“I hope we’re not making too many stops.” She clicked the belt in place.
“Some.” He made no move to pull out onto the street.
“Sometime today?”
“One more thing.”
He leaned over and kissed her full on the lips. It was supposed to be quick, a get acquainted kiss so they’d be somewhat familiar with each other. But when hot lust poured through his veins he was stunned. Her lips were soft and invited him to stay awhile. Probably a bad idea. The next thing he realized, his lips practically jumped off hers like they’d been stung.
Her two warm hands were flush against his chest. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Exactly. What the hell am I doing? And also: what the hell was that?
“Breaking the ice,” he said. Sounded as good of an excuse as any.
She blinked but didn’t say a word.
He cleared his throat. “I’m supposed to be madly in-love with you.”
Her lips quivered now, in some kind of righteous indignation or confusion. He couldn’t figure out which and wasn’t about to try.
“But it’s fake,” she finally said.
“I know. But if you push me away every time I kiss you we’re not going to be too convincing.”
One finger brushed against her lower lip. “I won’t do that once we get there.”
“Nice try, but anyone with half a brain can see if a couple has just met or if they’re comfortable around each other. It won’t matter what we say, it’s more about what we do.”
“But—”
He pulled out on to the street. “Hey, it’s your lie.”
Maybe Fallon had made a mistake, getting into this convertible with a part-time Santa. Too bad about the ‘I’m-too-young-for-a-midlife-crisis’ cherry red convertible Mustang. She was certain it did beastly gas mileage. Still, it wasn’t the anticipated long drive ahead of her that bothered Fallon now, or the wind whipping through the car. Or the orange baseball cap.
It was the amazing kiss.
She’d been thinking about that short but devastating kiss for several minutes simply because, though it was possibly all of two seconds long, she’d been kissed within an inch of her life. He was a solid wall of hot male testosterone and oh boy he smelled so good. She wasn’t sure she’d ever in her life been kissed with such…confidence. By a man who had a plan to have no plan. She hated that about him. No one at their age should be so laid-back even if it had helped his availability for this wedding week. But he had a good point, too, and one she hadn’t considered. Most people would be able to tell that she and Jack had just met a week ago.
“We should take advantage of this long drive to get to know each other,” Fallon said.
“And you need to stop jumping when I touch you.”
“You might have started with something besides a kiss. Like maybe holding my hand.”
“You’re right, I could have, but I’m not six.”
They snaked up Highway One through Malibu. Sunny blue skies, sandy beaches, and in the distance sailboats out for the day. Beautiful scenery if a person was in no rush which Jack made abundantly clear he was not. He drove at a slow enough speed that several cars passed them. But as long as they arrived in plenty of time, Fallon would grind her teeth into dust if that’s what it took. As an added bonus, if she’d thought he looked good in a Santa suit that was nothing to how he filled out a pair of worn Levis, a gray Henley long sleeved shirt, and black biker boots.
A few minutes into the drive, Jack pulled over in a rest stop along Malibu beach.
“What is it?” Fallon asked. “It’s too soon to stop.”
“Photo-op,” he said and grabbed his camera from the back seat. “Get out.”
“Get out? Me?”
“You see anyone else in this car? I want you to stand next to the car so I can take your photo.”
“Why?”
“Do you or do you not want to convince everyone I’m madly in love with you?”
“Fine!” Feeling a tad ridiculous, she stepped out and stood beside the car as he snapped one photo after another. Click. Click. People were staring.
“Try to smile.”
“I am smiling.” She gritted her teeth and rested her hand on the hood of the Mustang. “How long have you owned this car?”
“About a week. Bought it for the trip.”
She dropped her hand. “Are you kidding me?”
“Nope. Got a great deal.” He reached for his phone then and took a few photos with that, too.
Finally, she was allowed back in the car. “Was that necessary?”
“Absolutely.” Jack handed over his phone. “Now I’ve got photos of my girlfriend, the woman I’m so madly in love with, in my phone. You haven’t thought this one through all the way, have you, Sweetcakes?”
“Listen. I do appreciate everything you’re doing to help me out, but if you call me Sweetcakes again you’re going to be walking funny.”
“I’d almost like to see you try that. You don’t like Sweetcakes. What do you want me to call you?”
“Fallon!” She shouted and then realized a term of endearment only lent credence to the whole lovers thing. “Or…babe.”
“Ah.” He peered at her from lowered shades. “Good choice.”
And damn it all, he was right again. She hadn’t though anything about this through. Why would she when she’d come up with the idea on the fly right after being nearly victimized? Usually her best ideas came when brainstorming, but Jack was right in that she often had to smooth them over before she’d present them to anyone else. Straighten out the rough edges.
“Let’s get our stories straight,” she said as he pulled back on Pacific Highway. “I’ll need to know what to tell people. What made you decide you didn’t want to be a cop anymore?”
He narrowed eyes at her. “Do we want to tell people I’m a cop?”
Former cop, Fallon almost corrected him. “Why not?”
“People don’t like cops. They won’t talk to them. And it’s not that impressive.”
“I think being a homicide detective is quite impressive.”
He shook his head. “Here’s what we’re going to tell them. I’m a high-powered defense attorney. I rake in the big bucks.”
“You want to be a defense attorney? Not a prosecutor?”
He slid her a look. “Do you want me to work long hours for shit pay, or do you want me to have money to burn? You decide.”
“Point taken.”
“So I’m a wheeling and dealing defense attorney, and I’ve never been married before. I’ve—”
“Is that true?”
“None of it is true. I thought that was the point.”
“So you’ve been married before?”
“Do you want to know about the real me or the fake me?”
Both. But he was along for the ride and being a good sport about it, too. She shouldn’t ask too much of him and he obviously didn’t want to talk about his broken marriage. Coincidentally, neither did she.
“Shouldn’t you know something about me, too?”
“It’s a little more realistic for a guy not to know every little thing about his girl but yeah. Hit me with the headlines. All the need-to-know stuff.”
“I’ve been married before, and Ted and I have a son, David, who’s nine now. That’s the wedding we’re going to. David’s father is getting re-married.”
“Wait. We’re going to your ex-husband’s wedding?”
The wedding of one of my ex-husbands. Might be best not to add that just now. “Did I not mention that?”
“You didn’t, no.”
“Oh, my bad. I know it sounds weird but we have a son together. Ted is…Ted. I have to put up with him.”
“That doesn’t mean going to his wedding.”
L.A. people often didn’t understand the small town mentality. But the residents of Starlight Hill were like one large and dysfunctional family.
“I want to see David. When I found out that Ted’s parents w
eren’t going to be available to watch him while Ted honeymooned, my Mom was their second choice.”
Jack nodded as if that made sense to him on some level.
“We’re stopping.”
“We are so not stopping. We’re only in Santa Barbara!”
“It’s lunch time,” Jack said and five minutes later he’d pulled into Johnny Rocket’s.
“I could have gone at least another hour without lunch,” Fallon complained, putting her hand on the door handle.
“Don’t move.”
She froze. “What now? Why?”
He took off his baseball cap and propped his sunglasses on his head. “Do you always ask this many questions?”
“Yes.”
He hopped out of the car and came to her side of the door to open it. “Now you can move.”
“That’s really not necessary,” Fallon said. “I’m sure you want to get points for being a fantastic boyfriend but no one’s watching us now.”
Still, it was kind of a nice change to have someone open doors for her. Jack went ahead and opened the door for both her and an elderly couple walking in behind them.
“Lover,” Jack said as they were walked to their table by the hostess.
She didn’t say a word, only stared at him.
“I want to get points for being a fantastic lover. I’m too old to be someone’s boyfriend.”
The cute hostess with a reindeer antlers headband seated them, taking a thorough appraisal of Jack when she handed him a menu. She might as well have licked her lips. “Your waitress will be right with you.”
Jack glanced at the menu. “Tell me about this ex-husband.”
Fallon hated to think about Ted, much less talk about him. But she understood it would be necessary. “He’s a lawyer.”
He put his menu down. “Change of plans. I can’t be a lawyer if your ex is a lawyer. I’m not that good. He’ll sniff me out in no time. You should have said something.”
“It’s good we’re figuring this out now.” She thrummed her fingers on the table.
Jack seemed to be daydreaming. “I think I’d like to be the CEO of my own sports equipment company.”
“Why can’t you be a homicide detective?”
He narrowed his eyes. “We went over this.”
“It’s just that I’ve already asked enough of you. Pretending to be in-love with me is a big enough lie.”
He went back to studying the menu without another word.
“Order anything you’d like. On me,” Fallon said.
“What’ll you have?” The waitress sidled up next to their booth.
“Two of the giant burgers, and two sides of sweet potato fries, with two chocolate milkshakes. Actually, make one a strawberry milkshake and one chocolate.” He slapped the menu shut. “And whatever she’s having.”
Fallon snorted. “Hungry much?”
“Just kidding.” He spoke to the waitress. “I ordered for both of us.”
The waitress didn’t say another word but just took off with their orders.
“Why did you do that? I can order for myself. Just because we’re in a nineteen-fifties themed restaurant doesn’t mean you get to make my choices.”
“Yeah?” His warm gaze did a slow slide from her eyes to her breasts. “You just don’t look like you eat in places like these often.”
Their gazes locked for a moment and neither of them said a word. Fallon looked away first. Maybe she should focus on light conversation to get away from the sizzle of warmth traveling down her stomach to her thighs.
“Don’t you have family to spend Christmas with?”
“My parents moved to Oregon a few years ago when they retired, following my older brother and his family. I’ll stop by and see them after your wedding. It’s good timing. Right direction.”
“You’ll drive all the way to Oregon after the wedding?”
“Right.”
“You can leave the day after the wedding, and I’ll just tell everyone that you can’t spend Christmas with us because of work or something.”
A few minutes later they were back on “the one” as Jack kept referring to it, making stops along the way so that he could take even more blasted photos. By the time they got to Pismo Beach, Fallon thought she might have an aneurysm if they stopped once more. Jack took an exit off the highway.
“Again?” She gritted her teeth.
“No worries.” He glanced at his phone. “We’re making good time.”
Fallon was about to let him know that not only were they not making good time, but they were about two hours behind her air tight schedule, when he put the GPS down and took her hand in his. It wasn’t so much the action that jarred her this time but his touch. She stared at their hands linked together. Stared at his profile as he drove. The feel of his warm hand holding hers did something strange to her equilibrium. She was only a few hours into this road trip and going home was already messing with her head. She was busy wanting things she shouldn’t. Remembering what it was like to even have a lover. Lover. He’d just had to use that word with her. The truth was she hadn’t wanted or needed anyone in her bed in a very long time.
Too long.
“Why are we stopping here?”
He gave her an easy smile. “Monarch butterflies.”
4
Jack’s first instincts had been dead on. Fallon might need this road trip more than he did, and he would make her enjoy it or die trying. Which he just might, if those ‘kill’ looks of hers were ever given any real power. He recognized himself in her. Too uptight for too long, focused on the end game and not seeing the beauty of what was right in front of her.
A month ago, it had been the same for him.
But now he was trying, trying like hell to grab life by the balls and squeeze tight. If he still had no idea what he would do with the rest of his life, he would figure it out soon enough. He had options. He could always stay in Oregon and pound nails for his brother.
“Pismo Beach is famous for monarchs. They migrate from late October through February.” Jack made the turn off the highway and followed the signs to the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. “This might be good timing.”
“It’s just another tourist trap,” Fallon said as he led her by the small of her back towards the tree line.
She didn’t seem as resistant to his touch which made Jack wonder if he should now back off. But he didn’t want to because he liked touching her. She was silky soft and all woman. Still, he hardly wanted the added complication of becoming interested in someone when he had no plan. Women were, of course, so attracted to that.
The waves crashed in the background, the sea air fresh, salty and clear. It was a good day to be alive and for the first time in years he didn’t regret being a part of this crazy messed up world. There was a small trailer with a drawing of a monarch butterfly printed on its side selling t-shirts. They passed by it, following a small crowd to the viewing area where dozens of butterflies congregated in the tree grove. There were so many of them that they’d formed a unique moving pattern, like a wave at a football game. They migrated south for the warmth, sure, but they also seemed to enjoy being together. Sooner or later, Jack would find that again. The knowledge of being connected to something better…something that made a difference. That mattered. It used to be his work, but now it would have to be…something else.
He caught her staring at them, too, a wistful look on her face. “Pretty cool, huh?”
“It’s like a quilt.”
That was another way of looking at it.
“We should go,” she said after a few more minutes. “Lots of miles ahead.”
But he couldn’t leave without buying a couple of t-shirts, one for each of them. Then he thought about her little boy and bought another one, guessing at the size. She’d gone ahead of him, of course, not being the type of woman to wait for anyone. He sort of liked and appreciated that about her, while being simultaneously irritated by it. Pretty much standard fare for him. The s
tory of his life had been to be attracted to strong women who didn’t appreciate his brand of protectiveness. He was half Hispanic, for the love of God. It was practically his birthright.
When he arrived at the Mustang she was sitting on its hood staring towards the trees in the distance. “I’m sorry. I always feel guilty coming to places like these without David.”
“Not quite the same as being here.” He threw her a kid-sized t-shirt. “Guessed at the size.”
She caught it one-handed. “Thank you. He would really love this place.”
For the first time since he’d met Fallon McQueen, Jack felt a tightness in his chest quite different from the one that had taken up residence there a few months ago. This one was mildly pleasant and barely recognizable. She loved that kid, and he could see it written all over her sweet smile.
“Tell me about him.” He pulled out of the grove’s parking lot and headed back to the highway.
Jack pulled on to the freeway and listened to Fallon talk about David. He was a math whiz, liked baseball, and happened to live in a town where the famous Oakland Sliders retired pitcher Billy Turlock ran a kid’s sports camp, which gave him plenty of opportunities to develop his skills. Skills, which if you wanted to believe his mother, were those of a future World Series hitter.
“And just in case it comes up, which it probably won’t since it was forever ago, Billy was my boyfriend in high school.”
“Interesting. And you two are still friends?”
“Small town. Plus, Billy’s a great guy. He hired me when I needed a job, and then his wife hired me at their winery for a while. She wasn’t his wife at the time…this is a long story.”
“I have time.”
“You’ll see when we get to Starlight Hill that people there are just…different. We help each other out. It’s not like L.A.”
“So why did you leave?”
“I wanted to do something with my life, not just work odds jobs forever. I wanted David to be…proud of me.”
“I’m sure he is.”
She smiled at that but something in the quick blink of her eyes told him that Fallon wasn’t quite proud of herself. And he would investigate that further, were it his problem to fix. If he hadn’t decided that he would stop being so damn curious about other people and get a life.
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