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of fast? And I can only imagine what my father would say.” Her eyes drifted toward the band.
    “Denton knows you’re a grown woman. You have a job, your own money, and you’ve got me. It doesn’t make sense for us to live apart. Besides, I’m going to be gone a lot for the next three months, so the ranch is going to be just sitting there. Who will Lenny cook for?” He winked, hoping he could charm her into this idea. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her behind while he shot the movie, but it felt better thinking about her sleeping in his bed while he was gone.
    “Think of it this way,” he continued. “You’ll have all the added security, and I won’t have to worry every second of the day. What do you say?”
    Her eyes met his. “I’ve never lived with anyone before. It just seems like a big step. A really big step. Have you?”
    “Have I what?” He knew where she was headed with the question.
    “Seriously? Don’t dodge the question. I’m asking if you’ve lived with someone before, or would this be the first time?”
    He didn’t want to consider his nonstop traveling with Emmy living together, or the apartment he shared in L.A. with a young actress as a committed situation. Those were different. He and Emmy were on the move so much that they stayed in hotels together. But looking back on it, he realized they were seldom apart. That was until she went to Hawaii. He knew what kind of shampoo she used, her favorite TV shows, and the T-shirt she liked to wear around the hotel room that was so worn sometimes he could see right through it. Somewhere in the dictionary, that probably qualified as living together.
    “Evan?” Haven waited for an answer.
    “Not like this. I’ve never had this conversation and I’ve never asked a girl to move into the ranch with me. This is different. It’s you.” He reached for her hand, massaging her fingertips where the beer bottle had left traces of cold.
    “Can I think about it?” Her question surprised him.
    “I guess so.” He took a swig of beer. “But what did you have in mind? Long distance? You going back to the island? Me here? Me in L.A.? Trying to squeeze in time between the studio and my movie?” His voice escalated and he wasn’t sure the table next to them hadn’t overheard part of his argument.
    “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far. I was only supposed to be here a few days and I’m already past that. I don’t know what to think right now.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It just feels like we started over again and it’s good. I don’t want to make the wrong choice.”
    He instantly regretted pushing her. He hadn’t meant to sound angry, but the thought of spending time away from each other had gotten under his skin. He wanted to see those eyes every morning he woke up. He wanted to kiss her whenever he wanted. Letting her go was not an option.
    “How about we dance? We can figure this out later.” He stood from the tall stool and held out a hand.
    “You sure?”
    “Darlin’, come on. You and me out on the dance floor. I need to see that pretty smile again.”
    She slid out of her seat and followed him through the sea of dancers.
    He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body against him until he could feel her heart beat against his chest. This was what he wanted. Haven. He was going to figure out a way to make sure she never slipped away again. Tonight, that started with a slow song on a Texas dance floor.

T HREE MONTHS seemed like an eternity as she faced the suitcases lining the hallway outside of Evan’s bedroom. Her eyes stung from the salt ready to splash over with full tears, but she had managed to keep them hidden all morning. She could get through one more hour.
    Evan walked toward her; he was giving Marta instructions on running the ranch while he was gone. Although, Haven knew the woman was more than capable given what she had accomplished during the summer when he was hiding out on Perry