Page 81 of Fall for You
That their payday hadn’t come to an end.
She squeezed her eyes shut. That was a horrible thing to think about her own family. And it wasn’t true. Or at least…not entirely.
They loved her. She knew that.
But even so, being taken care of now made her realize just how little of this she had in her life. And that the person giving her this comfort now was Dallas King.
Dallas King.
She made herself repeat the thought until she found the strength to push against his chest and murmur, “I’m okay now.” When he tried to keep her locked in his arms, she grunted and pushed a little harder. “Dallas, I’m okay.”
He let her go with obvious reluctance, and when she tried to dip her head to hide the ugly evidence of her crying, he caught her chin and lifted it. Using his scarf, he wiped away the rest of her tears.
The gesture was so sweet, she almost lost it again. But with a sniff and a deep breath, she forced herself to pull it together.
For a long while, she sat there, and Dallas patiently waited beside her. She couldn’t even tell him how much she appreciated his silent presence at her side.
But when a skier passed, casting them a quizzical frown, and then another…
She finally turned to Dallas. “We should probably get up, huh?”
He had his knees up and looked completely content to just sit there. “Take however long you need, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart. There it was again. So casual and natural, like he’d been calling her that for years. Her eyes met his, and the affection and concern there made her heart give a little kick to her ribs.
She looked away with a sharp inhale.
Dallas King.
Of all the men she could get soft and squishy over, it had to be him.
God, what is your plan here?
Dallas reached over and brushed some hair out of her face. “I know I keep asking, but are you sure you’re not hurt?”
A smile tugged at her lips. “When did you become such a nag?”
He chuckled. “Just ask Willow. She’ll say I was born this way.”
She started to smile, but muttered a curse when tears filled her eyes all over again.
“Ah, babe.” Dallas reached for her, but she held a hand up.
“If you hug me again, I’m gonna turn into a blubbering, snotty mess.”
He let out a huff of amusement. “I don’t mind.”
“Well, I do.”
“You know…” He wrapped his arms around his knees instead of around her. “I’m not normally one for talking about feelings…”
She gave a snort of amusement at that.
“But in this case, I think it might help.” At her continued silence, he adopted a faux stern tone. “If you don’t tell the doctor where it hurts?—”
“It hurts here.” She pointed to her head, not in the mood for games. Her throat grew tight as she dropped her hand to her chest. “And…here.”
His gaze turned solemn as it held hers. He was just…waiting. Waiting for her to come around in her own time.
