11. Ayla

Chapter 11

Ayla

B efore going home, I stopped by the Magnolia Mart and picked up my usual bag of snack-size Butterfingers and a box of Fudge Rounds. The weekend was coming up and I had to make sure I had plenty.

When I pulled onto Magnolia Lane, I waved at Linda, who was walking the neighborhood like she always did right before her lunchtime. She used to tell me that the exercise made her hungrier, and being hungrier meant she could enjoy her food more.

I slowed down as I approached my house because I wanted to see if Declan was outside in his yard. Stalking him was not my intention, but I was worried about him after he canceled our date. He said he wasn’t in the right headspace. That could mean a million things.

Sadly, he wasn’t in his yard when I passed by. But when I turned down my driveway, he was standing on my front porch, leaning against one of the white beams, his hand casually in the pocket of his khaki shorts. He smiled at me the second our eyes met, but there was uncertainty to it. My guess was that he probably thought I was upset with him. I smiled back and there was relief on his face.

I pulled my car into the garage and walked around to the front of the house instead of going in through the kitchen door. Declan came down the porch steps, meeting me on the walkway. His crystal blue eyes were so bright in the sun that they made my knees weak. I could stare at them for hours.

“I really am sorry about last night,” were the first words that came out of his mouth.

I waved him off. “It’s okay. It happens. You seem to be in better spirits today, which is good.”

He shrugged but kept the smile on his face. “For the most part,” he agreed.

We stared at each other for a few seconds, and my heart flip-flopped in my chest. The butterfly feeling was exhilarating .

“How long have you been waiting for me?” I asked.

Declan nonchalantly stepped closer to me. “Not long, just a few minutes. What have you been doing this morning?”

This was the perfect time to test him, especially since I had just been asked out by another man.

“Well,” I began, “I met my mother and her friends for coffee, but then I got an emergency call on the office line. A patient had tooth pain and asked if I could see him.”

Declan tilted his head to the side, his expression curious. “Did you go by yourself?”

I shook my head. “My mother came with me for moral support. She’s not the best assistant in the world.”

That made him laugh. “Does she know that?”

“Oh yeah,” I replied humorously. “That’s why I said she came for moral support. There’s no way she could assist me with a procedure. I would rather do it all by myself.”

“What did you end up having to do? Pull a tooth?”

“Not a thing,” I said, nodding toward the porch. “I couldn’t find anything wrong with the guy’s tooth. ”

The sun was beaming on us, and I wanted to get in the shade. I could already feel the sweat dripping down my back. I walked up the porch stairs and sat down on the swing while Declan stayed standing and leaned against the beam again, looking sexy as hell.

“So, I’m assuming you just send the people on their way in that kind of situation? Do you ever prescribe pain meds?”

I shrugged. “Sometimes, but only in severe cases. This guy had perfect teeth, though.”

“Did you not know him? I thought all your patients were locals?”

“For the most part, they are,” I answered, “but this guy was passing through town and thought he’d broken a tooth on a popcorn kernel.”

Declan nodded. “I never thought about people passing through. At least you get to see new people instead of the same ones over and over.”

I couldn’t stop my smile from growing. “Exactly.”

His gaze narrowed at me. “Why are you smiling like that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said, staring mischievously at him. “I guess it’s good that I meet new people every now and again. Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get asked out on dates.”

Declan’s eyes widened. “Did that guy seriously come in for a dental visit and then ask you out on a date?”

“He did,” I admitted, loving the shocked look on his face. A spark of jealousy flashed in his eyes, which excited me even more, but he wasn’t angry in the least. He seemed almost amused.

He crossed his arms over his chest, studying me. “And what did you say?”

I let the moment build, leaving him in suspense until I couldn’t keep it in any longer, then burst out laughing. “I turned him down, Declan.”

The edge of his lips pulled up in a sly smirk. “Oh yeah, why is that?”

I stood and walked over to him, our bodies close together. The electric current could be felt even without touching him.

“I turned him down because I’m already interested in someone,” I explained.

Declan’s arms slid around my waist. “That wouldn’t happen to be me, would it?”

“It is.” I wrapped my hands around his arms and stared up at him .

He looked down at my lips, then met my eyes. “I like you, too, Ayla. It’s why I’m here this morning. I wanted to see if you’d let me take you out to make up for last night. And I don’t mean you cooking for me. It’s up to me to make things right.”

I liked the sound of that.

“Sounds great,” I said, squeezing his arms. “But you’ll have to wait until tomorrow night. I have dinner plans with my parents tonight. You’ll just have to suffer through without seeing me this evening.”

Declan chuckled. “Hopefully, I can handle that.”

I stood up on my tiptoes so I could be equal to his height. “And just so you know, you’re taking me to the most expensive restaurant in town. Then, afterward, you’re taking me for ice cream.”

He leaned in and kissed me, his lips warm against mine. The weakness came back in my knees, and I couldn’t stand on my tiptoes any longer.

“I look forward to that,” he murmured against my lips.

Slowly, he stepped back and my hands slid down his arms. “What are you doing for the rest of the afternoon?” I asked him.

He winked at me. “Cutting my grass. ”

I gasped. “It’s not Friday!”

We both laughed and he nodded. “Yeah, I know, but I figured I’d be safe since it’s not Friday. I don’t have to worry about you storming over and telling me to be quiet.”

I smacked his arm. “My ears might not be safe. Did you get your clunker of a mower fixed?”

Declan shook his head and laughed again. “Not yet. Think you can handle the noise one last afternoon?”

“I guess,” I said, kissing his cheek. “I’ll just put in some earplugs.”

Declan gave me that devilish grin and slowly moved back toward the stairs. “Have a good time at your parents’ tonight,” he said, never taking his eyes off mine as he walked down the stairs. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you then,” I called out. He turned away, and I watched him until he disappeared to his side of the fence. The anticipation of tomorrow night was so exhilarating. I didn’t even know that kind of excitement existed.

My phone started to ring, so I pulled it out of my pocket and saw Kat’s name.

“Hey, girl,” I answered, not able to contain the happiness in my voice .

“Well, hello,” Kat replied. “You sound awfully chipper today. Did you have a good July Fourth?”

My cheeks already hurt from smiling as I sat down on the swing.

“Yes, I did. And I have so much to tell you.”