manage. “I spent a lot of years hoping Ben would find his way back. At times he’d be better, but there were moments that I didn’t do what I wanted, didn’t say what I needed, all in the hopes that—”
She pressed her face against Mark’s chest and let the tears come.
Over the years there’d been plenty of times when things had gotten rough. When Ben had been hard to handle or loud and belligerent. She’d rarely cried.
Crying wouldn’t have changed anything.
When she finally got herself under control and wiped up, Mark’s expression was a lot more solemn than she’d seen until then. “I think I hear what you’re saying. That’s the part that set you off. The not listening. Not giving you a chance to voice yourself.”
“Yes. Because even if it’s to be able to say you’re going too fast, I need to be respected enough for you to hear me. And then we can argue about what speed we go—I have no problems with a good, honest argument,” she said, the words still shaky. “Because fighting means we both get to say what we want. We can come to a compromise if that’s what’s best.”
Mark tipped his chin slowly. “Okay. You know I’m already there, waiting for you to catch up. I’ll also screw up because patience isn’t one of my superpowers.” He pressed his fingers under her chin and stroked his thumb over her cheek, wiping away a final tear. “But I will listen to you. I promise.”
His words were exactly what she needed.
Dana caught him by the shoulders and pulled him forward, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss that heated up far too quickly.
She draped her arms around his neck, stroking her fingers through his hair. His hat tumbled off, unminded. He nibbled on her lips, tongue teasing, their breaths mingling.
When he caught her by the hips and lifted her across his lap, Dana went willingly. The heat of his body lined up with hers as she rested on his strong thighs, kneeling over him.
He nibbled along her jawline and up to her ear, tugging on her earlobe briefly and sending shivers through her. “I can’t wait to speed this part up. I can’t wait to touch you. To make you feel good.”
He adjusted her slightly, and Dana sucked in a quick breath. The hard length under her lay dangerously close to intimate positioning.
Was she ready for more on this level? Her body was one hundred percent ready. Her mind needed a little bit more time. Not to mention—
“Ahem.” A solid cough sounded.
Dana and Mark jumped apart as if they’d been hit with a cattle prod. Sliding to separate positions on the bench, Dana quickly straightened herself while Mark rescued his hat and laid it strategically over his lap.
Standing next to the bench, grinning wildly, was Anna Thompson, the only daughter of the Moonshine clan and local RCMP now on maternity leave. She pushed a double stroller, her two-year-old daughter bouncing with excitement to be released and her newborn baby son swaddled up and sleeping in the back section.
“Auntie Dana. Uncle Mark.” Anna said their names in her best cop voice, before reaching down to let Kasey free.
Dana’s cheeks were on fire. “Um.”
“Do you know how many Coleman family members I have caught parked at Heartbreak Ridge? Never mind, you don’t want to know.” Anna continued, her amusement shining clear. “But this is the first time I have ever caught one of your generation fooling around in a public place.”
“Because our generation usually knows how to have a good time without getting caught?” Mark said without a hint of apology.
“Dear God,” Anna said in a long-suffering voice before lowering her volume and speaking like a conspirator. “You might want to move this to a more appropriate location, considering a whole bunch of the clan will be arriving in the next half hour to use the playground.”
Dana rose to her feet, stifling the urge to giggle as Mark stepped behind her and held onto her hips, obviously hiding his erection. “Well, I hope you all have a good time.”
“You too.”
Anna’s laughter drifted over them as Mark caught Dana by the hand and marched them back toward Main Street.
They grinned at each other, but amusing as getting caught was, a major glitch in going forward had just revealed itself.
Mark was living with George. Dana lived with her son and daughter-in-law.
Where could they go if they wanted to take the physical part of this relationship farther?