"Don't make excuses." His features hardened. "You don't get to decide I can't do this."
I kicked myself for offending him. He was trying and I needed to make sure he got credit for that, not discouragement. "That's not what I meant. I just don't want to crowd you.
Plus we still need to – "Emmy." He sighed, the hard tension leaving him with that frustrated exhalation. "You have to trust me. I'm trusting you. I've had to or we wouldn't be here now."
Okay. I nodded, swallowing hard. "Dinner and your place it is, then. I honestly can't wait."
***
James's words about trust lingered in my mind all morning, which was a good thing when the Google alert digest hit my inbox.
There was more than one photo this time around. Each article and blog post had several shots of me and Cross hugging goodbye outside the restaurant where we'd had lunch the day before.