Page 14 of Micah

“I only need fifty-one percent of the neighborhood to sign off on the petition.” Problem is, some of these older residents are very set in their ways and aren’t excited about the potential increase of traffic to the neighborhood they’ve called home for decades. No amount of charm has persuaded the stubborn ones.

“I hope it works, man,” Caden says, sounding like he means it.

“It has to work.” What else am I going to do with a photography studio in my future house if Avery’s not here to use it?

I follow Caden downstairs and pull the door closed behind me.

“You two done?” Avery asks, her voice a pleasant surprise. She’s been keen on avoiding me since the moment I set her down, made my declaration, and walked away from her last night. I’ve been giving her space, hoping that’s exactly what she needs to realize this isn’t just some friends with benefits situation.

“Almost,” I answer, willing my pulse to slow as I lift one corner of my mouth.

“Can I see it?” she asks.

Caden silently chuckles, shaking his head. “Later, man.”

“You don’t want to stay for dinner?” Avery calls after him.

“Got to get back to the gym to relieve Marshall,” he answers.

“I suppose that’s for the best,” Avery says to me once the front door closes.

“Why?” I ask, confused.

“Because our first date might be awkward with a chaperone.”

“First date—” I stare at Avery, resisting the urge to reach for her just to be sure this is real. Maybe I hit my head on a rafter and am suffering a concussion. Though I hoped she’d come around eventually, I didn’t think it would be this quickly.

“Unless you have another hot date to get to?” she asks, her tone flirty and confident. But I don’t miss the flash of fear in her eyes. Does she really think I’m interested in anyonebuther? I haven’t gone on a date since we moved to Daisy Hills over a year ago. And any dates I suffered through in the city were just a sad attempt to pretend she wasn’t the one I really wanted.

I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb along the soft skin of her cheek. “You’re the only one I want, Avery. Don’t act like you don’t know that.”

She bites her bottom lip, her gaze dropping away.

Though all I want to do is tell her how much she means to me—how much she’salwaysmeant to me—I rein in the urge to blurt out three little words that deserve nothing but the utmost fanfare when I finally declare them. The last thing I want to do is scare her away when she’s finally letting down her friend zone wall.

One might argue that very wall was down last night, but I’ve been harboring a secret fear that Avery would suggest some friends with benefits bullshit arrangement.

“Go get ready, sweetheart,” I say, tempted as hell to capture her lips. Instead, I place a soft kiss to her forehead. “We leave in an hour.”

9

AVERY

I’m an idiot.

Why did I wait so long to let Micah Erikson out of the friend zone?

“I had a really good time tonight, Avery,” he says on our front porch. As though he’s dropping me off. It’s totally ridiculous since we both live here, but it’s also incredibly romantic.

Every little detail of this last-minute date he whisked together is over the top romantic. Dinner at my favorite restaurant in town:LaVelle’s. A stroll through the park holding hands and reminiscing about our time in the city and how glad we are that we moved here. The drive along a weather-beaten dirt road up the biggest mountain outside of town so I could take sunset photos. Stargazing in the bed of his truck once the sun disappeared beneath the horizon.

Admittedly, there’d been more making out than actual stargazing.

A wicked grin spreads across my lips at the memory. It’s the most fun I’ve had kissing a man.Ever.

And still, despite that, I’m anticipating this goodnight kiss like it’ll be our first. “I had an amazing time,” I tell him, giddywhen he steps closer, erasing the gap between us. “I didn’t know you had such a romantic side.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he says, cupping my cheek and tracing his thumb along my jaw. I flatten my palm against his chest as he leans down, gently capturing my lips. I’ve been insanely wet for hours. Our make out session in the bed of his truck, though fun, was mostly above the waist. Despite my best efforts to get my hand inside his jeans.

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