“Hey, Ronnie?” Troy called from the front door. “You still back there?”
The fog of wanting that encircled Ronnie’s thoughts had her half a second behind the voice. Grady must have been closer to the surface, because he jumped away from her, his eyes on the ground and his hands in his pockets.
Ronnie stared at him in shock—unable to process how he could shut off what they’d shared as easily as turning off a light. Like this was a game to him. Like he didn’t take it seriously, didn’t take her seriously.
Troy appeared in the doorway. “Aren’t you done yet?”
Ronnie took in the guilty tip to Grady’s jaw as she waited for him to tell Troy about them, to say anything. While his lips had been quite agile only moments before, they were now pressed into a rigid line. Not that there was a “them” quite yet, but there was something—something strong and delightful. Her lips still tingled from his kisses, her heart still fired like a piston from the craze he inspired with his touch. Her body craved his touch with fervent need. But she wouldn’t be a secret and she especially wouldn’t be a joke. “I think we’re done here.”
Grady’s head came up. A line of confusion squiggled across his forehead.
“The keys are in the ignition,” she told Troy as she headed out. Instead of stripping her coveralls off, she knotted the sleeves around her middle and walked out of the garage. Behind her, was the guy she’d thought was special or could be special to her heart. Who was she kidding, he was special to her heart. There was no other explanation for the incredible high of that kiss and the accompanying low of walking away.
The Pontiac fired right up, growling with power and urgency. She slammed the gas to the floor and tore her heart out of that parking lot before it could convince her to run back in and declare her intentions with Troy’s best friend.
No. As much as she would love to spend her life swimming in the kind of passion Grady inspired, she would drown coming in second to their friendship every time Troy walked into the room.
It wasn’t that Troy shouldn’t be a priority. He should—for both of them.
He just shouldn’t be their first priority.
She scrubbed the tears off her cheeks. And all of this was premature because all they’d had was one Big C’s sort-of date and a series of the best kisses ever.
Seriously—no kiss was like that kiss.
“Grady Owens,” she said to the windshield, “you’re in so much trouble.” She swiped another huge tear. “I think I’m in trouble, too.”
Chapter 15
Grady stared at the door where Ronnie had disappeared. He did that a lot with her. Three times, actually. Three times he’d messed up and watched her walk or drive out of his life. That was it, three strikes and he was out.
This third strike was like watching a pitch go by in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run on third. Ronnie had taken one look at him and his cowardice and marched out.
He hadn’t thought about jumping away from her, there was no conscious decision. He’d reacted out of instinct. Any guy caught holding a woman like that would have jumped away—talk about having his hand in the cookie jar. He rolled his eyes. His hands weren’t anyplace they shouldn’t have been. He’d made sure of that—had to think real hard about keeping them in the right places. Ronnie took him from zero to sixty in .02 seconds. The moment his lips met hers, he had to fight to keep from giving his whole self over to her.
A kiss had never had that much power over him.
“I guess you don’t need a ride.” Troy smacked him on the back.
Grady swung his head around. He’d forgotten Troy was still there. “What?”
“I said, your truck is ready. I stopped in to see if Ronnie needed help, but it looks like Ronnie took care of you.”
Had Troy seen them together? “What do you mean by that?”
Troy lowered his eyebrow. “She got your truck running.”
Oh. “I need to pay for parts.” He stared at the door handle.
“Call Candace in the morning; she’ll run your card.” Troy spun in a slow circle. “This brings back memories.”
Grady’s mind went back to ten minutes ago. He could still see Ronnie pulling off her coveralls, the light and laughter in her eyes, the unassuming way she moved—like she didn’t know how beautiful she was. She fit in this place, knowing every tool and how to use them, but she didn’t fit in with the men who worked here. Her walk was too graceful, fluid, with her hips swaying slightly and her arms long and lean at her sides. She was tough, strong, with definition in her arms he hadn’t seen on a woman before, but she had the height to carry a little muscle. He liked her strength, liked that she could pull him closer and—
“Looks like you got some grease on your shirt.” Troy pointed to his arm where Ronnie had brushed her hands.
“Yeah.” Grady reached for the truck door. “Thanks for coming out. I’m going to head back in the morning.”
“I’m going tonight. I’ll lock up behind you.”
Grady nodded. He opened the truck and climbed behind the wheel. He shut the door, and Ronnie’s scent tickled his nose. All deep and rich and beautiful—just like her.
In one second, she’d broken his conviction to stay away, and in one more second, he’d shattered his chances with her. If he could go back, he’d tell Troy everything. He’d lay it out there expressing his desire to be the type of man Ronnie deserved.
He scrambled with the door, intent on doing just that, when he paused. Ronnie didn’t want him now—her look had said as much. There was no point in telling Troy about the kiss. A confession would lead nowhere. He thumped the steering wheel. He needed to get out of Snow Valley and put as much distance between him and Ronnie as possible.
Chapter 16
3 weeks later
“Do you want to buy some cookie dough for my school fundraiser?” asked Shane Wesson. This kid was so darn cute he could sell shoelaces at a rodeo.
Ronnie tucked her hair behind her ear and exchanged a look with Candace as Dad reached into his back pocket for his wallet.
“Sure I do,” replied Dad. He was a sucker for the cookie dough fundraiser, and every kid in Snow Valley knew it. They lined up to sell him a tub of white chocolate and lemon or traditional chocolate chip.
“I don’t think Mom’s had to make cookies in twenty years,” Ronnie whispered to Candace.
Candace snickered. She was dressed in a cute skirt and wool-lined leggings with fringe-wrapped boots and a long sweater that showed off her curves. Compared to Ronnie’s dark jeans tucked into her favorite pair of cowboy boots and plaid flannel shirt with a matching puffy vest, Candace was a knockout. Ronnie would have a hard time beating the guys off her baby sister at the corn maze grand opening tonight. She didn’t mind spending the night watching over her sister and not looking for a date for herself. She had yet to meet anyone who could hold a candle to Grady. And no one, NO ONE, made her stomach flutter and burn all at the same time like he had.
“We have a new flavor.” Shane was really working this sale. “Mint chocolate chip.”
“I’ll take two.” Dad handed over fifteen bucks and signed his name on the order form.
“Thanks!” Shane chirped as he hurried out the door to the waiting minivan.
“So what’s the damage, Dad? Forty tubs this year?” Ronnie teased. She’d been working extra hard at winning the mental game she’d named Keep Away from Grady. The rules were simple. All she had to do was increase the time between her last thought of Grady and the next one. Three weeks after the mind-blowing, absolutely perfect kiss, she was up to nine minutes and thirty-three seconds. Personal best, baby.
“It’s for the kids,” Dad insisted.
“Yeah—sure.” Candace winked dramatically.
Dad huffed at them, a sure sign he was losing patience. “Why don’t you girls get out of here—I can close up.”
Candace reached for the teal scarf that was the perfect accent to her creamy sweater. “If you’re sure.”<
br />
Ronnie slipped her hands into her vest pockets. Thursday was her day off this week. She’d taken full advantage of the time at home and twisted her hair into Velcro rollers early on. While she folded laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and changed sheets—all part of her new favorite game—her hair had dried into beautiful long waves that flipped up at the ends. She rarely had the time to indulge in such pampering, but she’d spent the last three weeks oscillating between the highest of highs as she relived Grady’s kiss and the lowest of lows as she worked to convince herself they weren’t ever going to be together. Because not being with Grady felt so very, very wrong.
Looking back, storming out on him wasn’t her only option that night—even though she’d thought so at the time. She’d just been so shocked at the way his kisses lifted her higher and higher and higher that when she crashed, she crashed hard and then reacted. If she could do it all over again … but there were few do-overs in life.
“I’m sure. Go have some fun.” Dad shooed them out the door just as another minivan pulled into the parking lot. Ronnie and Candace dissolved into giggles as a little boy in a cowboy hat stomped through the door, a determined set to his lips.
It didn’t take long to make it out to the corn maze, and Ronnie peppered Candace with questions about her personal life, throwing in a couple hints that her sister should make it to church once in a while.
Candace took it in stride. “I’m working some things out right now. When I’m ready, I’ll come back.”
As much as Ronnie had been leaning on prayer lately, she felt the Lord holding her up. She wished she could hand a cupful of that feeling to Candace, let her feel the warmth of being held close by the Lord. But faith didn’t work that way. Every person had to find their own path to Jesus. She hoped Candace found hers soon.
The parking lot was little more than a patch of dirt lined with hay bales. With each new car in the lot, a cloud of dust rose into the air, giving off an earthy scent. At five o’clock, the sun was making a hasty retreat. By seven, it would be full dark with a blanket of stars.
A ticket booth stood sentry by the corn maze entrance. Brandon Snow was inside, taking money and handing out maps. From the air, the maze was supposed to look like a bee hive with bees buzzing in and out. How that was supposed to help Ronnie and Candace find their way through the honeycomb was beyond Ronnie. Off to the left was a small petting zoo with bunnies, a non-smelly skunk, and a pony, old and patient enough to allow the seven girls twittering around him to add hair bows, barrettes, and braids to his mane and tail.
“Is that Ralph?” Ronnie asked. “He was here when we were kids.”
“He’d probably let them put eyeshadow on if they wanted to,” Candace quipped.
“But then he’d never be able to show his face in the barn with the other ponies.” Ronnie linked their arms together. “Don’t lose me this year.”
“You’re the big sister. You lost me by default.” Candace handed over their money, and they put their hands out for a stamp before heading into the maze without a map.
Ronnie breathed in the cinnamon smell of roasted nuts and let the dust tickle her nose. The corn rustled and shifted in a light breeze, and she zipped up her vest. “I’m glad we came. This’ll be fun.” She steered them left around a skeleton with his bony finger pointed right.
“He was pointing right,” Candace pulled on her arm and protested.
“Never trust a skeleton giving directions—they have nothing to lose if they lie.”
Candace laughed. “That’s—” She shook a cornstalk. “Corny.”
Ronnie shrugged. “When in the cornfield …” They laughed and plunged deeper into the maze, hitting dead ends and backtracking until they were completely turned around and full of giggles. Ronnie let herself go, let go of the shadow that had followed her around since that fateful night when she’d kissed the man of her dreams and walked out.
She had her family. She had Snow Valley. And if she could laugh with her sister under the blushing sky, then she was going to be okay.
“Ronnie! Candace!”
The girls flipped around to find Jan and Lance Owens. Ronnie’s good feeling sank into the parched ground like raindrops. How was she supposed to keep Grady out of her thoughts with his mom and brother standing right in front of her?
Grady’s mom gathered them both in for a hug. “It’s so good to see you again. Having your family over was the bright spot in my month. We need to make chili dinners a regular thing.”
“That’d be great.” Candace smiled shyly at Lance. “What are you two doing here?”
Lance groaned. “It’s Mom’s birthday, so she guilted us all into coming.”
Jan smacked Lance’s arm. “Guilted?”
Lance pursed his lips. “‘All I want is for us to spend time together like we used to—you’re all so busy,’” he said in a falsetto imitation of his mom.
Jan laughed. “Okay, there might have been some guilting involved. But it’s out of love.” She grabbed his face and kissed his cheek while Ronnie and Candace laughed at his obvious discomfort.
“Mom, we’re in a race—there’s no time for that.”
Jan released him. “There’s always time to embarrass my kids.”
“You’re racing?” Ronnie prompted. If Grady was somewhere in this maze, she would be running towards the end as fast as possible. Of course, if that’s the direction he was headed, maybe she should head for the start.
“We saw some of them go that way.” Jan pointed to the north path.
Candace laughed. “You’re in luck. That’s a dead end.”
Jan linked arms with Lance and Candace. “You’re coming with us. We can win this. You too, Ronnie,” she called over her shoulder.
Ronnie made a big effort to smile. There was no way she was going to line up with the Owens family and surprise Grady. She let the three of them go in front of her and slowly backed off until they disappeared right and she could go left without them noticing. She tripped over a piece of baling twine. With a scowl, she bent down to pick it up and toss it into the corn so a little kid wouldn’t end up face first in the dirt. Just as she ducked down, someone ran around the corner and tripped right over her.
Eric Owens just managed to keep his feet under him. “Sorry.” He reached for Ronnie and helped her to her feet. “I didn’t mean to run you over.”
Ronnie brushed off her palms, sending up a cloud of dust. “No harm done.”
“Dad!” Grady rounded the corner and skidded to a halt in front of the two of them. His eyes widened, and then he turned red. Deep, deep red.
Memories of his hot lips and warm breath on her skin had Ronnie ducking behind her hair.
Grady spoke first. “Hi, Ronnie.”
She pushed the words beyond the pain and the general gloom that had haunted her the past three weeks. Darn it all! Tonight was supposed to be a distraction not a reunion. “Hi, Grady.” Ronnie looked at the top of the cornstalks.
Eric rocked back on his heels. “That was a dead end. I’m going to try this way.” He took off.
“But—” Grady reached out a hand to stop his dad, but Eric was already gone.
Ronnie watched him leave. “You know, for an old guy, he’s still got some pep in his step.”
Grady’s hand went to the back of his neck. “Yeah.”
Ronnie couldn’t just stand there with that kiss between them. There was too much longing in her heart for this guy. She forced happiness into her words that she didn’t feel. “Well! Have a great time.” She hurried down the third path, trying to stay clear of Grady’s mom and his dad.
“Wait,” Grady called after her. Before she could get good and lost, he caught up. She fought to keep from rolling her eyes. He needed to leave her alone. Leave her alone and let her heart fall to pieces once again so she could sweep them into a dustpan and toss them out. That way her heart wouldn’t hurt anymore.
They walked in silence for a minute. She tucked her hands into her jacket to keep them f
rom reaching for his.
“So, how’ve you been?” he finally asked.
“Fine. You?”
“Fine.”
“Good.”
A herd of preteens barreled past, laughing and calling each other names. Their footsteps fell away and an awkward silence descended as the sun disappeared behind the western mountains.
“Actually,” Grady sighed loudly and with great emotion.
She kind of admired that sigh since she was a person who put her all into them every now and again.
“That’s not true.” Their feet shuffled along, his work boots leaving zigzag patterns in the dirt.
Ronnie waited.
“I can’t stop thinking about you.”
A flare of hope shot through Ronnie’s heart. Six little words and he had her second-guessing her second-guesses. Her first instinct had said Grady was into her. Then she started thinking too hard and wondered if it he was playing her heart like a game of toss in the backyard where no one wants to win, and if you drop the ball no one gets hurt. Except, he had dropped the ball. Big time. And she had been hurt.
Maybe they could have a do-over.
He’d put himself out there with the I can’t stop thinking about you line. Yes, it was a line, but there was warmth in his eyes that spoke to the truth of his statement. She wondered if he had a mental game too, Ronnie On My Mind.
She could let him stand there a little longer with that giant confession hanging out there. She could let him sweat—some would say he deserved to sweat after three weeks of radio silence.
But Ronnie didn’t like games, and she wasn’t vindictive by nature, and she had a huge case of empathy where she could easily see herself on the other side of this conversation and she’d feel so vulnerable that her palms would sweat and her feet would itch. Besides, Grady looked miserable. He hadn’t shaved in at least a week, and he was not wearing his good hoodie nor his good jeans. He looked beaten down. She tsked. “That’s your problem. You’re always thinking.”
Lucy McConnell's Snow Valley Box Set Page 47
