Love Under Construction

by Britney M. Mills

  “I’m ready for a quiet night in,” Becca said, putting her tools away.

  “Becca, when is the last time you went out and had some fun? Just come tonight.” Susie’s voice was pleading, bordering on whining, and Becca thought about walking out the door right then.

  “I’ll go if Becca goes,” Colton said with a mischievous grin.

  Just short of getting on her knees, Susie thrust out her lips and full-on pouted, making her look like a fish.

  Becca rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’m not staying out all night. And can we go somewhere besides Grillo’s?” She didn’t need to relive all the memories of her time with Peter, not with how complicated her feelings were for Colton. She’d been avoiding that place for the last eighteen months.

  Susie squealed with delight and threaded her arm through Becca’s. “Oh, please. There isn’t much else that’s open, and it will be fun to get some dancing in.” She did a little shimmy, and Becca almost backed out right there.

  “Where is it? I don’t think I’ve seen it here in town.” Colton’s voice caused Becca to turn in his direction.

  “It’s in between here and the next town over. Still in the county for our flower girl.” Susie’s voice held a little sarcasm, and Becca gritted her teeth, feeling her defenses rise.

  They walked out of the rec center, and Susie looked up, pulling on the door to make sure it was secure. “My car is in the shop. Can we take one of yours?” she asked, leaning into Colton and looking up at him.

  Becca frowned. Could the girl be any more obvious?

  “I have my truck. It’s down at the hotel.” Colton shrugged his shoulder, which caused Susie to take a step back.

  “Great. That’ll be so fun. I haven’t been in a truck in so long.” Susie batted her eyes yet again.

  Becca cringed, second-guessing her decision to come tonight. If she was just going to be the third wheel, she’d be wishing she were at home the entire time.

  They walked down Main Street to the hotel, with Susie jabbering on about everything that had happened in her life. Susie came from a family of money, but her parents had always been jet-setting to new places, leaving Susie in the care of one of the town residents. If anyone had been raised by the entire town, it was Susie Jones. From the sound of her stories, Becca almost felt bad for her, knowing her own short time away from the small town had been more adventurous than the girl’s highlight reel.

  Guilt flooded her just after the thought, knowing she shouldn’t be happy for the experiences that resulted in her family’s deaths.

  “Becca, are you there?” Susie’s hand passed over Becca’s face several times before Becca pushed it away.

  “What?”

  “We were just talking about our favorite kind of music. What’s yours?” Susie’s eyebrows pinched together, focused on Becca’s answer.

  “I like anything but jazz. I just can’t do it.”

  Colton chuckled. “I agree. One song is fine, but a whole bunch in a row? That’s just too much.” He motioned to his dark-green Chevy and pushed a button on his fob, making the lights flash and the truck beep.

  Susie laughed. “You lock your truck here? In Sage Creek? We have a crime record of, like, negative one.”

  “This is a company vehicle, and I’ve been robbed before. Life’s just easier when you’ve taken all the precautions necessary.” He gave her a quick nod and turned to Becca. She gave him a small smile, sharing in the inside joke from when she’d told him about being robbed in college.

  “Oh,” was all Susie responded.

  With only one row in the truck, Becca felt the irritation grow as Susie slid over to the middle. As much as she wanted to stay neutral when it came to her feelings for Colton, it seemed her jealousy was rearing its head.

  The drive to Grillo’s didn’t take long, but Becca was surprised at how clean the inside of Colton’s truck was. She’d expected to be pushing around old drink cups and cupcake wrappers with her feet, but everything looked to be in order, not even a spot of dust on the dash. He hadn’t had much to do since he got there, so maybe that was the reason?

  Susie fiddled with the stations, allowing them to only hear about half of each song before she turned the knob to find another. That was the one downside to living near a canyon: the reception for normal stations wasn’t as good. Not that Becca noticed since she rarely drove her car anymore.

  When they pulled up to the restaurant, Becca knew she couldn’t go inside. Too many memories were in there. Her first time meeting Peter just before she left for college, where they spent summer date nights, and where they hung out three days before their supposed wedding.

  “Are you coming, Becca? The music sounds great.” Susie started swaying her hips and moving her arms in the air, looking ridiculous from Becca’s point of view.

  “I’m coming.” Maybe this would be good. Maybe she could finally get past Peter and the memories. Grillo’s was the farthest she’d gone out of Sage Creek since the accident, but then again, it wasn’t out of the county. Maybe she’d work her way up to leaving the canyon soon enough.

  Baby steps, Becca.

  The other two entered the dark restaurant, leaving Becca at the threshold. She took several breaths and finally found the courage to step forward.

  As soon as her foot touched the floor, the sights and smells, the lights and music, all came crashing back at once. She stumbled and was surprised to find strong arms holding her up.

  “Are you okay? Let’s get you to a table.” Colton studied her face and then turned, keeping his arm around her waist to hold her up. The same tingling she’d felt every time he touched her erupted around his fingers, and she felt safe once again at his side.

  When they found a table open, she sat back, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth. She turned her head, spotting Susie near the bar, a playful look on her face as she talked to someone sitting there. Was she not really interested in Colton? The confusion caused her to close her eyes for several seconds, her brain back to focusing on the barrage of memories attacking her from her relationship with Peter.

  Colton took the chair next to her, poised at the edge of it as if ready to defend her or rush to her aid if need be. “Can I get you a drink or some food?”

  She opened her eyes, seeing him only inches away from her face. The softness of his expression gave her the urge to lean forward and kiss him. As she focused on his face, the nightmares seemed to fade away into the background.

  “I think I just need some food.” She pulled the menus from behind the ketchup and mustard, handing him one. She already knew what she was getting without glancing at it, but it was something to distract her from staring at him. And it kept her from talking about her little dizzy spell.

  Colton looked up to ask, “What’s good here?”

  Biting her bottom lip, Becca glanced over the menu with fresh eyes. She’d never had to recommend anything here before, and she wracked her brain for favorites of her friends.

  “They have some great loaded fries, and their chips and salsa are really good. As for real food, they make one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Cheese, bacon, avocado…all the good stuff.” Well, that good stuff meant her figure was curvier than most, but she was okay with that.

  He pursed his lips and nodded, looking down at the menu again. “I think you sold me on the burger, minus the avocado, though.”

  Putting a hand to her chest, Becca took an exaggerated gasp. “No avocado? How can you live without the creamy deliciousness of the avocado?”

  “The texture is all wrong. I just can’t do it, Cap’n.” His fake accent had her giggling, and then his smile after made her insides flip. He finally said, “Do they have good non-loaded fries?” His eyes locked onto hers, and the tension between them was almost palpable.

  He licked his lips quickly, drawing her attention to them. They appeared soft, and when she raised her gaze to his eyes, he seemed to be studying her features just like she was his.

  “What
can I get y’all?” a high-pitched voice asked behind them. Colton broke his gaze first, giving the waitress his order. Becca gave hers, hardly turning from Colton. How had her feelings changed so quickly when she’d only known him a handful of days? She was falling for him, and no matter what she did, she would probably end up with heartbreak.

  But was it worth it? She’d had more fun with him around than she had in the past few years. Maybe not every risk turned out how she wanted it to, but she was young. And as it went, she’d been living like one of the retirees in town rather than the twenty-seven-year-old she was.

  Colton turned to Becca. “Looks like she found someone to flirt with already,” he said, pointing in Susie’s direction.

  Becca leaned to the side and saw Susie talking to the same man next to the bar. “And here I was thinking she was going after you.” The moment the words popped out, Becca wished she could rein them back in, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

  Colton shook his head, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. “She’s the kind of girl who doesn’t know what she wants.”

  Leaning forward, Becca pursed her lips, curious as to what he meant. “How would you know that?”

  “I’ve spent my life reading people, and for the most part, I can get most of the details correct.”

  “And what have you figured out about Susie?” Becca glanced between the girl across the room and the man sitting next to her, her interest peaked.

  Colton shifted back in his seat, resting an arm on the table mere inches from Becca’s hand. “She was an only child, but her parents weren’t around much. So she seeks attention from anyone who’ll give it to her. She looks completely put together, but that’s to hide the insecurities she’s feeling.”

  “Wow, what you just said was scary accurate.” Becca looked at him, her mouth open a bit in surprise. She searched his face but found no arrogance from her admission. Taking a breath, she said, “I’m a little worried to ask, but what can you tell about me?”

  Her question must have caused some discomfort because he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees and his hands studying his fingernails. “Um, well, I did say for the most part. I have to say that you’re still a bit of a mystery to me, Becca Taylor.”

  Becca reached out and grabbed his upper arm, turning him toward her. “That’s it? I’m a mystery?” she said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her words. Was he just telling her that so he wouldn’t upset her? Or was she really that hard to read?

  “I’ve gotten a few different vibes from you since I’ve been here, and for the most part, I can tell you’ve been through a lot, that you’re trying to figure out what you want out of life.”

  Becca’s mouth opened, and she wished she could process what to say. She closed it as she let the words pass through her mind again. As much as some of it hurt, he was right. She’d been on autopilot for so long, just trying to make it through each day, that she’d forgotten to look forward to things, to be the adventurous girl she’d once been.

  Colton moved his hand over to rest on top of Becca’s on the table. “I didn’t want to offend you…” His words trailed off as if he was having just as hard of a time of coming up with something to say.

  Glancing at their hands together, Becca wondered if this was all some dream she’d wake up from in a few minutes. But as the seconds ticked by, she turned her gaze back to him.

  “No, I think I needed to hear that.” She paused a moment, deciding to take that one little risk and get to know him more.

  “So, Colton Maxfield, what do you think about Sage Creek? Too small for you?”

  He shook his head. “No, it reminds me of home at times. The slower pace is something I missed when I first got to Denver, and now I realize how nice it is to not have a jam-packed schedule.”

  Becca blinked, as if that would help her process everything he’d been saying. “But if you got the contract, you’d be pretty busy, I’d imagine. Especially if your boss is how you describe him. He’ll probably want a job that usually takes a year to be done in four months.”

  Colton nodded. “I hadn’t thought about it like that. But it would be more time to hang around and get to know more people in Sage Creek.” The intensity of his gaze caused Becca to shift in her seat, focusing on her nails instead of his face.

  “So, you told me your mother still lives where you grew up for the most part. If you moved back to a small town, would she follow you?” Becca hadn’t clearly thought through the question before it escaped her lips. She glanced up, seeing something like hope there, and realized she’d made it sound as though she wanted him to stick around for a while.

  “I had a friend once ask why I didn’t just find another construction company near her. Dream Homes has been really good to me, training me when I knew next to nothing. As much as I miss seeing my mom, I’m grateful for the work and the environment. I love creating a place where people can make memories.”

  “I totally understand that,” Becca said, nodding. “I love flowers and creating a type of art with them. There’s just something about putting all of yourself into it. A simple arrangement can make a pretty visual with how I arrange them.”

  “You definitely have a knack for that. I wouldn’t even know the first thing about how to arrange flowers.”

  Becca smiled. “I’m not sure I really do either. It’s more of an ingrained thing, and I just move things around as I go. I wish I could see the big picture beforehand, but I guess that’s what keeps people coming back in a small town.”

  “Have you ever wanted to live anywhere else?” He took a sip of water, his eyes studying her so intensely that she had to look away.

  Flattening out the paper from the straw, she said, “I did. I went to college. I thought about moving away when I was engaged, but that didn’t quite work out.” She noted the surprise on his face and chuckled.

  “I didn’t realize you were engaged. What happened?” Colton’s eyes were wide like it was the first time he’d learned of it. In a town as small as Sage Creek, it was next to impossible for people to keep secrets, especially ones as big as a failed wedding from a stranger. Becca was surprised he hadn’t heard yet.

  The waitress walked up with their food, pausing the conversation a moment as things got settled.

  “That’s a first. I can’t believe the whole town didn’t blab about it at the first mention of me.” Fresh pain seared through her chest. The embarrassment of the whole thing caused her cheeks to burn, and she was grateful for the low light to camouflage some of it.

  When Colton didn’t say anything, she sighed. “He didn’t want to be with me in the end. Honestly, I don’t really know what happened. I think that’s the hardest part about the whole thing. I got up on my wedding day—hair done, nails done, wedding dress on—and Mrs. Watkins had to come in and tell me he’d left town without even a note.” She gave him a fake smile, doing all she could to hold back the wall of tears. “My best friend, Danielle, found out he’d been dating someone from his company at the same time and had decided he’d rather have a city girl than one who was stuck in a small town.”

  Motioning around the room, Colton asked, “Does this place have any ties to your ex-fiancé?”

  Becca could only nod. She leaned forward and took a bite of the burger. Colton did the same, and she watched as the satisfaction on his face was well worth it.

  “You weren’t kidding. What’s the secret?” he asked, pointing to the burger in his hand.

  With a quick shrug, she said, “I don’t know. All I know is I like it.”

  She took another bite and watched as Susie walked out on the dance floor with the guy she’d been talking to. Becca had forgotten about the dancing, and she just hoped Susie wouldn’t force her to dance with some random guy there. Even with Colton, she wasn’t sure she’d survive the dance. Not that it was the worst thing in the world, but with Becca’s two left feet, it made it hard to leave the dance floor with anyone not limping.

  “Are there many young people
in Sage Creek?” Colton asked.

  Becca laughed. “Are you talking about married young people or single young people?”

  Colton grinned and looked around as if trying to decide. “Single young people?”

  Shaking her head, Becca said, “Not many. It’s definitely not the best dating pool, but I haven’t been worried about that for a while.” Her heart felt betrayed at the words, but Colton didn’t flinch.

  “How long has it been since your ex left?”

  Why did he keep bringing him up? “One year, six months, and three days. He'd been with me through a lot, and I thought we’d be together forever.”

  A flash of a smile appeared as she gave him the count, and then he frowned as though someone had taken away his favorite toy.

  “I take it you’re still hung up on him, then?” Colton looked at her through hooded eyes, probably worried he’d scare her off.

  Becca dabbed a napkin along her chin, buying time to phrase the right words. “No, I’m just weird like that. I know the exact amount of time that’s passed from significant things in my past. My parents and brother died five years, six months, and thirteen days ago.”

  Colton’s Adam’s apple bobbed a few times, a slight pity in his eyes.

  They ate in silence, watching the other people move and dance around the room. When Colton finished, he wiped his hands on a napkin and held out his hand. “May I have this dance, Miss Taylor?”

  Becca froze. What was she supposed to do or say? “Um, would you like both feet to be functioning tomorrow?” Not her best line ever, but she had to at least warn him.

  “I’m willing to take that risk.” He smiled, his eyes locked onto hers, and she was glad she was sitting down. Those baby browns were doing a number on her nervous system.

  She stared at his hand for a few more seconds before putting hers in it, letting him pull her up. His fingers were rough with calluses, but his hand was warm, and hers seemed to fit perfectly inside it. The song changed right before they got to their spot on the dance floor, a slower tempo.