V Card Sweetheart (Sweetheart, Colorado)

I should confess, right here and now. That’s the right thing to do. I should let her know that I talked to Martin and he’s not going to be bothering her. But my mouth doesn’t seem to be on the same page as my head. “I know he’s not going to bother you, especially at my house.”

I keep my eyes on the road and press on the gas, as if getting her to my house faster will make her stay.

“Well, we should at least get my car. I have to go to work tomorrow and I can’t expect you to take me and pick me up. You have a business to run.”

I breathe easier with the fact that she gave up on having me take her home. “No, it’s no problem. I go right by there.”

“Yeah, but I work the afternoon shift.”

I just shrug. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Jane

I don’t argue with him. I’ve already learned that Dutton is a man that says what he means and means what he says. If he says it’s not a big deal to take me to work and pick me up, well, I won’t argue with him. I mean it’s just tomorrow. I can get my car after work.

We get home, and I immediately start shaking my head. Get it together, Jane. This is not your home. Man, it would be so easy to stay right here with Dutton forever. Not that he’d want that. I still haven’t figured out why he says he wants to date me. I had figured he would hold my hand, kiss me or something. But besides in the restaurant, he’s kept his hands to himself.

We walk into the house, and I hang my purse and jacket up on the hook.

“So what’d you do while I was gone today?”

I look over my shoulder at him shyly. He told me to make myself at home and that’s what I did today. “I took a long bath in your huge tub and watched TV.” I clap my hands in front of me. “I literally did nothing, and it was the best thing ever.”

He’s smiling, so I’m guessing he’s not upset that I was lazy today. I swear it was the first restful day I’ve had in a long time.

He gestures to the couch. “You want to talk for a minute?”

I sit on the couch and pull my feet up underneath me, pulling a pillow off the back of the couch and wrapping my arms around it.

He sits down at the other end of the couch. “So what we were talking about earlier…”

I squeeze the pillow tighter. “I had hoped you forgot about that.”

He puts his arm along the back of the couch. “I don’t forget anything you say.”

“Well, I’d rather not tell you.”

“Why don’t you want to tell me?” he asks, almost like he’s offended.

I fidget my hands together. “Because, well, honestly, I’m not sure what you think about me now, but I’m sure you’ll look at me differently.”

“No I won’t. Trust me, nothing you can say is going to change what I think about you.”

I know I look skeptical. I really don’t want to tell him but also, he’s been so nice to me, I don’t want him to think I’m keeping something from him. “Okay, well, just remember I warned you.”

He nods his head, staring at me. He’s quiet, patiently waiting for me to start.

“If I could have anything I wanted, anything at all, I would be married and have kids. Oh I know, I should want a career and to be able to stand on my own two feet, but I want a husband. I want a family. I want people in my life that are going to love me and I can love and we’d be there for each other no matter what. I’ve never had anything like that, and it’s what I want.”

His face softens, but he doesn’t say a word. He slides his arm along the back of the couch until he’s touching my shoulder. In a soft voice, he tells me, “I have no doubt that you’ll get exactly that.”

I lift my chin, trying to put on an air of confidence that I just don’t feel. “There’s one more thing that I want.”

“What…” He clears his throat. “What is it? What do you want?”

I make myself look at him. I want to hide my face and look away, but somehow I get the courage to look him in the eye when I make my request. “Dutton, uh, would you kiss me?”

He watches me closely, and I’m afraid he’s going to deny me. And then he stands up and moves closer to me, sitting down on the cushion right next to me. His muscled leg is pressed against my knees, and I lower one leg to the floor with the other bent between us.