Yet he had claimed wanting to kiss her tonight had nothing to do with fake. He couldn’t keep giving her lines like that. He was probably just another good-looking guy who always got a goodnight kiss after a nice dinner. She couldn’t fall for him. She had to keep her heart safe somehow. Reed wasn’t helping her in that regard.
As an independent woman, she should tell him he was too decisive and he needed to slow down. Yet instead of telling him he couldn’t commandeer her time and her heart, she nodded and said, “Okay, sweetie. I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll see if Garret follows us this time.”
He didn’t appear to like the reminder of Garret, but he didn’t mention it. “Goodnight, beautiful Esther,” he said softly.
Esther smiled, and she shouldn’t have, but she said, “Goodnight, hot sheriff.”
He grinned.
Esther slipped inside and shut the door. She slid to the side so she could watch him go through the sidelight. Unfortunately, he hadn’t moved. He stared at her through the door, the heat in his gaze searing into her. Finally, he gave her an overconfident smirk, tilted up his chin to her, and then turned and strode away with a strut to his step that made her pulse race. She appreciated the view of him leaving far more than she should.
Mrs. Esther Delta-Peterson.
She let the name roll around in her mind as she stared at Reed. She liked the way her first name and both of their last names fit. She actually loved it. Was Reed only acting the part, or was he serious about her? She’d gotten lost in him far too many times tonight.
Horror instantly filled her as she realized what she’d done.
After every date with Roman, as she’d watched him walk away from her doorstep, she’d let herself think,Mrs. Esther Delta-Lemmon, and secretly planned their wedding. When she’d confided in Roman about the name in her head, he hadn’t been happy about her hyphenating. He’d wanted her to commit to dropping the Delta.
It was all silly, but here she was doing it again.
In over ten years, she had never let herself do that again, not with any guy she’d dated. Honestly, she’d never been tempted.
How on earth had she let herself put her name together with Reed’s? She was far too tempted by him, but that was no excuse. Was she spiraling? Was Reed too incredible for her to resist? She had to be stronger.
“What are you staring at, love?” her dad asked.
Esther whirled and blushed for probably the dozenth time tonight. She didn’t blush. She was a successful, respected lawyer and military woman, for crying out loud.
“Nothing, Dad. Love you.” She kissed his cheek and then rushed up the stairs. The putting her first name and his last name together had clinched it. She could not let herself fall for Reed, no matter how hot, smart, kind, and beguiling he was.
The depths to which she would plummet if things fell apart would leave her wounded and bleeding emotionally for years.
ChapterFour
Reed wasn’t sure if the date with Esther had been incredible or a flop. For him it had felt incredible, but then she’d slid into Thor’s house after her dad’s interruption instead of kissing him. Had he scared her by telling her it wasn’t fake for him? Possibly. Admitting the truth had seemed to fill those beautiful blue eyes of hers with concern. How could he show her how interested he was without scaring her away?
Thor had called him late last night to get an update on Garret. Reed told his friend the loser had sat outside the restaurant for a while, then grabbed a hamburger from the drive-in and gone back to his campsite. They didn’t know how Garret had known what restaurant Esther was at unless he had been waiting and followed them. Besides that, the research on the guy was coming up blank. By all avenues, he appeared to be a successful, slightly nerdy dentist with a too-deep crush on the most beautiful girl in the world. Who could blame him for that? Reed could relate.
When Reed had said that last part to Thor, his friend had felt it was his job to warn him that Esther only went on three dates with each guy and then politely stopped the progression toward any kind of relationship. Of course sweet Esther would never hurt anyone, but it was disconcerting she didn’t let a dating relationship progress past three dates. According to her brother, she hadn’t for a lot of years. When he asked Thor if he could share with Reed why she had such a theory his friend had said he couldn’t; that was Esther’s to share.
Reed didn’t have all the information, but she’d obviously been hurt by some idiotic guy in her past. He’d have to prove to her that he’d never hurt her and that he was worth taking a risk on. He’d knock her socks off with the three dates, and then he would soar past her three date rule and make certain she knew the deep bond they formed had nothing to do with that loser Garret or some fake relationship. He didn’t think Garret was a threat, but he’d have his guys keep tabs on the man until he left Summit Valley.
He went into work early and dealt with everything he needed to by eleven-fifteen. Then he changed into a T-shirt, shorts, and hiking shoes in his office and rushed to the bakery to pick up the sandwiches, drinks, chips, and cookies Lori had made especially for him and Esther’s date.
As he drove to Thor’s house to pick up Esther, he checked in with his deputies on duty. Adam assured him Garret was still at his campsite, barely having rolled out of his tent. He promised to keep an eye on him. Carl was waiting at the trailhead to make certain it was clear for Reed and Esther’s hike. He’d patrol the area for Garret or anyone else suspicious following them. Reed thought Garret was a joke and no threat, but with the Delta secret being what it was and not knowing Garret’s intentions or how the guy had found Esther last night, he would keep her safe at all costs.
He parked in front of Thor’s large two-story house and hurried to the door. Rapping his knuckles on it, he shifted his weight from foot to foot. He was nervous. Would Esther really only give him three dates? Who had damaged her and what had the deadbeat done? How could Reed get all notions of a fake relationship out of her head and make it real? More real than anything either of them had previously experienced. If only he could kiss her again. If that kiss yesterday had only been to distract Garret, he was in trouble. That kiss had distracted Reed from everything but Esther.
Esther swung the door wide, and he sucked in a breath. She’d been gorgeous in that strappy blue dress last night, and she was every bit as beautiful in a fitted gray T-shirt and black shorts with her hair up in a ponytail. Her blue eyes swept over him and at least she seemed impressed by his tough build.
“Hi, beautiful,” he said softly.
“Hi, sweetie.” She smiled, and he had to remind himself she called everyone sweetie.
“What’s the plan for this big date, hot sheriff?”
He grinned and reached out a hand. “It’s a surprise, but I think you’ll like it.”