Hearts Like Ours | Red View Romance #1

🍏 Thirty

Dawson grinned. "He didn't give 'em a choice, really. He kept playing until he was so good they couldn't pretend he was meant to do anything else. You'll prove yourself, Layla. When your parents see how much it means to you, how capable you are... they'll come around."

"Yeah. Maybe. I mean, it's not like they're bad parents. I don't want to make it seem like that. They just..." She sighed, shrugging. It was hard to describe it to someone else, when it was just something she understood after living with it all her life. "They want the best for me. In their eyes, that means success, money, security, you know? The two of them never put much focus on friendship, or love, or anything like that."

"Do you think they love each other?" he asked, voice all curiosity, no judgment.

"I think in their own way, they do," she answered truthfully. "They're a good match, and they respect each other. But if you mean love as in passion, or romance, then I'm not sure. Honestly, I think they never had the time for that kind of stuff. It's always been a surprise to me that they even decided to have me."

"I don't think most people consider love something you have to set time aside for. It's just... there."

"I know, I guess. But things are so fast-paced in their lives. You finish one thing, meet one milestone, and you're onto the next before you even get a chance to celebrate. Half the things they get invited to—movie premieres, celebrity weddings—they don't even go. They're too caught up in whatever their next project is."

"Well, I guess I can respect the ambition, at least. But it's all reminding me of Jack. All work, no play. Jesus, you should've seen the way he looked at me the first time I used that Shining line on him."

Layla laughed at the thought. "No, I see your point. It's one of the reasons I like it here so much. I like the slowness. The fact that I just get to... be."

Dawson slowed to a stop beside her, and stepped forward so that her back was to one of the blossoming trees. He reached out, tucking away a strand of hair that had escaped her barrette in the breeze. "I hope it's not all you like."

She managed to shake her head, pulse pounding. They were so exposed, so out in the open, and yet she couldn't force herself to move away from his touch. "I can think of a few other things I might like a little more."

With a sly smile, he leaned in for a kiss, slow and sweet.

Layla murmured against his mouth, "We could get caught," even as she did nothing to fight him off.

He leaned back, still smiling. "I know. It's kind of exciting, don't you think?"

She giggled, but stopped short as his eyes went to something behind her and widened. He straightened, taking a long step backwards.

When he spoke again, his voice was casual and loud. "And that's how we... protect the trees from, uh, bugs. In the spring. Hi, Annie."

Layla's heart rate skyrocketed as she turned, catching a glimpse of the pale blonde hair through the leaves of the tree she'd been leaning against.

Annie smiled brightly, lifting one hand from her camera to wave at them. If she'd seen what they were doing, she was a damn good actress. "Hi! You're teaching Layla about the trees?"

He nodded, and Layla noticed with a surge of girlish giddiness that there was a flush of color on his face. "Yeah. Just some of the basics."

Annie walked over to them, sneakers crunching some of the fallen leaves that were scattered among the grass. "It's fascinating, isn't it?" she asked Layla. "I had to proofread all the information that Jack gave me for the fun-facts portion of the website. I never imagined I'd have a job that would teach me so much about trees."