us to do.” He cupped her face in his hands and bent his lips to hers in a soft, tender kiss. “I like being with you. I don’t want anything to ruin the time we have together.”
His choice of words struck straight at her heart.
The time we have together.
It was a reminder that her time with him was limited. Her employment contract would end next year, and she’d move on to her next job. Some other school. Some other city.
It was what she wanted.
A month ago, she would have said she couldn’t wait to leave this place. But leaving Crowder meant leaving Josh. The thought of it settled in her stomach like a lead weight.
She put a hand on his chest, needing the reassurance that he was still here for now. Neither of them was going anywhere yet. Not for a while.
“I like being with you too,” she said, her throat suddenly dry.
He covered her hand with his, holding it in place over his heart, his expression betraying a hint of uncertainty. “Still? Even after you’ve seen that video?”
She gazed into his eyes as his heart beat against her palm, steady but vulnerable. Fragile. Precious. “Nothing in that video changes how I feel about you.”
It might be better for her if it had.
As it was, her feelings were in danger of running away with her. And once that toothpaste was out of the tube, there was no cramming it back in there. No easy way of letting him go.
So much for not letting it get complicated.
She could feel things changing—feel herself changing—the more time they spent together. Feel the pressure slowly contracting around her heart.
Like someone squeezing the toothpaste tube.
Things were getting very complicated indeed.
Josh smiled at her and lifted her hand to his lips. “Good.”
“Can I ask you something?” she said as he kissed her knuckles.
He turned her hand over, opened her fingers, and placed a kiss in the center of her palm. “Shoot.”
“Why did you show up at the Rusty Spoke that night? If you don’t like to go out?”
His fingers tightened around hers. “Because Andie told me you’d be there. I wanted to see you.” He said it simply, but the words etched themselves into her heart. He inclined his head and brushed his lips across hers. “You were worth the risk.”
Mia closed her eyes and held him as tight as she could.
Josh kept his promise.
He wouldn’t tell her what he’d planned, but he planned it for the following Monday. All he would tell Mia was to change into comfortable, casual clothes when she got home and wait for him to pick her up.
When she climbed into his truck, she noticed a duffel bag and a small cooler stowed in the cab behind the seats.
“Are we going on a picnic?” She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Sitting on the ground eating with all the bugs and dirt wasn’t exactly in her top ten list of romantic dates. But if that was what he’d planned for them, she’d smile and pretend to be having a great time.
His gaze slid over to her, his lips tilting slightly. “Try to keep an open mind.”
Apparently she hadn’t hidden her disappointment well enough. Oops.
“I’m sure it will be great,” she said with forced cheer. “Whatever we’re doing.” She didn’t want to seem ungrateful when he’d gone to all this trouble.
Dropping his hand to her thigh, he gave a gentle squeeze. “All will be revealed soon enough.”
As he drove through town to wherever he was taking her, Josh sang along with the country song on the radio. Mia had heard him singing before, around the house or when he was working on the farm. He had a Bluetooth speaker in the cheese kitchen and another in the milking parlor, so he could play music while he worked, and he’d often sing along. He’d even told her singing to the goats made them happier, which made the milk taste better. She still wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not. He’d seemed pretty earnest when he said it.
Regardless, she’d gotten her wish to hear him sing several times over, and she still loved it every time. Mia couldn’t hold a tune to save her life, but she loved the sound of Josh’s voice. It was every bit as sexy as she’d imagined and then some. He seemed to favor a mix of classic rock and country music, but she’d caught him singing an Ariana Grande song in the shower once,