Chapter 43

Celia didnÕt breathe until he turned and walked away to climb onto his horse. Oh boy, she thought, sheÕd read a whole lot in that look and now that they were here, at this point she never thought theyÕd reach she was terrified. She was surprised to learn that she wasnÕt prepared. At least not for anything approaching the heat sheÕd seen in that look he just gave her.

There were times in the past few weeks when she wasnÕt sure where they were going, so sheÕd prepared herself to be friend zoned, telling herself that that would be enough, and knowing that she was lying to herself.

But in that look sheÕd seen something, something sheÕd longed for since the beginning but was afraid to reach out and take. SheÕd convinced herself because of the ease with which theyÕd slid into the nightly phone sessions that friendship was the most she could hope for. No man ever opened up like that to a woman he was interested in surely. But now she wasnÕt so sure anymore.

He made some k