“They let me run through the mud and trained me to shoot a gun. It offset the rules.”
They both laughed. She glanced down at her skirt and blouse. They were wrinkled. Hopefully, wherever he was taking her wasn’t too fancy. Sara smoothed a curl back behind her ear and debated pulling out a compact to check her makeup.
As if he’d read her mind, Grant reached across and took her hand. “You look beautiful. Perfect. Don’t change a thing.”
His hand was deliciously warm. It was also rough with calluses. They created a sweet friction Sara found incredibly attractive. It was the hand of a man who was used to hard work. And there she went again. Obsessing over Grant’s hands. Seriously, she had issues.
“You like the tired librarian look?” Sara asked, focusing back on their conversation.
He flashed her a sexy smile. “I love the way you look, always. The skirts that show off your legs, the soft colors of your shirts. I love the way your eyes light up when you smile, and, even when you’re tired or stressed, you dig deep to find strength and kindness for those around you. Especially Ben. There isn’t a thing I don’t like about you, Sara.”
She considered herself a modest person but hearing how Grant saw her was intoxicating. He made her feel so good. Beautiful. Capable. Sara liked who she was with him.
“How were things at the library?” he asked. “Jennie didn’t go into labor in the middle of the mystery section, did she?”
“Goodness no, and don’t even joke about that. It nearly happened a few years ago. Not in the mystery section, in the periodicals, but same thing.”
His eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. EMS was able to load the mother into the ambulance in the nick of time. She had the baby in the parking lot though. Cutest little girl you’d ever laid eyes on.”
He arched his brows. “You were in the ambulance, weren’t you?”
“Someone had to hold the mom’s hand and help her through it. Her husband works at the hospital with Rachel. He met them when they arrived. I’ve never seen a doctor so pale. Poor man.”
They laughed. Grant pulled to a stop beside a small park at the edge of town. In the distance, a gazebo was strung with lights and candles flickered. Grant released her hand and killed the engine before jumping out to open her door.
A figure stepped off the gazebo. Sara squinted. “Is that my sister?”
“I needed a bit of help to arrange everything. The kids are with her husband back at the house.”
Grant waved, and Rachel waved back before turning and jogging to the other side of the park. Sara glanced up at him. “I’m not sure how I feel about you and my sister conspiring together.”
“Understandable.” He took her hand again and led her across the grass. “Your sister is devious. In the best way possible, of course.”
“Exactly. You and her plotting is trouble.”
Serious trouble. The closer they got to the gazebo, the more romantic the setting became. A table was set up in the center with a white tablecloth. Two covered dishes sat on delicate placemats. Candles were arranged on the table and around the edge of the railings. Rose petals were sprinkled everywhere. Soft country music played.
Sara’s heart melted. “What’s all this?”
“Our second date.” Grant smiled. “And a thank you.”
“A thank you? For what?”
“My mom agreed to go to treatment today. She and my aunt bought the tickets this afternoon. They leave in the morning.”
“Oh, Grant, I’m glad. I’m happy for you and your mom.”
“It’s all because of you.” He pulled her into his arms and started swaying with the music. It was a soft song about love. “I would’ve still been knocking my head against the wall if you hadn’t barged into my garage and forced me to share my feelings.”
She laughed. “I didn’t barge into your garage. I walked.” Sara lifted her hands and twined them around his neck. “And how did it feel? To share your feelings?”
“Amazing. It was hard, don’t get me wrong, but my mom and I were finally able to be honest. She told me that I’m not a disappointment, and that Pop would be proud of me. Hearing those words…I can’t begin to explain how much it changed me.”
“You’ve spent a long time beating yourself up.”
Grant nodded. “Now it’s time to turn a page.”
He was leaving. That’s what this was. Now that his mom was going into treatment, there was nothing to hold Grant to Hidden Hollows. Sara’s chin trembled, and her heart ached. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye. But whether Sara liked it or not, the moment she’d been dreading was here.
She tightened her arms around his neck and drew closer. Tonight was their last date. Within a few days, Grant would be heading back to his military base and then to a war zone. A sliver of fear slid through her.
Jared’s death had taught her that falling in love was perilous. But it had also shown her how fragile happiness could be. If this was all Sara was going to get, then she wasn’t going to have regrets.
She lifted her head from Grant’s chest. The warmth in his eyes urged her to her tiptoes. Grant’s breath hitched, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
Sara drew the moment out. Grant was strong and tough, but she had the ability to make him weak in the knees. Knowing that did something to her. It made her feel desirable and wanted. Her heart rate increased. She closed the distance between them, brushing her lips against his. Soft and light.
“Sara, you’re killing me.” Grant dipped a hand in her hair, holding the nape of her neck gently. The arm around her waist pulled her even closer. “I’ve been dying for you to kiss me, and then you tease.”
He was hard edges and rough planes. The softness of her curves melted to him, like they were made for
