Thor’s face broke into a huge grin. Her brother was so cute. “You love him. I can see it in your face.”
“I don’t love him,” she protested fiercely.
Thor reached for her, but then stopped. “Sorry, I want to hug you, but I’ll dirty up your pretty dress. You’re amazing, sis. Go tonight and just have fun. Enjoy Reed, enjoy the experience, don’t think about the future, just see how it goes and how you feel.”
Footsteps and then a rap at the door.
Esther eased close to Thor and cautiously kissed his cheek. “Love you,” she said, not admitting to or agreeing with anything but really appreciating his intervention attempt. If only her issues weren’t so huge and could be resolved by some kind words from a well-meaning brother. Then again, if it was that simple, her issues wouldn’t have necessitated so much caution and personal control for the last decade.
“Love you.” He lifted a hand, turned, and strode away, giving her privacy to greet Reed. If only she could take advantage of that privacy and kiss Reed hello.
Her cheeks were flushed as she turned and swung the door wide. Reed stood there, looking incredible in a pale blue Henley shirt and dark wash jeans. His deep brown eyes swept over her and he said huskily, “Hey, beautiful.”
She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Hi, hot sheriff.”
He grinned and extended his hand. Esther hesitated. She wished she hadn’t as his eyes reflected the sting of her not being able to just place her hand in his, to not just instinctively trust him with her hand, but it was deeper than that for her. Placing her hand in his so unconsciously was like trusting him with her heart. She wasn’t ready to make that leap and didn’t know if she’d ever be.
Tentatively, she placed her palm against his. Warm tingles slid along her hand as their palms aligned. She thought he’d clasp her hand tight, but he waited. Reed had offered his hand, and it was symbolic as if he were offering her his heart. Her own heart raced, not sure if she should make the next move.
Reed was patient and confident enough to not push her. Like him asking if he could kiss her behind the waterfall instead of just going for it. She loved that about him.
He gave her a gentle smile, and she thought of Thor’s words. Not all the stuff about Shelly struggling to think she was worthy of Thor, or Thor claiming Esther was more than enough and any man would be blessed to have her love him—that would take a little more time and thought. She focused on his advice to enjoy tonight and not think too much about the future. It was a hard ask for someone who never let herself turn off that worry.
She laced their fingers together, and Reed gave her a smile that said she’d made him very happy. How could she possibly resist the hot sheriff? Especially because Reed was so much more to her than his beautiful exterior.
She pushed the worries away and focused on enjoying the moment. One struggle with her disorder was trying to live in the moment and not always plotting, planning, controlling, and being prepared for whatever was coming next. Reed deserved so much from her that she couldn’t give, but she could give him her focus and her attention on this one date.
He reached out his other hand, and she didn’t know if he wanted to hold both of her hands, but then he reached up and slid her bag off her shoulder. She smiled her thanks. He walked her to his truck, the silence between them comfortable yet sparkling with possibility. He helped her in, put her bag in the back, and then hurried around to the driver’s seat.
She turned to him and felt like a little kid as she asked excitedly, “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Hmm. Can I guess?”
“You can try.”
Esther didn’t get many surprises in her busy life. She generally didn’t love the unknown because she couldn’t control it. But instinctively, she trusted Reed to plan something she would love. Maybe she already trusted him more than she realized.
They drove out of Thor’s driveway, and she started guessing. “Kayaking or paddle boarding on the lake?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Hmm. We’re going to find another waterfall?” Her cheeks burned as she thought of their last waterfall experience. It had been incredible, but she’d almost messed it up by getting so intense and grabbing his shirt and demanding he not ask questions like she had. Thankfully, Reed didn’t seem upset by any of it. He’d seemed bothered she wouldn’t let him help her, but he hadn’t pushed.
She held up one of her sandaled feet. “I might not be very good at hiking in these things.”
He chuckled and extended his hand across the console. Esther wrapped her hand around it without thinking, making him grin as if he’d won the lottery. She smiled back. Listening to Thor and simply enjoying this date was going well.
“No hiking or freezing waterfalls.”
“But you had me bring the swimsuit. And wear a dress for dinner. Hmm.”
They drove through Summit Valley and toward the southern canyon that led out of the valley, and she started guessing anything she could think of in Denver that had to do with water, including her performing with the professional divers at Casa Bonita. He’d laugh, tease, or squeeze her hand every time. When she guessed tubing the river in Golden, a town west of Denver, he said they’d do that one soon.
That led to her telling him about some Air Force cadets who’d kayaked that river when it was full of spring runoff and gotten badly injured. They’d had a couple seventeen-year-old girls with them and one of the girls’ parents had sued the Air Force. They talked about the case and all the research she’d done for it as they drove the highway and then entered a gorgeous valley over an hour north of theirs. Esther loved talking law with Reed. He was more insightful and knowledgeable than a lot of the lawyers she knew.
The valley they drove into stole their attention. It was almost as beautiful as Summit Valley, green and lush with an adorable downtown and a blue ribbon of river snaking around the green valley floor. They drove to the far north end toward the ski resort. “Angel Falls Retreat,” she read the sign. “Youaretaking me to a waterfall.”