Page 79 of Love for a Lifetime

After dinner, Olivia and Dawson cleaned up while Lucas tended the fire and whittled points on sticks for roasting marshmallows.

“I put an air mattress in your cabin,” Dawson said as he stashed the condiments in a cooler.

“I thought you said no beds.”

Dawson shrugged. “Well, I didn’t like the idea of you sleeping on the floor, even if it’s only one night.”

Olivia didn’t need to read too much into his care. He would have probably brought an air mattress for the women even if she hadn’t come.

Putting away the last of the food, she wiped her cold hands on her pants. Gloves would be necessary for the rest of the night. The temperatures had really dropped since the sun sank beneath the trees.

Olivia checked to see that Betsy was well taken care of with Levi and Lauren. “I guess I’d better blow up the air mattress.”

“I’ll get the fire going in your cabin,” Dawson said as he gestured for her to lead.

Betsy was sprawled out on her back getting tons of attention. The night had fully settled in, making it impossible to do any real work.

There were no excuses to get out of this one, and she didn’t want any. Hanging out with their friends was great, but the selfish part of her wanted Dawson all to herself.

It was ridiculous. He didn’t belong to her in name or in secret. He was just her friend and nothing more.

But that didn’t stop her from wanting. Every time he did something sweet, every time he innocently touched her, every time he looked at her, she fell a little harder for him.

The sharp whisper in the back of her mind said she should squash the feelings before they had a chance to grow, but she didn’t want to. She was here with Dawson, and she wanted him all to herself.

Dawson slowed his steps to walk beside her on the way to the cabin. His pinky brushed against hers before wrapping around it. The connection was so small, so imperceptible to anyone around, but it sent her heart racing. She should pull away, but it was impossible.

He pushed the door open and let her enter first. The cabin was dark, but Dawson walked straight to a lantern and lit it. He walked back outside and reappeared a few seconds later with firewood stacked in his arms.

Olivia unrolled the air mattress and spread it out on the floor. It took up most of the room, so she slid it against the wall. She found the battery-powered pump and got things going. Once it was started, she sat back on her heels and let the machine do its job.

She stood and inspected her bag. Pajamas? Check. Toothbrush? Check. Retainer? Check (unfortunately).

There was one thing she couldn’t find, but she couldn’t remember taking it out of her purse and putting it in her bag.

“Shoot,” she whispered.

“What’s wrong?”

Dawson was right behind her as she turned. “I forgot my medicine in the truck. It’s to prevent migraines.”

Stupid migraines had been interfering in her life for a few years now. She still had breakthrough migraines every once in a while, but the preventative meds certainly kept them manageable.

Dawson looked out the window into the black night. “I’ll go get it.”

“I’ll go with you. This is my fault. I should have remembered it.”

“I’d rather you stay here. Quite a few predators come out at night.”

Okay, that didn’t sound great, but she was the one responsible for leaving it in the first place. “Now I don’t want you out there by yourself either.”

Dawson lifted the hem of his hoodie to reveal a pistol in its holster on his waist. “I’ll be fine.”

Sometimes she forgot that Dawson carried a gun as part of his job. He could also use it effectively. Why was competence so attractive? Why did it make him more appealing knowing he could protect her if necessary, with or without a gun?

“Good. Then I’ll be fine too. It’s not that far. We can bring some boards to put over the creek on our way.”

Dawson grinned down at her, and his eyes were shadowed in mischief. “You didn’t like being carried?”

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