“Come on, I’ll show you.” He stood and offered her his hand.
She looked at his hand and then up at his face and paused. It seemed to be a major decision every time she held his hand. Thankfully, she put her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. He almost tugged her in close right then and there, but he wasn’t going to push his luck and get rejected. Timing, patience, charm, and execution were of utmost importance today.
With their shoes off, he stepped right into the creek and directed her up toward the waterfall. The rocks were smooth on the bottom but uneven, so they picked their way slowly.
The falls’ volume and the splashing in their faces increased as they got close. Reed escorted her out of the river and along the bank to the far side of the falls. Closer to this side, a large boulder about thirty feet above them shot the water away from the wall. There was a flat stone to stand on, but you had to plunge through the side of the waterfall first. It would be cold, and the rocks were slippery and unpredictable.
“You okay getting wet?” Reed asked.
She gave a fake shiver and blew out her breath. “I don’t know, honey. That water is freezing.”
“Come on.” He squeezed her hand. “My brave Delta fighter with elite military training who can kick her hot sheriff’s butt isn’t afraid of a little cold water.”
Her mouth dropped slightly open. She might not have approved of his use of possessive pronouns. “You’re baiting me,” she finally said.
“You’ll love this.”
She hesitated a beat, then pushed through the water in front of him. “Cold!” she screamed as the falls drenched her hair and face.
Reed laughed and kept up, holding tight to her hand. She slipped a little on the rocks, but he steadied her and they kept going. Within seconds, they were through the sheet of water and standing in the protected spot. They were both soaked clear through. Water fell all around them, but here in this spot it didn’t hit them.
Pushing the water out of his hair and off his face, Reed grinned at her. “What do you think?”
Esther blinked and wiped at the moisture on her face, staring around in awe. “How did I not know about this? It’s magical.”
Perfect. Magic was exactly what he needed. Inspiration and angels from above would be even better.
Please help me be the one for her, if it’s right for her.
“It is,” he agreed. He released her hand and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her in closer. She glanced sharply up at him. “I have to make sure you don’t fall,” he said as an excuse.
She rolled her eyes. “Delta trained fighter. My balance is unparalleled.”
“Noted. Maybe you’ll have to make sure I don’t fall.”
Water ran down her forehead from her wet hair. Reed reached up with his free hand and wiped it away.
Esther swallowed as their gazes met and held.
He leaned in closer. Heaven was so close he could almost taste it.
“Reed,” she murmured, placing both her palms on his jaw line.
His stomach swirled. He loved her framing his face like that. “It’s ‘hot sheriff’ to you,” he said softly.
She smiled, and he kept easing closer.
“Esther.” He stopped with his lips hovering over hers. This was their moment. He could feel it, but he had to make it her choice. No matter how in charge and strong he was in most areas of his life, Esther knowing how deeply he cared and that he was putty in her hands was important to him.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said huskily, “but I want to make sure you know there is nothing fake about this. I’m going to kiss you because I am crazy about you.”
Esther’s eyes widened but also filled with longing. He prayed she’d either cover the distance between them or tell him he could kiss her.
Instead, she did the exact opposite. She pulled back and released his face, shaking her head. Ah, no. His arm was still around her waist and the water hedged them in on each side, but suddenly their romantic spot was … chilly.
“I can’t,” she said in such a low tone he hardly caught it over the rush of the water.
“Can’t or won’t?”