He accepted the challenge, dipping his head to capture her lips, and the world stopped. The kiss was tender and passionate. Warmth spread through her as Sara turned molten in his embrace. She clung to him, unable to weather the barrage of pent-up emotion breaking free on her own. It was need and desire wrapped up in a desperate hunger.
Grant arms tightened around her, bringing her even closer, and she welcomed it. His hand gently cradled the back of her head, his fingers tangled in her hair. The kiss deepened and sent her spinning.
Sara pulled back, breathless. Their eyes met. Grant’s thumb played with the curve of her lip. “I love you, Sara.”
She blinked, still affected by their kiss. “W-what?”
“I love you.”
She pulled away from his embrace. Then took another step. Her back hit the railing behind her. The warmth of his touch fled her skin, leaving her covered in goose bumps. “No, you don’t. How can you say that?”
“Because it’s true.” He stepped closer but stopped when she edged away. “Listen to me, Sara. There was a mix-up with my paperwork, and I haven’t reenlisted, which makes it possible for me to leave the military. I want to buy my dad’s shop. I’ve already talked to Mr. Howard, and he agreed to sell it to me.”
She gripped the railing, the wood cutting into her palm. “You said that was for an investment.”
“I changed my mind. I want a new life, Sara, and I want you and Ben to be in it. I love you. I love you both.”
It was the words she’d secretly dreamed of hearing, but now that Grant was actually saying them, all she felt was unbridled panic. It wasn’t real. He was living in a fantasy. A vacation in Hidden Hollows was a long way from actually living there. Grant was used to travel, high-pressure situations, and saving lives. How would he manage parent-teacher conferences and yard work?
He wouldn’t. Grant would get bored, and then he would leave. She swallowed hard. “This isn’t how it was supposed to go.”
“I know, but…” He shrugged. “I can’t do this anymore without being honest. This is me sharing my feelings and telling you the truth.”
Her gaze bounced around the gazebo, desperately seeking to grasp onto something logical. “You can’t fall in love with me over the course of two weeks. That’s insane.”
“It’s not two weeks. Sara, I’ve had feelings for you for a long time.”
She froze. “What are you talking about?”
Grant cleared his throat and then straighten his shoulders. “I’ve had feelings for you since our sophomore year of high school.”
Sara laughed. It came out hollow and a touch hysterical. “You’re lying. That’s a lie.”
“It’s not.”
She shook her head, holding up a hand, as if to ward off his words. “You were dating other women in high school. And after. You can’t tell me you haven’t been dating all these years.”
“I didn’t think there was a chance for us. Ever. You were in love with Jared, and he was in love with you. I respected that. You were both my friends. I buried my feelings and vowed to never tell you the truth.”
“Oh, but now that Jared’s dead, you can?”
Grant went pale. Sara wanted to snatch the words back. They were harsh, unfair, and unnecessarily cruel. Tears welled in her eyes, and she stumbled down the steps of the gazebo. “You don’t mean any of this, Grant. Not one word. I can’t do this.”
She had to get away from him. Sara grabbed her purse and took off across the park. Grant called her name, and she ignored him.
Her heels stuck in the grass. She ripped the shoes from her feet and clasped them in her hands, picking up the pace and then breaking into an all-out run. Grant called her name again. It sounded closer this time, as if he was running after her, but she didn’t dare look behind her. Tears streamed down her cheeks and blurred her vision. It wasn’t until she got to the edge of the park, Sara realized her fatal mistake. Her vehicle was still at the library.
There was no way she could sit in the car with Grant. No way. Her pulse was racing and her breathing shallow. Was this a panic attack? She’d never had one before, but it sure seemed like one.
Sara heard Grant call her name again. She darted into the street and ducked into the deli. Keeping her head down, she escaped to the women’s bathroom. Inside, her hands shaking, she located her phone and dialed her sister’s number.
“Rachel, I need you to come and get me.”
16 Grant
Grant royally screwed up. There was no other way to describe it. Hitting Sara with “I love you” straight out the gate, probably hadn’t been the best way to explain that he wanted to change the dynamics of their relationship.
He shouldn’t have kissed her. Not until he’d explained things. That kiss had rocked him straight to the core and solidified what he already suspected. Not only was Grant in love with her, he was wholeheartedly committed to her. Committed, as in a marriage, raise-a-family, love-you-forever kind of way. There was no other woman in the world for him. Sara was it.
Their relationship was supposed to be casual and fun, and then he shocked her with the news that he’d been in love with her for years. Grant winced remembering the terrified look on her face. Sara had literally bolted.
She still wasn’t talking to him. He’d tried calling, but she wouldn’t answer the phone. Nothing more than a simple text to let him know she’d gotten home okay. Then another saying she’d found someone else to run the after-school program today.
Sara was taking a page from his book and avoiding him.
He leaned against the wall of Coop’s Coffee, waiting for his fellow SEAL buddy, Boone, to arrive. The scent of cookies kept wafting out every time
