Page 12 of Abel

"I'm excited to go with you too," he rocks back on his feet, a grin on his face. "Let's go."

"Let me grab my stuff, and then we can go." I don't grab my full purse, but I put my small wallet in my pocket and palm my phone. It feels like a huge decision, to go with him, without the backup of my own car, and the keys to be able to take myself out of a situation. I haven't trusted anyone like this since I came to Broken Falls, and I didn't really trust anyone like this before, either. I don't want to show that to him, though, so I give him a smile. One full of bravado I don't necessarily feel. "Alright, I'm ready if you are."

He reaches his hand out. "Let's go."

"Do you mind if I take a few videos on my phone while we're out?" I ask, before grabbing onto his hand.

"For your socials?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I haven't mentioned it yet, because I know some people get weirded out about it, but it's one of the ways I've been able to afford both life and the food truck. I won't show you, if you don't want me to." I've met plenty of others who didn't want to be involved in that part of my life, and I always try to be understanding and cognizant.

"I'm fine being on the screen if I can be a part of your life. I knew what I was getting into when I asked you out. Believe it or not, I've watched your streams and channel to learn a bit more about you. Not that I want to sound like some weird stalker, but it's true."

That's highly flattering. I lock the door as we head out, and walk over to his truck. "It's fine, you should definitely always use anything you have at your disposal to help move forward with whatever it is you want. I'm not weirded out. I put my life out there, and I expect people to watch it. So, if you can use it to figure out how to get in good with me, you might as well."

He opens the passenger side door, motioning for me to get in. "I've always been a good student, Kara."

"Somehow I think I'm going to be the one who benefits from your studies."

He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, suppressing a smile. "You will be the one who gets everything from me, Kara. That, I promise you."

* * *

I'm trying to figure out if Abel legitimately has sexy forearms, or if it's just been that long since I've been with a man. Because as I'm watching him navigate the afternoon Broken Falls traffic, I'm having a visceral reaction to the way the muscles clench underneath the ink of his tattoos as he turns his indicator on and switches lanes.

"You okay?" He glances over at me.

"Yeah, why?"

"You made a weird noise."

My cheeks warm, I turn away to look out the window to calm myself down. "That guy in the left lane almost hit someone, it scared me," I cover quickly.

"I'm a good driver, you're okay with me."

I have to get us off this topic, because all I can think about are those strong arms of his. "How many times have you been to the falls?"

"More than I can count," the tone of his voice is softer, as if he's sharing something special with me. "Dad and I used to go a lot. It's free to enter and walk the trail. We'd pack a lunch and spend an afternoon there. When I was little, it was a huge playground for me. I could be a Knight, saving a damsel in distress if we got off the main trail a little. There are some abandoned cabins not far from the public entrances, and he'd let me go a little crazy, burn off any energy I had. As I got older, it was my quiet place. I'd sometimes even go out there by myself, if I just needed to think. It's special to me," he shrugs. "I'm excited to be sharing it with you."

Unexpected emotion clogs my throat. This man is so much more than I thought he was. "I'm excited that you're sharing it with me too."

He gives me a smile. "Here we are. It's a weekend, so we'll have to park down here. It's about half a mile from the trail head. Is that okay with you?"

"I need the exercise."

He reaches into the backseat of his quad cab and pulls a backpack. "Let's go."

I hop out, shut the door, and take a deep breath of fresh air. If anyone had told me this would be my life two years ago? I would have said they were crazy. That it wouldn't be mine. But here I am, and here that life is. It's more than I ever could've imagined.

CHAPTER NINE

Abel

Kara and I have been walking in relative silence since we got out of my truck. Mine is definitely nervousness, and I think hers is the same. One of us has to break it, and I nominate myself. "What made you come to Broken Falls?"

"I met Alexis in college. We were in the same dorm, and somehow, we got stuck with the two worst roommates in the world. We spent a lot of time in the commons area, and one night we happened to be in there together, ready to watch Chicago Fire. We found out we both loved the One Chicago Universe, and decided to meet every Wednesday to watch," I shrug. "We ended up becoming friends, and the next year we decided to be roommates. She kept telling me about how awesome this town is, and when we graduated, I had no desire to go back home. I knew I wanted to do the food truck, and I thought it might be easier in a town this size. Alexis helped me move, and here I am."

I reach over, grabbing her hand. "I'm glad you're here. I'm glad that Alexis was able to convince you that our town is awesome."

---