Chapter 28
On Monday morning, Rylie woke up with her face buried in the back of Raider’s fur, the smell of baked goods wafting into the room. She started to sit up and winced as her hand grazed the bump on the back of her head.
Raider flipped over onto his back, giving her a goofy grin. The poor guy had several cuts and abrasions on his muzzle and body from trying to break out of his cage during her attack. She’d made Dustin take him to the vet to make sure he was all right, and found out that afterward they’d gone through the McDonald’s drive through for burgers. The last thing she needed was her already spoiled dog thinking he’d get cheeseburgers during every car ride.
“Who is mama’s brave boy?” She kissed his nose and climbed out of the bed, padding down the hallway to the living room. Dustin had wanted her to come back to his home after she’d been discharged, but she refused to let Will ruin her first chance to be on her own. She had been grateful that Dustin had hired someone to clean it before she’d come home. She didn’t want to see blood on the ground where Will’s nose had gushed after Dustin had broken it.
She shivered as she thought about what had almost happened in such a small, idyllic town. And from what they found in Will’s car, it turned out she wasn’t the first woman he’d stalked and…
Well, he hadn’t had the chance to do worse, but as of yesterday, they had connected Will to five unsolved rapes in El Dorado County. There was a good chance she’d have to testify when it came time for his trial, but she wasn’t scared of facing him.
In fact, the last few months had shown her that she didn’t need to be afraid of anything. She was strong. She was smart.
And she was in love.
She rounded the corner with Raider tripping her up and found Dustin in a pair of sweats, shirtless and dancing as he mixed up something in one of her good Pyrex bowls.
“Whatcha you got there, Chef Boyardee?” she said.
He jumped, and spun around, never slowing his mixing. “I’m making you something special.”
“Oh yeah? I want to taste.”
“Nuh uh!” He held the bowl away from her. “You will wait for the finished product.” In a terrible French accent, he said, “Now, geet out of my keetchen.”
Rylie leaned against the doorjamb and smiled. “I love you.”
Dustin froze, staring at her like a deer caught in a set of headlights. “What did you say?”
Okay, so maybe she wasn’t as brave as she thought. Suddenly, her palms were sweating bullets and her heart wouldn’t stop racing.
“I said that I’m in love with you. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, but I wanted to tell you because life is too short not to say it. You know? Dustin?” He was like the Tin Man without his oil. “Blink once if you’re okay, twice if I need to call for help.”
“I…damn it.” He set the bowl on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why do you always surprise me?”
“I’m sorry?”
“I had a plan. I was going to make you my mother’s raspberry scones, and then after breakfast, slip you the recipe.”
“But she said she’d only give it to family.”
He took several steps until he’d eaten up the distance between them and took her hands in his. “You’re my family. Rylie, I’ve shared more with you than with people who share my blood. You’ve seen me be a complete and utter dickhead, and you didn’t write me off. I want to be with you and only you.”
Rylie couldn’t believe that Dustin, who had only two months ago sworn to avoid relationships at all costs, was declaring himself.
And it scared her just a bit. “I want you to be sure about this, because if you’re not, if this is just some kind of experiment, I’m out.”
He smiled softly, his gaze full of such tenderness that a ball of emotion clogged her throat. “I wouldn’t be offering you my mother’s secret recipe, which will definitely incur her wrath, if I wasn’t sure.”
That was good enough for her. Rylie dropped his hands and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her cheek against his chest. She could hear the rapid thump of his heart and smiled, knowing he was scared shitless. It was kind of nice having the always cocky Dustin Kent off his game.
“If you don’t believe me, Rys, I’ll prove it to you. Just give me time.”
“How much time do you need?”
“As much as you’re willing to give me.”
She looked up at him, her chin resting on his chest.
“How about forever? Does that work for you?”
He dipped his head to kiss her, his lips warm and gentle. When he finally pulled away, he traced his finger down her cheek with a smile that still wrecked her every time.
“Forever sounds perfect.”