And Grant was beginning to believe no one ever would.
He stopped and circled in front of her. Dipping his head to catch her gaze, he said, “I’ve been out many times, but I’ve never had as much fun as I did tonight. You’re amazing, Sara.”
She inhaled. Grant became incredibly aware of the proximity of their bodies. With one step, they would be close enough to kiss. His gaze dropped to her mouth. The red color on her lips was darker in the dim parking lot lighting, but no less distracting.
He’d known Sara for years. Knew she was terrified of spiders, that she giggled at corny jokes, and her favorite dessert was apple pie. Her eyes would darken with anger, and she had no patience for bullies. She cared deeply, passionately, for her friends. Loyal. Strong. Smart. There were so many things Grant knew about her.
But he didn’t know what it was like to kiss her.
He swallowed hard as Sara’s gaze dropped to his mouth. She edged closer. Grant raised his other hand, placing it on her hip. The silky fabric of her dress was soft against his palm. “Sara…”
Did he whisper her name as a warning? Or an invitation?
He wasn’t sure.
She edged even closer. “I like the way you say my name. The way you look at me. Like I’m irresistible.”
“You are, and it’s driving me insane, Sara. I want to kiss you so badly.” He lowered his voice. “But we’re playing with fire here, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
She drew her lip in between her teeth. He was memorized by the movement. Sara nodded, slowly. “You’re right. It’s better for both of us that we keep this the way it is.”
Sara took a step back, and Grant closed his eyes. A strange combination of relief and loss coursed through him. “Right. Good decision.”
“I don’t want to mess up our friendship.”
“Neither do I.” He rolled his shoulders and tamped down on the mix of emotions running through him. It was logical to cool things off, but a large part of him wished Sara had thrown caution to the wind. He let out a long breath. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”
The drive back to Sara’s house was quiet. Not an awkward silence. More like the comfortable stillness that settled over two people who knew each other well. Still, he kept sneaking peeks at her profile. She was stunningly beautiful.
She also wasn’t his. And she never would be.
Grant walked her to the porch. Sara fumbled with the keys before unlocking her door. It swung open, and she slowly turned to face him. “Thank you for tonight. Grant. I had a really good time.”
“So did I.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, careful to keep an appropriate distance between them. Sara had made it clear she didn’t want anything more than a casual flirtation. He would honor that, even if it killed him. “Good night, Sara.”
“Night.”
She slipped inside, and the snick of the front door lock sliding home followed. Grant let out a breath and stepped off the front porch. Stars sprinkled the night sky. It made him think of his SEAL team, and he wondered what they were doing right now. They could be running a night training mission at this very moment. Probably freezing their hind ends off in the ocean or hunting each other in the woods.
He glanced back at Sara’s house. Tonight had been fun, but it was also temporary. This wasn’t his real life. He didn’t belong in Hidden Hollows.
Grant would never be as good as his father. Or Jared. He was broken and always had been. Right from the beginning. From the time he sailed out of town leaving his mom to face her depression and hoarding alone.
Sara had made the right decision by choosing to keep things the way they were between them. Flirty friends were all they could ever be. Kissing was out of the question. Anything more serious was impossible.
Grant wasn’t good enough for Sara.
And he never would be.
11 Sara
Monday morning, Sara sat at the library front desk, tapping her pencil against the pad of paper in front of her. She was supposed to be making a to-do list. Unfortunately, her mind wouldn’t focus. It kept drifting to Grant, as it had all weekend. The memory of their date and near kiss wouldn’t leave her alone. It was like she’d had a small taste of an apple pie, and now she wanted the whole thing.
“That’s the look of a woman heading toward love.”
Sara’s gaze darted up. Marie Jenkins peered at her over the top of her glasses. A smile twitched on her lips. “Yep, definitely heading toward love.”
She dropped the pencil. It banged against the pad of paper before rolling off the counter onto the floor. Her heart skipped a beat. Was she headed toward love? With Grant?
No. Absolutely not. Marie always had love on the brain. That’s why she kept trying to set Sara up with every single male within a fifty-mile radius.
Sara retrieved the pencil with a laugh. “Sorry to disappoint, Mrs. Jenkins. I’m trying to finalize plans for the library party.”
Marie dumped her library books on the counter. “I’m old, Sara, dear. But I’m no fool. You might be trying to finalize plans, but your mind was far away. Probably thinking about that handsome Grant Edwards. Rumor has it the two of you were a hot item on the dance floor at Miller’s Tavern the other night.”
“We had a good time and a few dances. Grant’s been helping me out with the after-school program.”
“I know.” Marie arched her brows. “Between you and me, I’d love for that boy to stay in Hidden Hollows. His mother could use some cheering up. April’s never been the same since losing her husband.”
That was a feeling Sara could relate to. “It’s hard to move on.”
Which is exactly what she’d been reminding herself all weekend. Going out with Grant and
