Page 43 of The Quirky Vet

"You're not?"

"Nope. After our first kiss, I knew I had feelings for you."

"You did?"

"Uh-huh. Unlikesomepeople," he says, with a smile.

"I have feelings for you, too. I said that before we kissed."

"True. But when I asked you how you felt after we kissed, you said you still weren't sure, that no magical answer had been handed to you."

I shrug. "Maybe that was just a ploy to keep kissing you."

He smiles and throws the blade of grass away. "Mate."

It's a levellingmate. Amatethat saysCut the bullshit and give me a straight answer.

He's given me plenty of time, so he deserves that much.

"Look. Gramps's theory that one kiss would somehow illuminate things didn't exactly pan out. And I'm still confused about how I feel towards you."

"But you still do?"

"Still do what?"

"Have feelings for me."

"Yeah." I stare ahead, heat creeping up my neck. "I do."

"Good."

"Why good?"

"Because, like I said, I have feelings for you, too."

"Like, romantic feelings?" I check just to make sure we are one thousand percent talking about the same thing here.

"Yes. Romantic feelings, you doofus."

"Does that scare you?"

"A little, but not really." His eyes meet mine, his lips curling into a grin. "Kissing you probably helps."

"I am a great kisser."

His grin grows. "Yes. You are."

A shot of heat radiates through my chest. I turn away and do my best to ignore the tiny spark of hope his words have ignited.

"This is uncharted territory for us."

"It is," he says slowly. "That's kind of a thing with us. Right,husband?"

"Right." I chuckle, then stop. "We can't fuck things up, Fitz."

"We're not gonna fuck anything up."

"That's what everyone says at the start."