention. His eyes lifted to meet hers, and she was the one who swallowed hard.
“I wanted to tell you that before last night,” he stated softly. “Making love to you… It wasn’t as spontaneous as it might’ve seemed. I’ve thought about it for a long damn time.” He paused, staring down at his coffee, then lifting his gaze to meet hers. “I was serious when I said I wanted to start over with you, Sarah,” Dylan whispered, his eyes intent. “I’m not good at this. I’m rusty in the dating department. It’s been a long time since…” He paused, swallowed. “I want to spend time with you.”
God, how could she say no to that? Even if she still doubted his intentions, Sarah didn’t want to say no.
“That’s it?” she asked, wanting to lighten the mood. “Just spend time with me?” She pretended to be appalled by the idea. “Oh, please don’t tell me you’re gonna talk me to death.”
Dylan laughed, the sound rusty—like his dating skills—as though he didn’t do much of it. “If I recall, you’re the one who suggested we talk.”
“True.”
The harsh lines on his face softened. “I promise to do a whole lot more than talk.”
“Thank goodness.” Sarah laughed, the heavy weight in her chest easing somewhat. “The thought of you droning on and on and on…” Sarah held his stare, smiling. She felt lighter than she had in a long time. This man did that to her. He filled her with hope, something that had been fleeting in recent years.
“We’ll see if you’re complaining when we get back to the room,” he said.
Instead of answering, she nodded in agreement. Her voice seemed to disappear. She was out of sorts, completely confused about what was going on here. Out of the blue, Dylan had shown up in her life again and was offering to take her on a trip. Just the two of them. She hadn’t been lying when she said she loved to travel. It didn’t matter where. She was all for seeing the sights, learning about new things, experiencing the world outside of Dallas. And to experience that with Dylan…
Whether it was tomorrow or next week, or even next month, she looked forward to this.
Needless to say, Sarah knew she was in over her head this time.
chapter FOURTEEN
Tuesday, January 17
“SINCE WHEN DO YOU PLAY golf?” Dylan asked Chris as he steered the golf cart down the narrow path.
“I don’t, but that’s my goal this year.”
“To play golf?”
“To be good at it,” Chris countered with a smirk.
“From what I can tell,” Dylan joked, “you’re gonna need all damn year for that to happen.”
Chris grinned. “Hence the reason we’re out here in January. Now get your club and come on.”
Dylan groaned, but he climbed out and grabbed a club. He didn’t know the first fucking thing about golf, but he figured what the hell. If Chris could get out here and do this, so could he. Then again, it was hard to tell Chris no. The man didn’t take kindly to the word, and he’d been known to bug the shit out of Dylan until he got his way.
“So, where were you last weekend?” Chris asked as he lined up his shot.
“Out.”
Chris’s gaze darted up to Dylan. “Do elaborate.”
While Chris took his shot, Dylan considered how much he wanted to tell his friend. Christian Biggs had been Dylan’s best friend since high school. Through the years they’d been through every damn thing together. Chris was the one person who’d been by Dylan’s side when Meghan died, helping him with Stacey and Nate as they tried to steer through the first dark, dreary months without her. The man was like a brother to Dylan.
“So, who’d you go out with?” Chris prompted.
“Sarah.”
Chris frowned, as though racking his brain to put a face with the name.
“Sarah Davis,” Dylan clarified.
Chris stopped and turned toward him. “Yeah?”
Dylan nodded, then dropped his golf ball and took a swing. He wasn’t sure what he was aiming for and didn’t really care, either.
“So, she’s talking to you after…”
Chris was the only person who knew about what happened between Dylan and Sarah. Since Chris knew Sarah from high school, Dylan had been reluctant to talk about her, but he’d needed someone. As much as he wanted to share the details with Ashleigh, he knew that wasn’t possible. His sister would judge him, even if she didn’t want to. She couldn’t help herself and it was obvious she only wanted what was best for Dylan.
“And … how’d the weekend go?”
“Better than expected.”
They headed back to the golf cart; this time Chris got behind the wheel.