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Ford nodded. “I’m not used to being worried aboutyou, but I’ve been a little concerned that Maisie being in a car accident would be bringin’ old stuff up for you. We wanted to drop off the pizza, but I also wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”
“Yeah, I’ll admit I freaked out a little when I first drove up and saw Maisie’s car in the ditch. I’m not sure I took a breath between getting out of my truck and making it down to see if she was okay.”
“I’m sure. But it seems like she’s doing pretty well. You plannin’ on staying another night?”
“Yeah. The doctor said he didn’t think she had a concussion, but he didn’t want her to be on her own for the first few days, just in case. Her grandmother is in Florida, so I think I’ll stick around another day.”
Ford nodded. “Good idea. And it doesn’t seem to be too much of a hardship on you. You two tend to get on pretty well.”
He didn’t say anything or have to ask, but Dodge knew his older brother and knew what he was thinking without him having to say a word. “It’s not like that.”
Ford shrugged and took a sip of his beer. “Maisie is pretty great.”
“I know she is. She’s sweet and kind. And she makes me laugh.”
“And it was hard to miss that wall of books in her living room…seems like you two bookworms have a lot in common.”
“We do,” Dodge said, ignoring his brother’s jab at him being a book nerd. “We get along great, and we haven’t run out of things to talk about yet.”
“So, what’s the problem? I’m pretty sure she’s been sweet on you since high school.”
Dodge let out a sigh, wishing the motion would lessen the tightness around his heart. “I can’t. You know I can’t.” He jerked his thumb toward the house. “Look at this place. She didn’t just buy a house, she created ahome. She deserves a good guy and a family to share her life with, and that guy isn’t me.”
“It could be.”
“No, it couldn’t. That guy isnevergonna be me. You know I don’t do relationships. And I especially don’t do kids. I can’t. Andshe obviously loves them. She’s created a whole passion project around kids and bringing them books to read.”
Ford stared out into the yard. “I hear you. I do. But it seems to me like you’re focusing a lot on things that happened in the past and things thatmighthappen in the future. Can’t you just enjoy the present? It’s obvious that a sweet, pretty girl is into you. What could it hurt to just appreciate being with her and see where it might go?”
He shook his head. Heknewit could hurt. It could hurtsomuch. “It’s easier to just not let it start than to go through the pain of it ending. And I know from experience, this is not the life that I get.”
Chapter Fourteen
Maisie pulled a wine bottle opener from a drawer then got two wine glasses from the cupboard and set them on the counter. She grinned over at Elizabeth. “Since you went to all the trouble to bring it, we might as well have a glass.”
Elizabeth grinned back as she reached for the bottle opener. “I wasn’t sure if I should bring wine. I didn’t want to tempt you if you weren’t able to drink because of taking painkillers for your injuries.”
Maisie knew all about temptation. But the things tempting her today weren’t found in a wine bottle. “I haven’t taken anything today beyond ibuprofen,” she told Elizabeth.
“That seems good. Does that mean you’re feeling better?”
“I’m still sore, but the painkillers made me groggy, and apparently I got a little bold with Dodge when I was taking them yesterday.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow as she passed her a glass of Pinot Noir. “What doesthatmean?”
Maisie took a big drink from the glass, as if the wine would give her courage. She lifted her shoulders in a sheepish shrug. “It means that apparently, I kissed him.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “You did?”
Maisie nodded. “But I couldn’t really remember everything about it, so today, I asked him to kiss me again.”
This time, Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open, and she took a step closer as she lowered her voice. “Tell me everything.”
Maisie tried not to giggle. Her friendship with Elizabeth was newer, but the two had really hit it off and enjoyed each other’s company. Maisie had never really had a close female friend—well, she had her grandmother, who was the best friend a girl could ask for—but no one her own age. She and Elizabeth had met for coffee a few times and gone to lunch once the week before.
Elizabeth had talked a lot to Maisie about how exciting her new relationship with Ford was, so Maisie knew the other woman would understand.
“It was incredible,” Maisie whispered. Even though she was dying to tell someone about kissing Dodge, it still felt a little unreal, and part of her was almost afraid that if she said it out loud, it might take away some of the magic of the moment. But she couldn’t help it. She was bursting to tell her friend. “Better than I’ve ever dreamed. And I’ve been dreaming about kissing Dodge Lassiter since the tenth grade.”
