“My brothers and I did it once and then we went inside for laser tag and a few more things. I can’t wait to tell them I did the obstacle course. I bet Sebastian would love it here. I’ll have to see if I can get the guys here one day.”
There he was again showing her the sweet family side to him. She knew he wasn’t trying to impress her. He really looked like he wanted to come here with his nephew and brothers.
“You’ll have a leg up after doing it with me first.”
His eyes darkened when he looked at her. She’d have to weigh her words better.
This day was turning into something that she hadn’t anticipated.
Though if she was honest with herself, she should have.
Wasn’t she having multiple dreams a week about him? Looking for him at work? Jumping at the opportunity to spend time with him?
Just friends she almost said out loud, but thinking it was enough for her nose to start to itch before it grew.
They finished up their lunch fast and made their way to the course in the back. She didn’t see a rock wall, but she saw wooden walls to climb over, ramps to run up, ropes to crawl under, tires to step in. Yeah, this was like basic training.
And it was going to be great.
They were matched up in pairs first to compete against others. She tried not to snarl at the young twenty-somethings that were stretching and bending.
Wyatt rolled his eyes at her. She knew she was competitive but at least she was having fun. The two they were going against were quietly planning strategies.
She looked at Wyatt and said loudly, “If I get behind or can’t make it over a wall, push me, pull me, or toss me. I’ll catch up.”
“You’re going to let me put my hands on you?” he asked and winked.
“For the win. Yeah. I’m all in when it comes to the win.”
He held her stare for longer than normal and then said, “I won’t forget that.”
There was no time to comment though, all four of them getting to the starting line. When the gun went off, they took off in a sprint, legs through tires, then a rope to help climb over the wall after the second sprint.
They were neck and neck with the other team, but there was plenty left to go.
Balancing on wood, crawling under nets, then climbing up nets. She’d gotten a little hung up on that one and Wyatt passed her, then stopped and leaned his hand down for hers.
Their fingers wrapped around each other’s and in one fell swoop he yanked her up to the top and steadied her on her feet.
If she wanted to stay there and hang on even longer she reminded herself it was for the win, then raced down the ramp with him.
By the time the finish line was in sight, the other couple was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t sure where they passed them and didn’t care.
Wyatt grabbed her hand, and they held them together as they crossed the line, him picking her up and swinging her around. “Yeah, that will teach those young ones to mess with us.”
“Age over youth any day,” she said, savoring the feeling of being in his arms.
When he set her down he could see it in her eyes that she wanted to kiss him. His head came down, hers started to go up, and then the couple crossed the line arguing back and forth and it was enough to pull her away from the moment.
It was probably the right thing though.
There was no reason to give Wyatt any ideas.
No encouragement either.
Then why was she the one that was acting more bummed than him?
18
When You Know
Which was exactly why on Sunday she was waiting for Wyatt to pick her up to go to the movies.
It was raining out and she was sick of sitting around the house.
Adriana still owed him a meal out too. So she caved and sent him the link to an action movie playing today and asked if he’d seen it.
She figured that was a good way to get the conversation going. Of course he hadn’t seen it and asked if she had.
They’d played around the bush for a good ten minutes before she said she was thinking of going at three. She still hadn’t asked him. She was hoping not to.
And she didn’t have to. He ended up saying he wouldn’t mind seeing it either. That was as close as they got to it.
So when her doorbell rang, she didn’t run to the door like she wanted to. Rather she walked slowly as if she’d been busy and now he was interrupting her.
“Hey,” he said. “Ready to go? Sorry I’m late. Drake called me and I got held up. He always has the uncanny ability to call when I’m walking out of the door.”
“Did you tell him you were going somewhere?” she asked.
“Unfortunately I did. Which is why I couldn’t get off the phone with him.”
She grabbed her purse, locked up and they went to his car. “Did he keep you on the phone on purpose after that?”
“Of course. I told you I’m the prankster of the family. Anytime my siblings can annoy me they jump at the opportunity to do it. I finally just hung up on him.”
“Seriously? You just hung up without letting him finish?”
“Yep. He likes to get the last word and he was probably still talking for a good minute. He won’t care. Drake is the laid back one. Nothing ruffles his feathers. At least we didn’t think anything did until he met Kara.”
“Kara?”
“His fiancée. They work together. I’m sure you know my father and uncle own an engineering firm?”
“Yes. I’d heard that.” Maggie didn’t talk bad about anyone, but she had said plenty of nice things about the Fierce family.
“Drake is an engineer. Kara works in finance. My brother likes to spend money and
