Page 7 of Falling Again For My Best Friend's Brother

Amelia's eyes widened, a mix of shock and amusement on her face. "Is that... your sock?"

I groaned, feeling my cheeks burn. "I put it in the dog run to give him something with my scent. It's supposed to be calming."

A snort of laughter escaped Amelia's lips, and soon we were both doubled over. The years melted away, and we were just two people enjoying a ridiculous moment.

I finally managed to scoop Hero up, the sock still dangling from his mouth. "You're lucky you're cute, buddy."

Amelia reached out to scratch behind Hero's ears, her fingers grazing mine. The touch sent a jolt through me, and I found myself holding my breath, acutely aware of her presence.

She was so close, her cheeks flushed, a smudge of dirt on her nose. I wanted to reach out, to lean in... but I hesitated. What if she didn't feel the same? What if I ruined this fragile moment?

Hero squirmed in my arms, breaking the spell. I set him down gently, my heart still pounding. Amelia tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes meeting mine briefly before darting away.

"Looks like someone is eager to keep playing," Amelia said softly.

"Or eager to undo all our hard work," I replied, securing Hero's leash to a fence post. "I'll fix the dog run later."

Just as we were about to resume gardening, a familiar voice called out.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here?"

I turned to see Susan grinning at us, a tray of lemonade and snacks in her hands. "It looks like you two have been getting quite comfortable in the dirt," she teased. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Amelia laughed, the sound a little too high-pitched. "No, no, we were just gardening. Trevor's been a big help."

Susan set the tray down on a nearby bench, a look of mischief in her eyes. "I'm sure he has. My brother's always been good with his hands."

I shot her a warning glare, but she merely smirked, handing us each a glass of lemonade. "Take a break, you two. You've earned it."

As we settled onto the bench, Susan launched into a story about our childhood, regaling Amelia with tales of my misadventures. I cringed inwardly as she recounted how I'd tried to impress a girl by jumping off the roof with a homemade parachute.

"And then," Susan giggled, "he landed right in the middle of Mom's prized rosebush, his pants torn to shreds!"

Amelia laughed, setting her glass down and holding her stomach. "Oh, my goodness! Trevor, you did not!"

I shrugged sheepishly. "I thought it was a good idea at the time."

Susan told a few more embarrassing stories before saying she needed to head back to the clinic.

As Susan left and we returned to the garden, I noticed a change in Amelia's demeanor. She seemed more relaxed, initiating conversations.

"So, why did you decide to join the military?" she asked, her hands deftly transplanting a seedling.

I considered my answer carefully. "I needed to find a purpose, you know? I was always being reckless, causing trouble. When I enlisted, I felt like I finally had a direction. Like I could turn all that energy into something productive."

"Like jumping off roofs?" she teased, her eyes twinkling.

I laughed a genuine, deep-throated chuckle. "Something like that."

As we finished up, stepping back to admire our handiwork, I felt a surge of hope. "We make a pretty good team," I said, grinning at Amelia.

She returned my smile, her eyes sparkling. "We do, don't we?"

Emboldened by the day's progress, I took a deep breath. "How about we celebrate our success with dinner? My treat."

My heart raced as I waited for her response. She opened her mouth to reply, but her phone rang, interrupting the moment.

As Amelia excused herself to take the call, I took Hero for a short walk, my mind racing. Would she have said yes? Should I ask again?

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