Page 22 of Dashing for Love

Wanna go?

JAMES

That’s a big step forward

I think we’re ready for it

Do we keep masks on the whole time? Keep the mystery going?

I bite my lip and tilt the screen to Willa.

She scrunches her face. “I think you need to show each other who you are. This is kind of nuts.”

“But I enjoy the mystery,” I protest. Holding the phone back up, I point to James’s text as proof. “So does he.”

Willa takes another sip and eyes me. “It’s up to you. If he kidnaps you, then I’ll get to say I told you so.”

I chuckle. “Yes, of course. I’ll be sure to let you know if he kidnaps me.” I type my answer back.

Let’s do it. Keep the masks on. No giving ourselves away just yet.

Okay, I’m in.

Perfect. Is it weird that I’m excited about this?

Is it weird that I’m excited you’re excited?

Talk to you later

Talk to you later

I snort and let Willa see the exchange.

“What’s the deal with the cowboy smiley face?”

Snickering, I lock the screen and tuck it into my purse. “Inside joke.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You’ve got inside jokes, too?”

My belly warms. “Yeah,” I confirm. “We do.”

“Drinks.” Anthony is back and glaring at us.

Willa considers. “I can do one more if I text Reid to come get us. You?”

“Let’s do it.”

Chapter 9

Matty

I’M OUT AT an alpaca farm when I get an alert that Dawn’s sent a photo. It takes everything I have not to shove the animal away from me and yank out my phone to see what she’s sent. I’m worse than Pavlov’s dog when I hear the alert. But I keep myself together, and when I finish the check-up of a particularly feisty male alpaca—did you know those guys can spit five feet? It’s gross—I pull it up.

It’s a picture of a lacy black masquerade mask, and the things it does to my insides should concern me.

Suddenly, one of the alpacas behind me sneezes, and I flinch.

TJ, the farmer, starts laughing. “I think he got you, Doc.”

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