Perfect Risk (Mason Creek #1) - C.A. Harms Page 0,36

my awaiting truck. Opening the door, I held her hand as she climbed up inside.

When she was safely tucked inside, I walked around the front, and once inside, I reached out, linking my fingers with hers. Bringing our joined hands to my mouth, I kissed her knuckles and felt satisfied when I saw her shudder.

Sadie did her best to hide her reaction to me, trying to stay strong and guarded, but those little reactions assured me that she too felt the pull I did. I worried daily that she would always hold back with me, but I hoped that I’d be able to break down those walls she'd built.

"Thought we'd go right outside of town, visit the steakhouse just off the highway," and it would give us a little privacy from the nosy gossip train of Mason Creek. Not that I cared whatever they had to say, but I was hoping it would provide Sadie with the ability to relax.

"That sounds nice."

Backing up, I turned the truck around and started down the long driveway toward Mueller Lane. The entire drive I kept ahold of Sadie's hand and not once did she attempt to pull away. I noticed the way she watched as our small town passed us by, looking at all the storefronts.

"Did you get everything ready for tomorrow?" Worried the silence was too much, I'd gone with the first thing that popped in my head.

"Yeah." Turning her gaze toward me, she smiled. "Miley and I have been working late the last few nights doing everything that we can to prepare. We're going in early tomorrow to receive the fresh shipment of flowers that we have to add to the bouquets. We have to have everything to the church and set up by eleven."

“I'm sure it will all be beautiful."

"I hope so, this is the first event since I've been back and put in charge. Screwing that up will be an epic fail on my part." I could tell she was nervous as she worried her lip.

"You need help taking everything over to the church?"

"Thanks, but I think we've got it. Levi and Beau offered to help." I nodded but already knew that I'd be making a call to Beau later to find out what time I should meet him. There was no way I would be sitting back while he and Levi helped.

For the remainder of the drive, I listened to Sadie talk about the colors and the demands of the bride. At one point she was moving her hands, expressing herself and she pulled away from me. I instantly missed her touch and thought of grabbing it back but instead, left it resting on the center console that separated us.

Parked outside of the steakhouse, I told her to wait as I hurried around and opened her door for her. Taking her hand back in mine as she climbed down, I paused there in the open doorway of my truck, with Sadie positioned in front of me. The way she tilted her head up looking at me with a sly smile I couldn't resist kissing her. "I've been looking forward to tonight since I walked out of the shop the other night. I missed your visits to my door."

"You do know that you could visit me too?"

"Is that an invitation?"

Instead of answering me she rose up onto her tiptoes and kissed me once more. And in that very second, I knew that Sadie Michaels was going to be the one to knock me flat on my ass. One look, a simple smile had me weak and knowing that I'd do anything asked without hesitation.

Chapter Twenty

Sadie

* * *

"I'm so full." Placing my hand over my stomach I let out a deep breath. Dinner was amazing, and the company was even better.

Wyatt talked about his father, and I could sense his sadness. Losing my father would be one of the hardest this I could imagine. It would destroy me.

“Tonight was nice," he kept my hands in his as we stood outside my door. He seemed nervous, and I was glad I wasn't the only one. "Are you going to the fall festival on Sunday?"

"I have a booth." Another thing my mother did yearly that I was now responsible for. "You?"

"I'll be on duty." He leaned back against the railing that surrounded the small front porch on the cottage. Using the advantage of our hands being linked he pulled me in closer and I went without hesitation. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"