Knee Deep in Love: A Sweet Traveling Romance Novel (All Roads Lead to Love Book 1)

by Vivian Porter

  She opened the passenger door and stepped out before he had the chance to reply, but he got out and quickly walked around to her side of the truck. Candice opened the back door and removed Sarah from her booster seat. She stirred for a moment when Candice lifted her in her arms but immediately went back to sleep as soon as she lay her head on Candice’s shoulder.

  While she carried Sarah to the house, David took her booster seat and put it inside her car. He followed her to the house, but he didn’t walk past the front porch steps as Candice unlocked the front door and turned on the living room light. When she turned to him again, her heart sank when she saw the despondent look on his face. “Goodnight, David.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything, and Candice hurriedly stepped in and shut the door before she gave in to the overwhelming desire to throw caution to the wind and run into his arms.

  “Can I sleep in your bed tonight, Mommy? Please?”

  Sarah could barely keep her eyes open as Candice helped her change into her pajamas. Her heart ached, and she wanted to be alone, but Sarah looked so sweet and pitiful, she couldn’t just tell her no. She held Sarah by the shoulders and led her to her bedroom so she wouldn’t groggily run into any walls, and as soon as they crawled under the sheets, Sarah was cuddling up beside her, elbowing her in the ribs while trying to get comfortable.

  “I had fun today. I hope Mr. David takes us to the park again soon. I like him.”

  Candice’s eyes filled with tears as Sarah yawned and slowly drifted to sleep. She, however, was wide awake, and she knew sleep wouldn’t come anytime soon as long as the ache in her heart persisted. She thought back to their time on the hiking trail when she’d almost given in and kissed him, and part of her was thankful she didn’t succeed. It was already going to be hard enough seeing him every day at work and kissing him would’ve made that even more difficult. She knew she’d made the right decision by keeping their relationship strictly platonic, but that didn’t ease the longing that seeped into her bones, especially at night.

  Candice carefully turned over on her side, trying her best not to wake Sarah. The framed picture of her and Barry on the nightstand beside her bed was a glaring reminder of just how alone she was, and as she picked it up and traced his silhouette with her fingertips, she couldn’t keep the tears from escaping and sliding down her cheeks.

  Candice hugged the picture frame to her chest and switched off the lamp. She tried to fight it, but her thoughts returned to the park and holding hands with David while they walked the hiking trails. Her body trembled when she remembered the way it felt being held in his strong embrace the day before in her office when he caught her in his arms. She thought about his smile, his deep, soothing voice and the seductive way he whispered her name.

  She wished more than anything that their circumstances were different, but the fact remained he was still practically a stranger, and she had no idea where his path in life might lead him. He could very well decide to put down roots in Lehi, but until she knew for certain, she would have to settle with being his friend and nothing more, no matter how much it broke her heart.

  Chapter 11

  David

  “I’ll never understand women as long as I live,” David complained.

  Braxton laughed out loud as he stood by and watched their paragliding pilot adjust David’s harness before they lifted off. “You and me both, brother.”

  It was a beautiful Sunday in Draper, Utah, and after watching Braxton and the pilot complete their tandem paragliding flight, he couldn’t wait to get in the air. He needed something to help take his mind off Candice and soaring a few thousand feet in the air felt like an ideal way to do just that.

  David checked his helmet to make sure it was snug and fastened securely while the pilot double-checked everything else, from the reserve parachute to the canopy and brake handles. Once that was done, he stood behind David and attached their harnesses together before signaling Braxton to take a few steps back so they could launch.

  David gave him a thumbs-up and seconds later he and the pilot were running downhill. The pilot pulled on the canopy, which inflated and rose high in the air above them, lifting them off the ground. It was an amazing rush of adrenaline when they were airborne, and as they flew through the air, David had never felt more alive.

  While the pilot worked the controls, he soaked in the stunning views, from the rugged landscape to the Great Salt Lake and the mountains looming in the distance. He closed his eyes for a moment and savored the wind on his face, but he couldn’t stop his mind from wondering what Candice would think if she could see him now. He pictured her waving to him from the ground and the excited look on her face when it was her turn to fly.

  Paragliding was just one of the things he wanted to experience with Candice. He had an endless list of adventures they could take together, but the possibility of that happening was steadily slipping through his fingers, and he had no idea what to do next. She was by far one of the most confusing women he’d ever met, but he wasn’t about to give up.

  David opened his eyes and shook his head to clear his thoughts so he could enjoy the remainder of the flight, which lasted another half hour. As they made their descent, he saw Braxton leaning against his truck, and when their feet touched the ground, he started clapping. The adrenaline flowing through his veins made his heart race uncontrollably, and he was tempted to pay for another flight and do it all over again.

  “Wasn’t that incredible?” Braxton called as David and the pilot slowly made their way back to the launch area.

  He nodded enthusiastically. The pilot helped him out of his harness while he and Braxton compared notes and agreed to do it again soon. He was certain their pilot probably thought they sounded like two goofy adrenaline junkies, but they couldn’t help it. The whole experience was such a rush and something he’d never forget.

  After turning in the equipment and talking to their pilot a few more minutes, David and Braxton headed home to Lehi. They’d spent the entire day fishing, kayaking, and paragliding, and they were both tired and ready to get home. When he called Braxton first thing that morning and relayed the events of his day with Candice and Sarah, Braxton promised to take his mind off his troubles for a while, and that’s exactly what he did.

  “Thank you for getting me away from the house today,” David said. “It really helped.”

  Braxton reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “You’re welcome. I enjoyed it too. Truth be known, I was in need of a little getaway myself. Lynda and Andrea were planning on redecorating Andrea’s room today, and I didn’t want to get caught in the middle of that.”

  David laughed when the image of Braxton surrounded by his daughter’s girly possessions crossed his mind. He envied the closeness he shared with his family, and it reminded him of his day with Sarah and being able to watch her experience some firsts like seeing a buffalo and petting a horse.

  “I would give anything if Candice and Sarah would ask me to help them with something like that. I wish I could understand why Candice keeps pushing me away.”

  Braxton didn’t reply, and as David looked out the passenger side window, he thought back to how Candice had met him outside her house instead of inviting him inside the day before. He was probably blowing it out of proportion, but perhaps she knew from the beginning that she didn’t want a relationship with him, so she kept that part of her life private.

  “David, I know you don’t want to hear this, but in a way, I can understand why Candice feels the way she does. She’d dealt with a lot of loss in her short lifetime, and she’s probably afraid the two of you will get serious and she’ll have to uproot her family and move someday. I can’t imagine doing that. We’ve both lived in Lehi our whole lives, and this is home.”

  David groaned. “But I don’t have any intentions of getting another job or moving somewhere else. I wouldn’t do that to her and Sarah. I like it here, and I love my job.”

  Braxton started slowing down when the street light they
came upon turned yellow. “Look, just hear me out a second. I know you don’t see that happening now, but from what you’ve told me, you’ve never been in one place for very long since you graduated high school.”

  David crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “One of the reasons I accepted the job at MBC is because it’s more stable. Yes, I won’t deny it would be tempting if Aaron wanted me to oversee a job in another state, but I would just explain my situation to him the same way I’m explaining it to you right now. I’m getting older, and I’m ready to settle down and live in one zip code for the rest of my life.”

  Braxton furrowed a brow. “And you let Candice know that too?”

  David threw his hands in the air. “Yes! I tried, but I don’t think she believed me.”

  They rode in silence for a few minutes, and David leaned against the headrest and closed his eyes. His temples throbbed, and he couldn’t wait to get home so he could take a long, hot shower and go to bed. “Has Aaron ever sent you to work on a project out of state?” he asked.

  Braxton shook his head. “When he first hired me, I told him I needed to stay close to home, but he understood why. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months before my high school graduation. She had to quit her job when she started chemotherapy, and my dad began working double shifts so he could pay her medical bills. I don’t have any siblings, so I was the only one left to care for her. I had the opportunity to attend a university on the East Coast on a baseball scholarship, but when my mom got sick, my life changed drastically, and I wasn’t able to go. I drove her to all her chemo treatments. I shaved her head when her hair started falling out in clumps, and I kept her spirits up when she felt like giving up because it was too painful. After a while, I realized I was right where I was meant to be and moving to the East Coast was out of the question. My mom’s cancer went into remission, and I started working at MBC. I could’ve chosen a higher paying job in Missouri, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to leave my mom. I met Lynda, and we fell in love and got married, and a year later, we had Andrea. A couple of years ago, Mom’s cancer returned, but this time, I had Lynda to help take her to chemo when I wasn’t able to. She’s in remission again, and once again, I’m thankful I was by her side through it all.”

  David nodded. “I’m glad she’s okay. I would’ve done the exact same thing if that happened to my mom.”

  A couple of minutes later, Braxton pulled into David’s driveway and turned off the engine. He glanced at his front porch, and he shook his head when he noticed his next-door neighbor’s German shepherd was asleep on his porch swing again. “Should I give Candice some space? What would you suggest I do? Giving up isn’t an option.”

  Braxton leaned back in his seat. “And I still don’t think you should give up either. I wish I knew what to tell you, David. I really do. I know you enjoyed your time with her and Sarah yesterday, and I think that’s awesome, but they’ve both been through a lot, so a little space might help. Be her friend but don’t push. I know it probably sounds cliché, but if it’s meant to be, it will happen. Just make sure this is what you really want, and don’t become a fixture in their lives if you’re not a hundred percent certain you plan on staying there because that wouldn’t be fair to them.”

  David sighed. “Do you think I’m not the type of man to settle down?”

  Braxton shifted in his seat and put his hands on the steering wheel. “We haven’t known each other long, but I can tell you’re an adventurous person, David. You’ve told me yourself how much you enjoyed traveling and taking on construction assignments all over the United States while you worked for Owens Industries. I know you want to settle down and have a family and you can see yourself doing that with Candice and Sarah, so if you believe you’re ready to do that, then I believe you.”

  They talked a while longer before David got out of the truck and Braxton left for home. As he stepped on to his front porch, the German shepherd lifted his head and gave him a curious look. David sat on the swing beside him and was surprised when the dog didn’t take off running.

  “You know, if you’re going to keep sleeping at my house, then you should at least tell me your name,” he joked.

  The dog’s ears perked up, and when David rubbed his neck, he moved closer and rested his head on David’s leg. He remained there and swung a long time while the dog napped, and as his thoughts turned to Candice, he tossed around a few ideas that would keep him close to her but not make him appear too pushy, like Braxton suggested. When his headache returned, he decided to give his plans a rest for the night and get some sleep.

  “You have no idea just how good you have it,” he said to the dog.

  No sooner had the words left his mouth when he heard a dog barking a couple of houses down, and the German shepherd jumped off the swing and started running. David peered over the porch railing and saw a cocker spaniel with a frilly pink collar around its neck sitting in someone’s front yard, and the German shepherd went right to her.

  “Poor guy.” David laughed. “I guess I spoke too soon.”

  Chapter 12

  Candice

  “Mr. Mason isn’t here at the moment. Can I take a message?” Candice asked.

  It was the third call from the same person in less than an hour, and as she scribbled his name and phone number on her notepad again, Candice tried to keep from sounding as perturbed as she felt.

  “Mr. Drennan, like I said previously, Mr. Mason won’t be in today until noon, but I’ll give him your messages as soon as I see him.”

  They said their goodbyes and hung up, and she stared at the receiver and seriously considered unplugging her phone from the wall. After spending most of the weekend in a funk, she hoped Monday would be good to her, but so far, it hadn’t, and there was still David to deal with. She assumed their working relationship would be awkward now that she’d nixed the possibility of any future dates with him, and she wasn’t looking forward to dealing with it at all.

  It was almost nine, and so far, he hadn’t shown up for work, unless he’d come through the back door to avoid walking past her office. Candice propped her elbows on top of her desk and massaged her forehead. She could count on one hand how much sleep she’d gotten since David brought her home Saturday night. She was physically and emotionally worn out, and Sarah’s incessant questions about David weren’t helping.

  “When is Mr. David taking us back to the park, Mommy?” “When is Mr. David coming back to see us?” “I like him. Mommy. Do you like him?”

  Candice groaned. She could understand her daughter’s excitement because David was a fun person to be with, and he’d treated Sarah so wonderfully, but for her own sake, she couldn’t allow it to continue.

  “Good morning, Candice.”

  She yelped when David suddenly appeared in her doorway, carrying a basket full of what appeared to be oranges or tangerines. He was a lot happier than she expected him to be, and she didn’t know whether to be elated or disappointed. Perhaps her telling him they could only be friends didn’t bother him as much as she thought it would.

  “Good morning,” she replied, trying to keep her voice from quivering.

  He stepped into her office and placed the basket on her desk. She could smell his heavenly cologne as soon as he got closer, and Candice bit her tongue to keep from shooing him out of the room. Why was he making this so difficult?

  “Do you like fruit?” he asked. “Please tell me you do because so far, I’ve really stunk at trying to figure out what you like to eat and drink.”

  He flashed her a big smile before taking one of the oranges from the basket and holding it to his nose so he could smell it.

  “Yes, I do like fruit, especially oranges.”

  David slapped his other hand on top of her desk, which made her jump. “Great!” he exclaimed. “One of my neighbors has some fruit trees in her backyard, and she brought a bunch of these to my house this morning. There’s no way I can eat them all, so I thought I would try my luck a
gain. I’m glad I got it right this time.”

  Candice leaned back in her chair and sighed heavily. “David, why are you doing this? I told you we can’t be anything more than friends.”

  David sat down on one of the leather chairs and lowered his voice to keep the people walking by her office from overhearing. “I understand that, and I’m here this morning as your friend because friends give each other food, and I can’t eat all of these oranges.”

  She tried not to let it happen, but his mischievous grin made her laugh. “Well then, I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Sarah loves fruit too.”

  The happiness dimmed in his eyes for a brief moment, but he was shaking it off and smiling again before she had time to question it. “Good,” he replied. “I hope the two of you enjoy them.”

  He stood to leave, but when Candice caught a glimpse of the notepad in front of her, she stopped him. “David, wait. Do you know a Randy Drennan? He’s called three times this morning looking for Aaron.”

  She handed him the notepad, and when their fingers touched, she felt the sensation from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. He didn’t react in any way, which upset her more than she cared to admit. He took the notepad, read the name and shrugged before handing it back to her. “I’ve never seen that name or heard Aaron mention it. Would you like for me to stop by his office on my way and leave this on his desk?”

  Candice shook her head. “He usually comes by my office first thing, so I’ll just wait and give it to him when he gets here. Thank you for offering, though.”