Page 75 of Love for a Lifetime

Bingo.

With the potato chips tucked under his arm, he settled on the couch to wait for Olivia to pack. The book on the end table caught his eye, and he opened to the first page. He read through the prologue, shoving chips into his mouth like he was on a timer.

Olivia stepped into the living room and tossed a backpack onto the floor. “What are you doing?”

“Getting sucked in. Now I need to know if Liz and Ian are going to get back together.”

Olivia tipped her chin. “Toss that in my bag. I’ll grab a cooler.”

“No need. Drinks are provided,” Dawson said as he tucked the book into the outer pocket of her backpack.

“So, I think it’s safe to say this isn’t a road trip. Are these the snacks you want?” Olivia shouted from the kitchen.

Dawson was right behind her, stuck in her orbit like a satellite. “You want anything else?”

“Nope. Looks good to me. I’ll get a bag. Grab me a soda, please.”

Dawson pulled on the handle of the refrigerator, but it bent where the screws were loose, only opening the door as an afterthought. Squatting to grab a screwdriver from where he’d seen it in his snack search earlier, he tightened the handle.

“You need new appliances,” Dawson said over his shoulder.

Olivia strode back into the kitchen and started tossing snacks into a bag. “Stop saying mean things about my refrigerator. This is the longest loyal relationship I’ve ever had.”

Dawson rounded on her. “That’s not true! Does my devotion mean nothing to you?”

She crossed her arms over her gray sweater and grinned up at him. That almost imperceptible move of her lips made him want to brush his own against them.

He swallowed hard and tore his attention from her curving lips. Her eyes narrowed, silently teasing that she’d noticed his stare.

And she liked it. That much, he could tell.

Peas and carrots, it was going to be hard to resist her on this trip.

She’d redone her hair into a high ponytail, but she hadn’t put on any makeup. For some reason, her natural self made his love burn even hotter. It was like she was giving him a peek at a side of her she didn’t show to the world–like she was his to admire in private places.

Nope. No private places with Olivia. Way too tempting.

She took a step toward him and tilted her head, looking up at him with a confidence that said she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

If she didn’t cut it out, they’d be spending the rest of the evening in the kitchen instead of camping with friends.

Witnesses. They definitely needed witnesses.

“Thank you for fixing the handle. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while,” she said.

What was she talking about? He must have looked like a lost ball in high weeds because she pointed to the refrigerator.

“Oh. No problem.”

She let her arms fall to her sides, revealing the brown chicken on her sweater. “Did you get my soda?”

“Soda? Oh, I’ll do that.” He turned and grabbed a can before handing it to her.

Smooth move. Now, pay attention!

Betsy trotted up to Olivia, and she lifted the little shaggy-haired pup into her arms. “Can Betsy come?”

Dawson reached out and brushed his big hand over the dog’s tiny head. “Sure. We’ll need to bring some food for her. And make sure she doesn’t get eaten by wolves.”

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