Page 45 of Burden to Bear

Okay.

That made me feel better.

Wanting to know more, I asked, “So, what was one of the most uncomfortable situations you’ve ever been in?”

“Oh, man, probably the time I went to a summer camp the one year with my brother,” he shared. “I hadn’t realized they were keeping track of everything we accomplished throughout the summer, and at the end of it, there was an awards ceremony. I ended up winning in two different categories, and I needed to stand up not only in front of all the counselors and kids at the camp but all of the parents and families, too.”

I smiled brightly at him. Obviously, I could understand how difficult it must have been for him as a kid, but he clearly made it through okay.

“Oh, wow,” I marveled. “Tell me more. What kind of camp was it? And what awards did you win?”

Brock took in a deep breath, doing it as his lips twitched, and I realized I hadn’t been wrong. He might not have enjoyed it as a kid, but he’d clearly made it to the other side unscathed.

Throughout the rest of dinner and even through dessert, Brock shared his camp experience with me as I told him more about things I’d done as a kid. We laughed a lot, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

“This was really wonderful tonight, Brock. I had such a good time, and it was nice not having to eat dinner alone.”

“Yeah, I agree. I’m up for doing it again, if you’d like.”

I should have declined. I liked this way too much, and if Brock continued to give it to me, I was going to gobble up every second of it. Sure, I thought it would be okay to be friendly with my neighbor and have the occasional dinner together, but I didn’t think I’d have the same feelings toward having continued dinners with Brock as I would if I was sitting down for dinner with Russ and Janel.

There was an obvious physical attraction to Brock already for me. If I got to know him even better, I was bound to be in a world of hurt.

But apparently, I didn’t care how bad this could turn out to be for me. Because I grinned and said, “I’d love to do this again sometime.”

“Great. We’ll figure that out soon, then.”

I offered a nod of understanding and said, “Well, I should probably head back home. I’ve got to go to work tomorrow, and I’m sure you do, too.”

“I do. Why don’t I walk you back to your place?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

He shook his head. “I know. But I’d feel better doing that.”

There was no amount of arguing that was going to change his mind. So, I agreed. “Okay.”

Brock walked with me to my house, and on the way there, I felt those nerves creeping back in.

I’d walked from his place several times before, and he’d never felt compelled to walk me back home. Was this time different for a reason? Did he consider our dinner at his place something akin to a date? Was he expecting a kiss?

Most importantly, if the answer to those questions was yes, would I turn him down?

It didn’t take me long to decide that not only would I not turn him down, but it was likely that I’d welcome a kiss.

We made it to my front door, and I turned toward him. He was looking down at me with that same sweet look he’d had when he showed up on my doorstep this morning.

I wasn’t quite sure what to do, so I fumbled with the keys in my hand, silently hoping he’d make that move. When he didn’t take steps to cross that line, I said, “Thank you, again, for such a nice night, Brock.”

There was a moment of hesitation before he opened his arms and stepped close to give me a hug. “You’re welcome, Mia. Thank you for joining me.”

I hugged him back, happy to have at least that much from him. When he let go of me, I felt that need to lighten the mood just a touch. So, I said, “If you make those tacos ever again, I just might invite myself.”

He laughed. “That sounds like a plan.” Another beat of silence filled the air before Brock offered a nod and said, “Goodnight, Mia.”

I smiled back at him. “Goodnight, Brock.”

A moment later, I unlocked my door and stepped inside. Then Brock turned and walked back to his house.

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