I’m all right.” She held a hand out in assurance, but couldn’t control the shaking of her splayed fingers. She tried to relax her breathing. “Thanks to your little girl. Sorry, honey.” Lila's chest tightened. Her eyes found Juniper, and she paused to catch her breath again. “I didn’t mean to pull you in. I just felt the branch and held on tight.” Then she looked at Max, her voice pleading. “I didn’t know there was a child on the other end.”
She cringed, expecting the intense expression to shift again to the heavy scowl she'd seen at the grocery store. She hated to let an arrogant man like him intimidate her, but she was afraid she deserved it. This time she had not simply hurt his daughter’s feelings, but had inadvertently endangered her life.
Instead he crouched down, putting a hand on her back. The intensity of his concern and his close proximity made her shift uncomfortably. She looked down and cleared her throat as she peeled the wet fabric away from her skin and repositioned her dress, which had slid up and clung to her thigh.
His eyes darted away. “Um —You don't look—are you all right?”
“Yes. I'll be fine.” She tried to stand, but her legs were still unsteady.
“ WHOA.” He grabbed her arm, then the smirk she'd seen the other day returned to his lips. “I think you may need to consider safer modes of transportation. Looks like driving and swimming are out.”
She lifted her chin and pulled her arm away, shooting a toxic look his way. “I said I'm fine.” She took a step and winced as a twig stuck into her foot. She glanced at the pond, and caught a glimpse of one flip-flop floating around in the center. There was no way she was going after it.
Max looked down at her bare feet, then removed his own large shoes and handed them to her.
“No, don’t do that. I can manage,” she said stiffly. He stared quietly, the moment expanding uncomfortably until she gave up. She took the shoes and slipped her feet in.
Lila crossed her arms over her chest and clumped silently behind Max and Juniper along the path. Adrenaline still pumped through her system. Her legs felt unsteady, and most of her attention was absorbed in pushing her way through the path in what she estimated to be size eleven shoes.
When they left the wooded area he turned to her, crossing his arms over his Led Zeppelin t-shirt. “I’m Max,” he said awkwardly, as if he wasn’t sure if he had missed the appropriate time for introductions.
“ I know. I own you.”
His brows shot up.
“F—for one evening anyway. Does this count?”
Max laughed nervously. “Um, I guess, if you want. But don't tell Grandma. She paid good money to fix us up.” He motioned to the girl. “This is Juniper. I guess you met her the other day, more or less.” He ducked his head, then adjusted the thick-rimmed glasses and glanced back up.
“Lila Moore,” she said to Juniper. Warmth rose in her cheeks at the mention of the grocery store encounter. She glanced at Max. “And, um, sorry about that. No filter.”
He grimaced. “Not one of my best days, either. So you're staying with Ada? You were, uh, driving her truck.”
“Yeah. I guess I’m out of practice with a stick shift.”
“ I came by to set up a new computer for her. I was just getting my things out of my truck when I saw Juniper running off.” He shot the little girl a warning look. Her expression darkened and her sharp chin shot up in a defensive position.
“ She knows she’s not supposed to go back there, but I guess we’ll let her off the hook this time, since she saved a life.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze, pulling her closer to him, and she relaxed. Lila gave the girl an apologetic look, hoping she hadn’t gotten her into trouble.
“ Can we come back to the house with you? I should get that work done for Ada.” His voice
She cringed, expecting the intense expression to shift again to the heavy scowl she'd seen at the grocery store. She hated to let an arrogant man like him intimidate her, but she was afraid she deserved it. This time she had not simply hurt his daughter’s feelings, but had inadvertently endangered her life.
Instead he crouched down, putting a hand on her back. The intensity of his concern and his close proximity made her shift uncomfortably. She looked down and cleared her throat as she peeled the wet fabric away from her skin and repositioned her dress, which had slid up and clung to her thigh.
His eyes darted away. “Um —You don't look—are you all right?”
“Yes. I'll be fine.” She tried to stand, but her legs were still unsteady.
“ WHOA.” He grabbed her arm, then the smirk she'd seen the other day returned to his lips. “I think you may need to consider safer modes of transportation. Looks like driving and swimming are out.”
She lifted her chin and pulled her arm away, shooting a toxic look his way. “I said I'm fine.” She took a step and winced as a twig stuck into her foot. She glanced at the pond, and caught a glimpse of one flip-flop floating around in the center. There was no way she was going after it.
Max looked down at her bare feet, then removed his own large shoes and handed them to her.
“No, don’t do that. I can manage,” she said stiffly. He stared quietly, the moment expanding uncomfortably until she gave up. She took the shoes and slipped her feet in.
Lila crossed her arms over her chest and clumped silently behind Max and Juniper along the path. Adrenaline still pumped through her system. Her legs felt unsteady, and most of her attention was absorbed in pushing her way through the path in what she estimated to be size eleven shoes.
When they left the wooded area he turned to her, crossing his arms over his Led Zeppelin t-shirt. “I’m Max,” he said awkwardly, as if he wasn’t sure if he had missed the appropriate time for introductions.
“ I know. I own you.”
His brows shot up.
“F—for one evening anyway. Does this count?”
Max laughed nervously. “Um, I guess, if you want. But don't tell Grandma. She paid good money to fix us up.” He motioned to the girl. “This is Juniper. I guess you met her the other day, more or less.” He ducked his head, then adjusted the thick-rimmed glasses and glanced back up.
“Lila Moore,” she said to Juniper. Warmth rose in her cheeks at the mention of the grocery store encounter. She glanced at Max. “And, um, sorry about that. No filter.”
He grimaced. “Not one of my best days, either. So you're staying with Ada? You were, uh, driving her truck.”
“Yeah. I guess I’m out of practice with a stick shift.”
“ I came by to set up a new computer for her. I was just getting my things out of my truck when I saw Juniper running off.” He shot the little girl a warning look. Her expression darkened and her sharp chin shot up in a defensive position.
“ She knows she’s not supposed to go back there, but I guess we’ll let her off the hook this time, since she saved a life.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze, pulling her closer to him, and she relaxed. Lila gave the girl an apologetic look, hoping she hadn’t gotten her into trouble.
“ Can we come back to the house with you? I should get that work done for Ada.” His voice
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