Page 65 of More Than a Good Friend

She drops down on the opposite end of the sofa and pulls her blanket around her. “Go ahead.”

“It’ll be easier to share popcorn if you aren’t all the way over there.”

Normally on movie nights, she sits next to me, so this big gap is unexpected.

She scooches closer. “You’re right.”

“Plus, I’m warm, so it’ll be like sitting next to a heater.”

Laughing, she snuggles in beside me. “You aren’t wrong about that.”

I’m glad I’m holding the popcorn bowl because that’s stopping me from putting an arm around her and tugging her into my lap. And I’ve never ever had the urge to do that before.

CHAPTER23

GOLDIE

Dag slides in behind the wheel for our third lesson. The last one was much better than the first, but it’ll be a while before he’s driving on a road.

I buckle my seat belt even though we’re only in a parking lot. “Okay. Go ahead and get it started.”

He grins. “I’ve been practicing. Dallas let me drive his truck around a field. Watch.”

So many things in life come easy to Dag. He’s good looking, has an engaging personality, and has a knack for being able to do stuff. Except driving a manual and any sort of schoolwork. Seeing him put so much effort into learning something is new. And, honestly, it has me intrigued.

“Show me what you got.”

He winks and starts the engine. Then after a perfect start, he drives a circle around the empty lot before pulling up to the exit. “Mind if I take it on the road?”

“Go ahead.” We’re only minutes into the lesson, and my mind is completely changed. Something must’ve clicked in his head. He’s driving like he’s been doing it for years. Maybe Dallas is a better teacher.

Grinning, he turns and heads out of town. “Want to go see a zebra?”

“At the zoo?”

“Nope. There’s a farm not far from Bandera that has a zebra, four kangaroos (we saw one of them), and some camels. Figured we’d go say hello to our little friend and meet some new ones.”

Dag has always been impulsive, so this impromptu excursion isn’t out of the ordinary. And I’m glad I didn’t pull away completely after he proposed. It’s still hard to keep my heart corralled. And feelings slip out from time to time. Like when I snuggled against him during the movie the other night. His pragmatic reason gave me an excuse to pretend for a little bit. Not a healthy coping mechanism, but we all fail sometimes.

Turning him down for the pity date is my big win for this year.

In my dreams, I’m back in the town of Comfort, standing near that gate, and I can feel the stone pillar at my back as Dag leans in close.

Then I wake up with my heart racing. These fantastic dreams make it harder to act like we’re just friends. But I’m working on that. And I’m dating, hoping for the special someone who will make my heart drop Dag like a rock covered in ants.

“Sure.” I check my phone, wishing Luke had messaged back.

I sent him a short list of places we could have lunch. He responded with a thumbs-up and hasn’t messaged since.

“How am I doing?”

“Fabulous. Dallas is a good teacher.” I don’t mean it to sound bitter, but Dag’s brow wrinkles.

“After struggling through our first two lessons, I didn’t want you to think I was a lost cause or completely inept. So I paid Dallas to give me lessons. I wanted to impress you.”

Since when does Dag care about impressing me? That sentence will only feed my hopes. “I never thought you were a lost cause.”

“Because you’re the nicest person on the planet. That’s why.” He winks. “Not even sure how you put up with me all this time. I am trying to be a better friend.”

---