Page 6 of Mountain Man's Christmas Gift
I sat down beside him, close enough that our shoulders brushed. “This is definitely not where I expected to end up tonight.”
“Better or worse than the banquet room?”
“Better,” I said without hesitation. “Much better.”
We ate in comfortable silence for a while, the sounds of the party drifting up from below. It was peaceful up here, just the two of us and our makeshift picnic.
“So,” I said, popping a piece of cheese into my mouth, “tell me about your dating life.”
He nearly choked on his beer. “My what?”
“Your dating life. Are you seeing anyone? Dating anyone? Married to your cabin in the woods?”
“Definitely married to the cabin,” he said with a grin. “But seriously, I don’t date much. There aren’t exactly a lot of women in town, and the ones who are here are either married, too old for me, or…”
“Or?”
“Or not you.”
My heart did a little flip. “What if I moved to town?”
His eyes went serious. “I’d date you even if you didn’t.”
“Even if I didn’t what?”
“Move to town. I’d drive the twenty minutes to Hartsville for every date if that’s what it took.”
I stared at him as my mind worked through his words. “Keaton…”
“I know we just met yesterday, and this probably sounds crazy, but you’re the most beautiful, fascinating woman I’ve ever met. I’ve spent all afternoon trying to figure out how to tell you that before you head back home.”
My breath caught. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. Certainly not someone who looked like him, who made me feel the way he did.
I stood up, tossing my empty plate and cup in the trash can by the vending machines. When I turned back to him, he was watching me with those intense green eyes.
“Come with me,” I said, extending my hand to him.
