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Dakota had her head bent over her workbench, a soldering iron in her hand when the knock at the front door startled her. She wasn’t expecting anyone and hadn’t heard a car drive up either, as focused as she was on the decoration on her heat mat. Tiny ran out into the lounge room and started barking excitedly. Adam stood at the door. Her heart pattered wildly in her chest. She’d been thinking about him and here he was. It made her giddy.
“Adam, how lovely to see you.” She lifted her cheek for the kiss he gave her every time they met now. One day she would pluck up the courage to aim for his lips instead. She’d been tempted last night after the meeting but her nerves had won out.
“Sorry to arrive unannounced. I know you’re working today but I passed Rachel on the way to get coffee today and she made me promise to talk you into delivering some decorations for the shop. She doesn’t have your phone number and I didn’t want to give it out without your permission.”
“Oh, right. Well.” She stepped back letting him inside. “I suppose I could take a break and go over there.” Dakota shut the door behind Adam. “It wouldn’t take me long to get a few choice pieces together.” Her mind started to kick over what to take. “I can change my clothes and at least try and look the part.”
“You look perfect how you are.”
The sparkle in his eyes made her blush.
He thinks I’m perfect.
Dakota looked away, fussing over Tiny to take the focus off of his words. “Oh, you. I can hardly go looking like this.” She brushed a hand over the old sweatshirt and track pants. Warm and comfortable for working in but certainly not something she would be seen dead in, especially when she was trying to make a sale through a business! Hardly professional.
“Tell you what. How about you go and get changed, I’ll have five minutes with my little friend here, I can drive you over to the shop and when you’ve finished selling her everything you can produce I’ll take you to lunch to celebrate?”
“I couldn’t expect you to take me there, Adam. If you give me directions, I’m sure I can find the place again.”
“No, I insist. It was my idea that you try and sell Rach some of your work. It’s only fair that I take you. Off you go. Tiny and I have some bonding to take care of.”
“But, what about work? Aren’t you too busy to be driving me around?” Not that she wanted him to leave her to her own devices but a girl had to be sure she wasn’t holding the man up. It wouldn’t do much for a budding relationship if he was doing things for her under pressure.
“My cell number is on the door if anyone needs me. Quiet time of year, Dakota. Now scoot, get ready.” He walked into the lounge room and sat on a chair. Tiny immediately jumped on his knee and leaned into his chest.
A giddiness overcame her and she wanted to be the one having her hair stroked. How ridiculous that she would feel this way about him. Instead of worrying about Adam leaving town, she would enjoy him while she could. Dakota hurried to her closet to choose something warm and appropriate for the meeting and the biting cold weather.
When she’d pulled on the tan boots and matching coat, she strode into the workroom and chose a dozen ornaments. She wrapped them all in white tissue paper and tucked them snuggly into a box with her label on it.
“Ready when you are.”
Adam stroked the soft fur and let his mind wander. He really had to sort out his future and maybe when he finally got these tests done he’d be able to decide. Two offers were on the table for broadcasting jobs for when he chose to retire, plus he still had his sponsorship deals to see through. Would he retire now or would he choose to play on risking a season ending injury if he got a clearance from the doctor? Either way, he had more than enough to keep him busy. But the thing that was really niggling at him the most wasn’t the return to play or the retiring – it was Dakota.
He hadn’t felt such a pull of emotion for a long time. In fact, he didn’t think he’d ever met anyone that managed to get under his skin so easily as she had. It felt right to be with her. They fit together like two gloves, two peas in a pod. Gosh, he was getting corny in his old age.
How could he possibly get involved with her with this health crisis hanging over his head? It wouldn’t be fair to either of them but he couldn’t seem to stay away from her. Seeing the way his mother was affected by his father’s close call with death was something he wouldn’t wish on anyone. Certainly not someone as bubbly and full of life as Dakota. She’d been through enough this past year, even if she tried to brush it off as nothing. It had taken its toll on her. Had he made a mistake asking her out again? Would it be better to stay as friends for now and once his health was sorted out, maybe revisit the idea of a romance? If things went in his favor. And if he didn’t make it back to Seattle.
Life threw curve balls that sometimes were impossible to catch. He really liked her a lot. Probably too much. Not like he could keep out of her way and nor did he want to. The more he saw her, the more he wanted to be with her. Besides, he was standing in for his father with the Grange money raising project and Dakota and her sister had fully entrenched themselves in the planning much to the town’s relief.
He smiled to himself. She was certainly a force to be reckoned with as everyone was finding out. The thought both warmed and saddened him. Once he plucked up the courage to go and get tested, he’d be able to get on with his life – that is if he had one ahead of him to look forward to. Being in denial made it seem as though he was on the outside looking in. Much easier to deal with.
