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  But overall, I’ve been blessed.

  Sitting here, the smell of greasy cheesesteaks permeating the room, I get the feeling Marley and I come from very different worlds and have very different experiences.

  When our cheesesteaks finally come, though, and I take a bite, we simultaneously say, “Delicious” through a mouthful of cheesy goodness.

  Smiling, I nod as I swallow a huge bite. “Best damn cheesesteak around. You were right.”

  “That’s right, California boy. We might be small, but we have something to offer.”

  “Yes, yes you do,” I agree, a greasy sandwich in the middle of nowhere making me forget about everything for a moment.

  ***

  Simple.

  That’s what our first day together is. It’s nothing fancy, nothing like back in California. There aren’t any exorbitant dinners or suit-and-tie affairs. There are no wild nightclubs or crazy nightlife. It’s a hike, a cheesesteak, and a walk through town, the girl in the red hat walking beside me, talking animatedly about childhood memories and “hot spots” in town we’ll just have to see eventually.

  It’s the quietest, simplest date—if we’re calling it that—I’ve ever been on.

  And it’s the best damn one, too.

  We amble down Main Street after I offer to walk Marley home, deciding I better catch some sleep before my early shift tomorrow. We walk slowly, though, as if neither one of us is ready to quite let go of the magic from today, of the togetherness. I’m a little nervous that maybe this is just a one-time thing, a one-time tour, despite our talk about skating rinks and other places we’ll see together. I don’t want to take the risk that I won’t see her again. In truth, I don’t want to let the black-haired, zany girl go.

  Marley’s talking animatedly about fishing and the adorable summer festival that comes in June. She’s a hand talker, her delicate hands waving around as she speaks, her whole face lighting up with discussions of funnel cakes, lemonade, and karaoke contests. I find myself smiling a cheesy grin just walking beside her, just listening to her.

  She’s contagious.

  As we round the bend, me hanging back just a step or two to let her lead the way, my heart stops at a horrifying sight.

  This is it. The perfect day, the perfect moment is over.

  Chapter Five

  Alex

  I jump in front of Marley, instinct taking over again, shoving her behind me, my arms wrapped around her.

  Despite my pounding heart, I put myself in front of her, protecting her again as the biggest dog I’ve ever seen comes barreling at us.

  This is how I die, a beautiful girl behind me. This is where it all ends, I think, as I wince and shudder in anticipation of the pain that will soon be mine.

  ***

  Eyes squeezed shut, I wait for the teeth to sink into my arms or legs. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified, but more than fear, I’m worried. I need to protect Marley. I need to make sure she’s safe.

  But instead of the ear-splitting scream I expect to hear or the feeling of the horse-sized dog’s jaws locked on me, something very different happens.

  Marley laughs in my ear, and I feel a huge body against me, a tail flapping against my knee cap so hard I stumble a bit.

  When I open my eyes to assess the situation, I see the huge, brindle dog’s tail is in fact wagging, whapping me over and over as he nuzzles up to Marley. There’s slobber on my shirt, but no sign of a bite.

  “Henry, looks like you scared my friend here,” Marley says as I finally let her out of my arms. She looks at me, shaking her head, still laughing. I can’t tell if she’s laughing at me or the fact that the dog is slurping her face with his ginormous tongue as she stoops down to his level.

  I take a step back as the dog turns to me, coming at me. My heart jolts a little again and I put my arms out.

  “Alex, he’s harmless. Really. He’s a good boy, aren’t you, Henry?” Marley coos, rubbing his ears.

  The mastiff that caused my life to flash before my eyes is now nudging me with his nose, whining a little for me to presumably pet him. I hold back.

  Marley eyes me suspiciously. “Please don’t tell me you’re not a dog person,” she demands.

  I try to hide the fear and disgust on my face as the dog inches closer. “It’s nothing personal. I’m sure Henry’s great. But I’m just….”

  Marley stands, arms crossed. “Don’t tell me Mr. Hotshot Doctor is afraid of dogs?”

  I put my hands in my pocket, shaking her off. “No, I’m not afraid. It’s just….”

  Marley raises an eyebrow. “You’re afraid. Hence the death grip on my arms when Henry came out of his yard.”

  “Well, he’s a strange dog. I didn’t know.”

  Marley smiles. “He’s hardly strange. He’s lived here for seven years, since Mrs. Fritz saved him from the pound. Haven’t you, Henry? Good boy. He knows I carry treats for him,” she offers, pulling a biscuit out of the pocket in her dress. The biscuit is so small, it’s like the dog is eating a crumb.

  “I do think it’s cute, though,” Marley adds to me as she continues patting the dog.

  “What?”

  “The fact you were willing to throw yourself in front of a two-hundred-pound dog for me.”

  “Well, listen, I didn’t dive off the bridge just for you to die in a dog mauling incident.”

  Marley smiles. “Okay. So, you’re not afraid of dogs and you just were being selfish when you saved me. I get it.”

  I stutter and stammer, trying to come up with a response, but I’m tongue-tied.

  I take a step forward instead, boldly giving Henry a single pat on the head. There. I’ll show her she’s wrong.

  But then Henry turns his head, probably thinking I have a treat. The heart-stopping thing happens again. The flashbacks to the five-year-old me being attacked by a Great Dane happens again. I yank my hand back and let out an embarrassing scream that sounds more like the five-year-old me than the man version.

  Marley giggles. “I’m sorry. I just… you’re an ER doctor, for God’s sake. You must see all kinds of horrific things.”

  “I do. Including dog bites.”

  “He won’t hurt you. Trust me.”

  “And that’s what my neighbor said about Boris, the Great Dane that attacked me as a boy and sent me to the hospital.”

  Marley’s face straightens. “Oh my God, sorry. I didn’t know. Makes sense then, I guess.”

  “You guess? You think a shredded leg at five explains it?” I tease, nudging her with my elbow.

  “Well, I still can’t imagine not liking dogs. I’d have ten if I could.”

  “Crazy dog lady instead of crazy cat lady, then?”

  “All the way,” she beams, still petting Henry. “Okay, buddy, time to go home.” She points toward the white-picket-fenced yard, and Henry nuzzles against her one more time before heading presumably home.

  I feel the tension in my body give way a little bit.

  “So at least I know the truth about the dog thing, now,” Marley says, flashing me a look and a smile as we continue on our way.

  Hands in my pockets, I stare at her, trying to read her face. “And?”

  “And,” she begins, “I’m just wondering if your motives for saving my life from the wicked beast Henry were truly about not wanting to waste your first rescue attempt.”

  “I mean, it is my solemn duty to protect life, right?”

  “Yeah, I suppose, Doctor.” The way she stares at me, though, says quite a lot.

  It says that despite her love for dogs, she might be okay with a man who is a little bit afraid of them, even if it’s ridiculous.

  It also says maybe I’m not the only one feeling whatever this is between us.

  “Well, all I have to say is, if you stick around long enough, maybe Henry can change your mind a little bit. About dogs and everything.”

  “Oh, I think this town might change a lot,” I respond, then worry it’s too much too fast.

&nb
sp; When we get to Marley’s house, I wonder if she’s going to invite me in.

  But at the corner of her lot, she stops, appraising the driveway.

  “Mom’s home, I guess,” she rasps.

  I self-consciously run a hand through my hair, wondering again if she’s going to invite me in, wondering if I’m going to meet her mom.

  But it must be too much too fast, because she doesn’t.

  “Hope you had a good time seeing this place,” she says.

  “I did. I’ll see you for coffee, maybe tomorrow?” I ask, trying not to be too presumptuous.

  “You betcha,” she responds. From anyone else, it would sound annoying, but from Marley, her smoky voice makes it sound more like a tantalizing invitation than a weird phrase.

  And before I can doubt her or what today meant to her, she leans in, gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, and turns to head down her sidewalk.

  I like that with Marley, there’s no guessing, not really. Because it seems like with Marley, you get exactly what you see.

  And right now, her swift, graceful body heading through the door, I like what I see a hell of a lot.

  Chapter Six

  Marley

  “Something hot and steamy just came through the door, and it’s not a latte,” Becca whispers in my ear too loudly.

  Either Becca’s chipper attitude is rubbing off on me, or Alex is getting to me more than I’d like to admit, because I know exactly who just walked through the door before I even turn around—and I’m smiling hugely because of it.

  Like goofy grin huge.

  I tell myself to act natural before pouring the next drink.

  “Can I help you?” Becca asks.

  “Yeah, I’m just here for a coffee,” the voice says. I involuntarily shiver from the sound of it. I try to cover it by quickly delivering Mr. Joseph’s latte.

  “Oh, hey,” I say, pretending I didn’t know he was there, pretending I didn’t just practically have a coronary at the thought of the sexy doctor I spent the day frolicking with being here.

  “Hey, Marley. How are you?” he asks.

  I remind myself again to play it cool. I remind myself we were only on a semidate yesterday, that it might not mean anything at all. I tell myself he’s some California doctor, and I’m just a small-town barista. We have so little in common, and I probably just imagined all those looks, all those sparks yesterday.

  But when he looks at me, those perfectly blue eyes piercing me to the core, I know I’m not imagining it.

  I know he’s not just here for the coffee.

  This black-haired, Converse sneakers girl has snagged the sexy, supersmart doctor. I don’t know how the hell it happened, but I think he’s under my super odd, not-so-charming spell.

  And I don’t know how the hell it happened, but I think I kind of like charming him.

  I feel an elbow in my ribs as Becca nudges me. Shit. I’ve been stupidly staring at him like a lovestruck teenager for way too long to be natural.

  There it goes. I have no flirting capabilities, and I have no ability to act smoothly.

  I snap out of my dead stare and head for the coffee machine, grabbing the wrong size of coffee cup.

  “He ordered a large,” Becca says, the cheerleader whine tainting her usually chipper voice.

  “Oh, right.”

  “It’s fine. No big deal,” he comments.

  “Oh, Jesus. Will you two get a room? I can feel you making love with your freaking eyes, and it’s just wrong,” Dane quips, bursting across the shop. “It’s making us all ill.”

  I feel myself blush, and Becca grins. Neither Alex nor I move.

  “Here’s your coffee,” I blurt awkwardly, as if nothing’s just happened. I stand for a long moment, wondering if he’s going to run for the door, head to work, and leave me wondering if I’m truly imagining everything.

  “So,” he says, also seeming a little awkward. “Yesterday was awesome, but we didn’t get to really see any sit-down restaurants. Do you have a favorite?”

  I shrug. “Lou Lou’s Diner is my favorite. Not super fancy, but super delicious.”

  Alex nods. “This town is pretty big and everything. I don’t want to get lost, and I have no idea what to order. Want to play tour guide again? Want to come with me at, say, eight? I know it will be a little late, but I work until then.”

  I smile. “Really? This is a big town? I hope you’re kidding. And, anyway, won’t you be too tired?”

  Alex shrugs. “I mean, I could rustle up some energy to go eat some food, if you can. My treat, of course.”

  “Of course. Tour guides do get paid, after all, right?”

  “Right. And this is strictly professional and all, right?” He gives me a wink meant to be creepy. And it is creepy. But it makes me shiver a little, too.

  “Right.”

  “Oh, Jesus. Remind me to call poor Lou Lou and let her know some PDA is coming her way,” Becca murmurs, and I laugh a little.

  “Well, maybe after you show him the diner, you could show him the only hotel in town, too,” Dane says.

  I shake my head, pretending to be offended… but clearly not.

  Dammit, Marley. Settle it down. Don’t act like you haven’t had sex in fifteen and a half months—not that I’m counting, obviously.

  “Anyway,” I continue, trying to shift the conversation as Alex pretends to warm his hands on his coffee cup. “Eight is perfect. Come get me at my house?”

  “You betcha,” he answers, prompting me to crinkle my nose.

  “That’s my line, doctor boy.”

  And with a smile, he’s out the door. I notice he slows down as he walks by the window, taking another quick peek at me.

  Even after he’s gone, my smile isn’t.

  Dammit, I’m falling. Falling head over heels hard, spilling coffee all morning, mind making mental pictures of us kissing, of our first time, of the hotel.

  “You’re a goner this time, Marley,” Becca says. “It’s written all over your face. When you fell from that bridge, I think you fell for him, too.”

  “Is it obvious?”

  “Uh-huh,” Dane agrees, leaning on the counter.

  I exhale loudly, a mixture of anticipation for what’s coming mixed with fear.

  Because I’ve learned a little bit about life during my small-town stint.

  And one thing is love never, ever works out, at least not for this girl.

  ***

  By 7:45 p.m., I’ve changed my outfit twice. I’ve traded my dark lipstick for a lighter, brighter pink, and I’ve brushed my hair more times in one night than I usually do all week. I’m usually pretty low-maintenance because, well, when you live in a town with about five eligible bachelors, all of whom you’ve already slept with at one point and decided against, looking like a cover girl isn’t exactly a priority.

  But Alex has me all messed up. Suddenly, mascara and lipstick are a priority. It’s like I’ve been reawakened, like my hope and heart have been thawed. It’s like being pulled out of the chilling water dislodged something inside I’d thought was gone.

  Don’t get ahead of yourself. You don’t know him that well yet.

  And it’s true. My head is holding me back. Those sparks between us feel so nice, so inviting. But the truth is this guy could turn out to be a serial killer—although it seems unlikely since he did save my life. He could have a ton of baggage, or he could decide my baggage is too much. To him, this late summer romance could be a fling of desperation. Those looks, that lust I see in his eyes could just be his manhood talking and not his heart. This is all happening too fast.

  I’m not usually this easy, really. I’m difficult and reserved when it comes to love. I’ve been burned so many times my heart is warped. Still, something about those eyes, about his voice, lures me in. I’ve only spent a few hours with him, but it’s like this indescribable force within wants me to know more. Something tells me he could be just what I’ve been looking for. The dependable to my instability, the calm to my cr
azy. He could be the rational to my let’s get lost mentality, and the reality to my dreamer-like state. He could be the hand beside me, the encouragement to do more. He’s the one who will rein me in when I get too out of control but let me be free when it’s time to fly after those dreams.

  He seems like just what my life is missing.

  But just because I want it to be true, just because I’ve painted the scene in my head of us together, doesn’t mean it’ll work. He’s from California, a goal-oriented realist who got stuck in this place. I’m just a small-town nobody going nowhere slowly. I’m a rebel without a cause, a mess, and a dreamer without any wings at all.

  We’re unlikely to work out, and whatever this is will most likely crash and burn. My scarred heart will get another battle wound, and I’ll be left behind the coffee machine with burning eyes and a bitter taste in my mouth.

  When the knock at the door heralds me forward, though, my heart flutters with the possibility. Tossing open the door, I see him, my unlikely knight who saved me already, flowers in his hand.

  They’re daisies. My favorite.

  Can this guy get any more perfect? And what is he doing with me?

  “Ready to go?” he asks, peeking in.

  I nod, feeling a little self-conscious about our lackluster home. I spent a few hours cleaning up this afternoon for this reason.

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  “Is your mom home?” he inquires, eyeing me and looking around. I think he wants me to invite him in.

  “No. She’s actually at work.” And by actually, I mean she finally went.

  Alex just nods. “Okay, let’s go.”

  And just like that, we’re off to dinner at Lou Lou’s. The talk is easy and fast. We converse about work and the news. We carry on like we’ve been doing this for years. We’re different in so many ways, yet the conversation flows. Even when the talking ceases, there are no weird pauses or cringe-worthy moments, other than my tripping over the uneven sidewalk.

  There’s just us, a guy and a girl heading for a late dinner in the town where I grew up, where I never imagined to be going out with such an amazing guy.

  At Lou Lou’s, Alex lets me order for him. I get us my favorite—the pierogi special and an order of nachos. As we share and laugh over our food, I feel myself relax into it all.