Page 38 of Just Can't Fall for the Enemy

I tore my gaze away, fixing it squarely on the flame trees. This time, my voice was firm. “I can’t let anything hurt them—or me—again.”

He fell silent.

“I’m not saying this is over,” I said quickly. “We both knew it would end when you drove away. I guess I’m saying I was wrong about you and I trust you with Nate. I trust you with Huckleberry Creek. And I trust you with my heart, for however long this lasts.”

He took my hand again and placed it between both of his. “It doesn’t have to end tomorrow.”

My head jerked up. What was he saying?

“I was going to ask you tonight. Now, don’t answer right away. I just want you to consider it and let me know later.” He took a deep breath and plunged in. “I’d like you to come with me.”

I didn’t know what I’d expected, but it wasn’t this. I thought he’d ask for a long-distance relationship. But traveling together? “You mean to the next town?”

“And the one after that, as long as this lasts. And I think it could last a long time.” He squeezed my hand, the warmth of his palms sending a shock wave of alertness up my arm. “Sophie, I felt reborn when I met you. There’s something incredible about you that I’ve never experienced before. I knew your town would be special, but I didn’t realize it could produce a woman so confident, so carefree and different. Whatever this is between us, it isn’t something I’m willing to leave behind.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. “Please come.”

My brain felt like mush. “I—I have to think—”

Then his hand was brushing my hair aside again, his fingers tracing my face, his lips on my jaw. I turned my head so our lips met. Suddenly his kiss took on a whole new level of ferocity. My insides seemed to blaze far brighter and hotter than any autumn tree on a quiet small-town street.

Leaving meant saying goodbye to everything I knew and loved. I’d only known Tanner for a few days. This was all happening so fast.

I reluctantly broke the kiss. “Can I have a few hours to decide?”

“Of course. As long as you plan to spend those hours with me.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me even closer, his lips finding mine again. I allowed myself to get lost in his embrace, his kiss, his minty scent, everything. I could sit here like this forever while the world turned around us. Mari said happiness would find me if I let it. If this wasn’t pure and undefiled happiness, I didn’t know what was.

“Interesting place for a make-out session,” an unfamiliar woman’s voice said.

Tanner went rigid and slowly pulled away, leaning back so I could see the woman standing on the sidewalk before us. She had red hair that almost matched the trees, a brown cap, and skinny jeans tucked into tall boots. But what chilled my heart was the smirk she wore. “Figured I’d find you wooing some poor fool, Tanner.”

“Olivia,” he choked, looking positively dumbfounded.

Sixteen

“What—why are you here?”I stammered. “H-how did you—”

“Find you?” Olivia broke in. “I just followed your trail of broken hearts.” She looked Sophie up and down with a frown. “Took quite awhile. You’ve been busy.”

I rose to my feet, standing protectively in front of Sophie. “You have my number, Olivia. If you needed something, you could have called.”

“You wouldn’t have picked up the phone anyway.”

She was right. I wouldn’t have. Even now I wanted to walk away, but I knew she’d just hunt me down at the hotel. This bulldog sunk her teeth into whatever she wanted until it yielded to her will.

I spoke through a clenched jaw. “Tell me what you want and leave me be.”

“Only a teensy little favor. Remember those videos of us together in the beginning? Turns out those were good for my career. When we broke up, ticket sales for my team took a nosedive. Now they’re threatening to trade me to the Sassy Lions.” She sniffed. “Can you imagine, living in rural Iowa, of all places? Anyway, if you feature me again, we can fix all that. Two, maybe three episodes should do the trick. And if something blossoms between us again . . .” She shrugged.

I shook my head in wonder. She’d probably timed her interruption for the most inconvenient moment possible. Behind me, I could feel Sophie’s walls going up. “You are something else, you know that?”

“Of course. That’s why you proposed in the first place. Or did you tell your girlfriend about that?”

“Olivia,” I said, ignoring the sharp gaze boring into the back of my head. “We broke up two years ago. If you insist on stalking me, I’ll get a restraining order.”

My ex smirked again. “Don’t get your manhood in a tizzy. I’m only asking you to include me in your show for a while. I was helpful before, and I can be helpful again.”

I knew her better than that. It couldn’t possibly be that easy. “Or what?”

“Or I’ll tell your little hobby here who you really are. She obviously doesn’t know, or she wouldn’t have thrown herself at you like that.”

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