“I can stay with Jevon until he’s picked up,” he told Stan. Or until he drove him home, which was sometimes the case when the boy was at his birth mom’s. She’d forgotten to come get him for one reason or another more than once. “If you need to get Stephen home?”
Stan shook his head. “I got this. You go ahead.” He gestured toward Riley. “Nice to meet any friend of the doc’s.”
“Same,” she agreed, holding Daisy close as she took one last look at Stephen’s bandaged leg. “Take care of that knee so you’re all well by our next adventure.”
The boy nodded and Riley told him and Jevon goodbye. As she and Justin made their way to where she’d parked she was quiet.
“Thinking about all that yard work?” Justin teased. “There’s still a lot of daylight left. I could help you knock it out this evening.”
Ignoring his offer, she let Daisy jump into the driver’s seat, then turned back to him. “Thanks again for inviting me today. I wasn’t sure about coming, but I’m glad I did for a lot of different reasons. Today’s one of those days I’ll think back on and always be grateful I experienced.”
Despite the multiple layers of sunscreen applied at various points throughout the day her nose boasted a rosy pink color, as did her cheeks. He couldn’t resist brushing his finger across her face.
“You’re serious about coming with us again?”
She didn’t pull away from his touch, or remind him he had no right to touch her. He supposed he didn’t, but when she stared up at him, lips parted, looking hesitant, as if she wanted all the same things he wanted, he kept forgetting.
She nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“So am I.”
He didn’t want her to get into her car and drive away. He knew it was going to happen, and that the fact she’d spent the day with him at all was nothing short of a miracle. But he wasn’t ready for
it to end.
“Anything I can say that would convince you to spend the rest of the day with me?”
She inhaled deeply and he wished he could see what was in her eyes.
“I had a really great time...” she began.
“Does that mean you’re considering having a really great rest of the day?” At her hesitation, he added, “As friends. Nothing more, if that’s not what you want. You planned to do yard work. Let me help you.”
“But...but that means inviting you to my house.”
Hearing the possibility that she was going to say yes in her voice, he grinned. “I’d have trouble helping you with your yard work without being in your actual yard.”
“Why would you want to do yard work with me?”
Unable to stand not being able to look into her eyes a moment longer, he lifted her sunglasses from her face, stared straight into her beautiful green eyes and told the truth.
“I’m not sure you get what I’ve been trying to convey to you for months.”
Her eyes not leaving his, Riley swallowed.
“I like you,” he admitted. “I want to date you. Not just take you to bed, like I think you assumed after Paul and Cheyenne’s party, but to take you to dinner, help you with your yard work, spend time with you in ways that have nothing to do with sex.”
Her eyes widened.
“I don’t care who knows,” he continued. “For that matter, I’d like there to be something for everyone to know.”
Her lower lip disappeared into her mouth again as she stared up at him. “You’re serious?”
He nodded. “Very.”
Her long lashes swooped down over her cheeks and she kept her eyes closed for a few seconds, then lifted them and met his gaze. “I’m not sure this is smart, but would tomorrow be okay?”
Joy filled him. “Okay for you to be my girlfriend?”