Page 21 of Falling for Forever

Elation bubbled up inside her. It wasn’t in her nature to go easy on him, though. She eyed him. “You like me.”

It was Chet’s turn to narrow his eyes. “Clearly.”

She tapped his nose playfully. “Don’t be so serious.”

“This is a serious matter, Lydia. You don’t have any idea how hard it was for me to ask you out.” He was exasperated, but that determination shone through all the same.

There was no use teasing him about this. That would make her a hypocrite. Honestly, she was thrilled he’d taken the step because heaven knew she wouldn’t have.

Lydia threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a tight hug. “I’d love to.”

He pulled back to look at her. “Are you sure? Because if this would make things weird⁠—”

She placed a finger to his lips. There was no telling where this would take them, but right now, she didn’t need to. “Stop overthinking this. You’re right. I feel the connection. I have for a long time, now.”

One side of his mouth lifted into that crooked smile she adored so much. “You have?”

Normally she’d scoff and tease him a little more, but now wasn’t the time for that. Instead, she rose onto her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. Then she patted the spot and sauntered off. “We better get to work before my brother fires us both.”

“He can’t fire me,” Chet called after her. “I’m his partner.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “You have no idea what my brothers are capable of if given the chance.” Then she headed outside to make sure the paddock would be ready for when they brought Misty out.

“He asked me out!” Lydia squealed as she dropped down onto Wren’s bed.

Her sister glanced at her over the top of the latest mystery novel she was reading. “Who?”

“Who do you think?” Lydia rolled onto her back and stared at the plaster ceiling. “Chet. Remember how I told you that if I was ever going to try dating someone again, it’d be him?”

“Oh.” Wren’s voice held no emotion at all.

“That’s all you have to say? Sheesh, I thought you’d be more excited for me.”

A page turned and Lydia flipped onto her stomach to stare at her sister. Their eyes met and then Wren placed her book down with a sigh. “What do you want me to say? That I saw it coming? Because I did.”

Lydia gasped. “You didn’t.”

“Seriously?” she asked dryly. “The man can’t take his eyes off you whenever you two are in the same vicinity.”

“He’s my friend. And we talk all the time. Of course he’s not going to take his eyes off me,” Lydia said. Joy oozed from every pore. She hadn’t guessed how much she wanted this until it happened.

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure that Jason has caught on. Are you sure you two haven’t been secretly dating already? It would make a lot of sense seeing as Jason was watching you two like a hawk the other night at family dinner.”

Lydia’s eyes widened. “What? He was not.”

Wren shrugged. “When everyone has someone else to talk to at dinner, you find yourself in the perfect position to people watch.”

She snorted. “You had me to talk to.”

Her sister arched a brow. Perhaps Lydia was wrong. She did prefer to chat with Chet when they were seated near each other. He made her laugh as no one else did. It was easy to be with him.

Chagrined, Lydia put her face in her hands then peeked through her open fingers. “You really think he’s been wanting to ask me out?”

“I really do.” Wren frowned thoughtfully. “I seriously thought you two were already dating, though.”

“I would’ve told you,” Lydia insisted. “Up until today, I thought he only ever wanted to be friends.”

This time, Wren snorted. “Hilarious.”