Page 51 of Sweet Home

“Why don’t you just go with him, dear?” Mom said suddenly.

“I could run into the store while you wait in the truck,” Dulcie offered, turning to West.

“Uh, sure,” he said. “It would be nice to have some company. Can you keep an eye on Grandma and Grandpa, Elizabeth?”

“I’ll show them my shelves,” Elizabeth said, hopping up from the table. “They’reorganized.”

“And we’ll clear the table, of course,” Mom said, winking at West.

“Thanks, guys,” he said.

He turned to Dulcie, and she hurried off to the front door to pull on her boots and coat.

It was funny to feel anticipation bubbling up in his chest. They were just running out to the store for some milk. But it was an outing with just the two of them. If he was going to do his best not to fall prey to his own feelings, then this might be as close as they ever got to a date.

Once they were ready, he held the door open for her, letting in a blast of the cold winter night.

She smiled and stepped out, her blonde hair swirling around her like a halo, and the princess scarf sparkling around her neck,bringing out the intense blue of her eyes.

How can anyone be so beautiful?

He tore his eyes away and stomped down the porch steps to his truck. It was impossible not to sense her pausing and then following after him, her footsteps light on the porch steps.

Why am I such a jerk?

He was trying so hard not to think of her as a woman, just another person, one who needed help and encouragement.

“I’m really sorry about this,” she told him quietly as he opened her door.

“It’s not a problem at all,” he told her, feeling bad that she had clearly sensed his frustration—even though it was only frustration with himself. “I really appreciate that you did so much to make Elizabeth’s day such a happy one.”

That earned him a smile so bright that it almost hurt him to look at her. She climbed in, and he closed the door gently before heading over to the driver’s side. He started the truck, and decided to let it warm up for a minute before heading out.

“You know you don’t have to do all that stuff,” he heard himself tell her.

“What stuff?” she asked.

“You didn’t have to clean her room and cook and all,” he said.

“I won’t if you don’t want me to,” she said worriedly. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”

“You’re not overstepping at all,” he said quickly. “You’re not…I just…”

He glanced over at her, and she looked so sad.

“I just don’t want to take advantage of you,” he told her, his voice a little too deep with unexpected emotion. “I’ll be happy if you just keep her safe and have fun, you don’t have to do extra things if you don’t want to.”

“Oh,” she said, sounding surprised and relieved. “I like doing all that stuff.”

He nodded slowly. All he wanted was to ask her a million questions, or maybe just gaze into her eyes.

But he had promised himself he would do none of those things. So he pulled the truck out instead and headed toward the main road. Dulcie’s eyes were on the scene outside the window, and he could hardly blame her. The farmland looked so pretty under a blanket of snow.

“Here we go,” he said, rolling down his window and coming almost to a complete stop at the covered bridge.

Dulcie had stopped looking nervous every time they crossed the bridge.

She knows she’s home now,a little voice whispered unhelpfully in the back of his head.

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