His gaze swept her from the top of her head to her toes. “Yup. You’ll need either jeans or shorts, depending on if you plan on wading in, a top you don’t mind getting worm guts on and an old pair of shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Oh, and a hat and sunscreen. You know, Emma’s got all that at the ranch. She can loan you what you need.”
“You sure she won’t mind?” Ariana started to climb into the truck, but the handle was too high for her to reach.
“She’ll be thrilled I brought a girl home.” Dillon gripped her around the waist and lifted her up into the seat.
She turned and smiled down at him. “Thanks. They don’t make these trucks for short people.” Ariana tilted her head slightly. “I wonder who BODS will match us with when it’s back up and running.”
“I don’t know, but it was nice not having to face a stranger in that coffee shop.” He grinned. “I feel like we’ve known each other a long time.”
“We have.” She laughed. “We’ve known each other for twenty…” she winked and waited for him to finish her sentence.
“Flights. And look, we’re already finishing each other’s sentences.” He closed the door and rounded the front of the truck.
Ariana’s gaze followed him, a smile lingering on her lips.
She wasn’t so sure BODS had it wrong. Dillon seemed perfect to her.
Her smile faded. She really did wonder who BODS would come up with for her perfect match, round two.
Chapter 6
Dillon climbed in behind the wheel and shot a glance across the console at Ariana. She wasn’t anything like the woman he’d imagined BODS would match him with. Leslie could be right; the system had some issues. Yet, he couldn’t be happier with the mistake.
Like he’d told Ariana, he felt like they were old friends. Their connection in the stairwell of the BODS building had been casual, without the stress of meeting a blind date. They’d had no prior expectations of each other, and they’d met in the dark. Two people who knew nothing about the other, not even what the other looked like. He would always think of her sweet voice and soft curves as his first impression of her.
“Why are you frowning?” he asked.
Her brow smoothed immediately. “Sorry. I was just thinking that we’ll have to go through the uncertainty of another date with a stranger when BODS is fixed and makes our matches.”
“Well, stop,” he commanded. “I’ve been told by two people that I need to unwind. Fishing is about the most stress-free activity a person can do.”
She sighed. “You’re right.” Ariana drew in a deep breath and let it out. “I’m on board. Do all your brothers live on the ranch?”
“They do. At least, for now. I’m in the process of designing another house to be built on the ranch and plan on moving into it when it’s done. My brothers plan on doing the same, eventually.”
“How was it growing up as one of five kids in a family?” she asked. “Was it noisy? Did you get into fights?”
Dillon chuckled. “There was never a dull moment, that’s for sure. We learned to ride practically before we learned to walk. Once we were proficient in the saddle, there was no stopping us. We’ve been all over the ranch at least a thousand times. It’s a great place to grow up. What about you? Siblings?”
She shook her head. “None. My folks were older when they married, and I was their only child. I think I grew up before I was ever a kid. My mother taught me how to ride a bicycle, but there weren’t any horses in my neighborhood, and my folks kept me close to home.”
“Sounds…” he searched for the right word.
“Boring?” She nodded. “It would have been, but I lived all sorts of adventures.”
“You did?” He glanced her way.
She stared out the window, a small smile curling her lips.
Dillon was mesmerized by her. The faraway look in her eyes and the way her auburn hair framed her face made him want to reach out and touch her cheek.
Ariana lifted her chin. “I did have adventures, through the books I read. I escaped to faraway lands, even planets, fought battles and won and fell in love at least a thousand times.” She gave him a shy smile. “To me, books were far more interesting than my life.”
“That’s kind of sad,” he said.
“I didn’t think so. I had a very dear friend who liked to read as much as I did. We shared a love of fantasy and science fiction from grade school through college.” She stared out the window at the road ahead as if she had gone back to a different time. A sad time.
“This friend…” he said quietly, “was it your husband?”
She nodded. “I married my best friend. And as I mentioned, he died of pancreatic cancer.”
“That must have been hard. You were together for a long time.”
She nodded. “Half my life. Losing him left a huge hole. I had to learn who I was all over again. So, you see, an online dating service was a big step.”
“And the service didn’t get it right, matching you and me.” He shook his head. “The last book I read was nonfiction. I think it was how to rebuild a tractor engine or maybe the training manual for a computer-aided design program. I haven’t read fiction since grade school.”
“You should give it a try again. It’s very relaxing,” she said. “Well, if you’re not in a battle scene about to be run through with a sword.” She winked. “No, I didn’t grow up with siblings to play with, but I wasn’t lonely, and I learned a lot through reading.”
Ariana’s sad face made Dillon want to cheer her up. He couldn’t bring back her dead husband, but he could look for ways to make her smile. Because when she smiled, the air around her seemed to light up. He liked that. A lot.
As they
