by Cindy Kirk
“Perhaps I didn’t explain it well enough.” Anna took a deep breath and tried again. “Tripp’s parents got the mistaken impression that we were a couple. His mother even invited me for lunch one day and told me how happy she was that Tripp had found someone, how happy that had made his father, who was going through some difficult times.”
Betsy opened her mouth as if to speak, but Anna continued, wanting to make sure she laid all the facts on the table for her friend.
“Tripp was going to tell his parents that they were mistaken, that he and I were simply good friends. But when he went to their home, his dad was having a bad day and he couldn’t do it.”
“What about your plans to find someone special?” Betsy sneaked in the question when Anna paused to take a breath.
“That’s why we decided on the thirty days,” Anna said. “If I did meet someone during these four weeks, the odds are they’d still be around when Tripp and I broke up.”
She flashed a triumphant smile, satisfied she’d explained the situation in such great detail that Betsy couldn’t help but understand and agree with her.
But the worried lines remained on Betsy’s forehead. “I think this could work.”
Anna exhaled the breath she’d been holding. “I knew you’d unders—”
“If you thought of Tripp as only a friend.”
Anna glanced nervously at the doorway. “I do think of Tripp as a friend.”
“I didn’t say ‘as a friend.’” Betsy spoke slowly and distinctly. “I said as only a friend.”
Was that pity she saw in her friend’s eyes?
“I know how much you like him, Anna,” Betsy whispered. “I worry you’re going to become even more attached to him during these four weeks. And when it ends, you’ll be heartbroken.”
“I’m not a child, Bets,” Anna snapped, her words uncharacteristically tight and harsh. “I know the score.”
“I knew the score with Ryan.” Betsy lowered her voice even more. “But it was still hard to be around him when he thought he was in love with you.”
Anna shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “He never really loved me.”
“I know that now.” Betsy’s tone told Anna she was confident in her husband’s love. “But working for him, going out with him so he could be close to you was pure torture. Isn’t it hard for you to be around Tripp and not touch?”
Anna thought of the kiss they’d shared and tiny flames flickered to life in her belly, sending heat coursing through her veins. Her face warmed.
Betsy’s eyes widened. “Have you and he—”
“No. No,” Anna said more forcefully. “We’ve kissed, that’s all.”
A look that Anna couldn’t quite decipher flickered in the back of her friend’s eyes. “Tripp kissed you? Or you kissed him?”
“Well, actually...” Anna hesitated.
“It’s a simple question.”
“Okay, I kissed him once. And he kissed me once. Oh, twice.”
A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Betsy’s lips. “Was that for show?”
“What do you mean?”
“Were there people watching? Is that why you did it?”
“No. I can’t remember why we did it, actually.”
“Just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing?”
“Exactly.” Anna liked that explanation. “It didn’t mean anything.”
“Of course it didn’t,” Betsy said in a matter-of-fact tone. “And I’ve changed my mind. I think this one-month thing with Tripp is a good idea.”
Anna breathed a sigh of relief. “So you understand why it is we’re doing this?”
“Of course.”
“For his parents’ sake.”
Betsy smiled. “No need to say more. Just know I understand and you have my full support.”
* * *
After Ryan finished updating Tripp on what was going on with Keenan’s appeal, they headed down the hall to Nate’s room. Even though his friend had checked on his new son only minutes earlier, Ryan wanted to make sure Nate was sleeping comfortably before they joined Anna and Betsy in the living room.
The Winnie the Pooh night-light cast a golden glow over the nursery. It was identical to the small light Gayle had purchased for their baby’s room only days before she died.
Tripp forced himself to breathe in and out. Even though thinking of the loss of Gayle and their baby girl no longer brought tears to his eyes, he’d accepted that the pain would always be with him, lurking in the background, ready to surprise him at moments like this.
He shifted his gaze to his friend.
Ryan was staring at the baby with a look of wonder on his face. This man, who had numerous awards for his bull-riding skill, was gazing at his son as if he was the most precious gift he’d ever received.
Would he ever have that experience? Tripp wondered. Would he ever find a woman to take Gayle’s place—
No. He stopped the thought before it could fully form. If he did find someone down the road, she wouldn’t be a replacement for Gayle. That wouldn’t be fair.
From the time they’d been in middle school, it had been him and Gayle. Initially, being with her had been so effortless. It had gotten more complicated when her parents split during her senior year.
Apparently her father had been cheating on her mother for years while on business trips. When the truth came out, there was an ugly divorce. That was when Gayle had begun to change. Every time Tripp even so much as looked at another girl, she’d accuse him of wanting to take her to bed. No matter how much reassurance he tried to give her that she was the only one he wanted, it wasn’t enough.
In college, he’d gotten fed up and suggested they see other people. But when Gayle had dissolved in tears and promised to change, he’d realized he loved her too much to walk away. Still, while their relationship had been good, it had never been great.
Tripp had finally come to the conclusion that his expectations must have been too high. Not every couple could be as close as his parents.
“He’s fast asleep,” Ryan said in a low tone. “Shall we join the girls?”
“The girls” were laughing and chattering about some new movie trailer they’d recently seen. Tripp had seen the trailer. It looked like the standard chick flick with a small amount of action thrown in. Not his kind of movie at all.
“You’ll have to tell me how you like it,” Betsy told her friend, smiling up at Tripp when he took a seat beside Anna on the love seat.
When Ryan sat next to his wife, Puffy bared her teeth. But his friend simply smiled fondly at the dog and firmly placed the small puffball on the other side of him, putting his arm around his wife.
It occurred to Tripp that if he and Anna were truly dating he’d be putting his arm around her, too. So, just to be convincing, he followed Ryan’s lead.
He inhaled the pleasing sultry scent of her perfume and made a mental note to let her know again how much he liked the fragrance once they were alone.
“I’ll probably go see it tomorrow night,” Anna said.
For a second Tripp was confused until he realized she was still talking about the movie. “Tomorrow is Saturday.”
“I often go to movies on Saturday night,” Anna informed him, looking confused.
“I know what you’re doing tomorrow night,” Ryan said with a broad grin. “You’re seeing a chick flick.”
The former-championship-bull-rider-turned-attorney gave a loud oomph as Betsy’s elbows connected with his ribs. “If we didn’t have a newborn, we’d be joining them.”
Anna’s eyes widened and Tripp saw the second she realized that if they were really dating, they’d be at the theater...together.
“Who do you usually go with to the movies?” Tripp asked, feeling a twinge of what felt like jealous
y but couldn’t be. Because, after all, he and Anna were only friends.
“Betsy and I used to see a lot of them together. Michelle and I used to go together, too, before she got married.” Anna lifted her chin. “Lots of people go to the movies alone.”
While Tripp guessed that was probably true, she was his girlfriend for the next month and the idea of her having to go to the movies alone didn’t sit well with him.
“It looks like it has some action scenes in it,” he said. “I bet I’ll like it.”
Anna cocked her head. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying let’s go to the movies tomorrow night...together.”
Chapter Eleven
While the movie theater in downtown Jackson wasn’t bursting at the seams, Anna and Tripp did have to wait in line to get tickets. When they got to the window, Anna pulled some bills out of her purse. Tripp waved them aside.
She thought about pressing the issue, but decided they could settle up later. Once inside the fifties-era lobby she started to head for the seats when Tripp reached out and grasped her arm.
“First we need popcorn,” he said with an enticing smile.
With visions of calorie-laden kernels dancing before her, Anna began to shake her head. Then she realized being with Tripp at the movies had been something she’d dreamed about during those high school years when he was dating Gayle and she was sitting at home...alone.
She’d envisioned their sitting in the back row with their bags of popcorn, laughing and talking. Even though she’d been painfully shy, in her dream she’d been extremely witty. By the time the movie started, he’d put his arm around the back of her seat and she’d lean close....
“Earth to Anna.”
She jerked her thoughts back to the present and found Tripp gazing at her, a tiny smile pulling at his lips. “Popcorn?”
Anna nodded. “I’d love to share yours.”
“What about a soda?”
Ugh. She rarely drank the stuff, but tonight, hearing the word from his lips, it sounded so tempting. “Just a sip of yours will be enough for me.”
Even though he didn’t look shocked, she realized seconds too late what she’d done. She’d made the assumption that he would want to share his drink with her. How unsanitary.
“We can see if they will give us an extra cup,” she said hurriedly, following him to the concession line. “I didn’t mean to imply that you would want to drink after me.”
He shifted his entire body toward her and that devastating smile was once again directed at her. His gaze dropped to her lips. “I don’t mind drinking after you. After all, it’s not as if we haven’t already—”
“What can I get you, sir?” The high school–aged girl behind the counter asked.
“Your popcorn-and-soda special, please.” Tripp pulled some bills from his pocket.
This time Anna didn’t protest but merely added it to the tally she was keeping in her head.
“Where do you want to sit?” he asked when they entered the darkened theater. “Toward the front? Or back?”
“I like the back row,” she said with uncharacteristic boldness. Hey, even if this wasn’t a replay of that long-ago dream, at least she’d be sharing popcorn with Tripp Randall in the back of a theater. Now if she could only manage to utter a few witty comments...
“Sounds good to me.” He stepped aside to let her enter the empty row.
She moved all the way to the center, settling into the soft red cushioned seat while breathing in the clean, fresh scent of Tripp and his yummy cologne.
Not yummy, she told herself immediately—musky. Yummy implied she wanted to eat him up, while really the only thing she wanted to eat was the popcorn.
Yeah, right.
The trailers for upcoming movies hadn’t yet started, so there was plenty of time for witty conversation and pithy one-liners. The trouble was, with her bare arm brushing Tripp’s she was finding it difficult to think.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have worn a dress tonight, especially the sleeveless one she’d chosen. She’d picked it because she liked the spice color and she had a tan open-knit cardigan that could easily be added if the night turned cool.
But now, sitting beside Tripp, she was very aware of how much skin was exposed. Each time he glanced her way, little rushes of heat flashed over her exposed flesh.
Tripp extended the bag of popcorn to her.
She shook her head. “In a minute.”
He lifted a kernel and held it out. “At least try a bite. Then we’ll both have popcorn breath.”
She had to laugh. Instead of reaching out and plucking the kernel from his fingertips, Anna opened her mouth.
His eyes widened a fraction before turning dark. He leaned close.
When her lips closed over the kernel, they caught a bit of his fingers and heat shot straight to her belly.
She savored the kernel, reveling in the rich taste of the butter and the bite of the salt...and remembered how his fingers had tasted in her mouth.
By the time the theater darkened and the trailers began, she couldn’t have said what they’d discussed. She’d made him laugh—she knew that. And he’d made her laugh, too. But it was the kind of laugh that alluded to the tension building in the air between them. A kind of anticipatory heightened awareness that caused her pulse points to thrum and her body to stand ready on high alert.
Perhaps it was only her imagination but a couple of times when Tripp looked at her, she felt as if he was finally seeing her. Not as Gayle’s friend, not as a medical professional, but as a woman. From the heat in his eyes, he liked what he saw.
They were watching the last trailer when the words that had been poised on Anna’s lips since they’d first taken their seats slipped out.
“I used to have this fantasy about being kissed in a movie theater,” she heard herself confide.
For a second, Tripp’s sharp intake of breath was his only response. Then he handed her the cup of soda. “Have a sip.”
Even though she wasn’t at all thirsty, Anna took the cup. She told herself to be relieved he’d chosen to ignore her inappropriate comment. But as she took a bigger-than-planned sip of the cola, she acknowledged it wasn’t relief coursing through her veins but disappointment.
His eyes remained firmly focused on her as she drank, then handed the cup back to him. Never wavering in his gaze, he took a sip, then set the popcorn and soda aside.
“When I watched your lips against that straw, all I could think about was how much I wanted to feel them pressed against my mouth.”
Anna blinked. Had she just hallucinated? Or had Tripp Randall actually said he wanted to kiss her?
“What’s stopping you?” she said softly.
The words had barely left her lips when he pulled her close and his mouth closed over hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drank him in. Unprepared for the intensity of the heat engulfing her, only the sound of the movie’s theme music starting and a distant titter of laughter kept Anna from crawling over the seat divider and into his lap.
When the kiss ended, she was breathing hard as if she’d just run a long race. She was grateful for the darkness, relieved they were in the back row and that no one had noticed their unprofessional behavior.
Tripp gave a halfhearted laugh. “For a second I felt as if I was sixteen again.”
His eyes glittered in the darkness and testosterone wafted off him in waves. He may have recognized the necessity of stopping but it made her feel good to know he hadn’t wanted to pull back any more than she did.
“Thank you,” she said.
A puzzled look crossed his face. “For what?”
“I’d always wanted to kiss a boy in the back of the movie theater.” She forced a light tone, making it sound as if it didn’t matter wh
ich boy—er, man—she kissed. The truth was, it mattered. “Now I have.”
Even though the movie had begun, he didn’t look at the screen and neither did she. There was a sense of waiting in the air.
“Always happy to further your education,” he said in a low tone.
Anna felt her cheeks warm even as she waved a dismissive hand. “It isn’t as if there are that many things I missed out on. Though, I never did make out with a boy in a car either.”
Eek. Why not just issue him a formal invitation? One that said, “Your presence is requested in the backseat on a deserted dirt road”?
A spark flashed in his eyes. “Really?”
Too late, she turned her attention back to the screen and pretended to be interested in the movie. “Not important.”
He leaned close, his voice low enough for her ears only. “I think it is. You missed out on a vital part of a teenage girl’s education.”
“Forget I said anything.” She resisted the urge to turn her head, knowing his mouth would be right there.
“I’ll try.” He rested his arm on the back of her seat. “But I can’t promise anything.”
* * *
For being a romantic comedy, the movie was fairly good. But Tripp found it difficult to concentrate. He blamed it on the fact that they were sitting in the back row. Every red-blooded American male knew there was only one reason to sit in the back of a theater, and it wasn’t to watch the show.
Being in the last row surrounded by empty seats was a unique experience. Even though the ones down front and partway back were filled, there were at least seven empty rows in front of them.
But it wasn’t simply the fact that he was sitting alone in a dark room with a pretty woman at his side. He’d gone to plenty of management conferences and had sat next to many attractive females. He’d never felt the urge to kiss any of them senseless.
There was something about Anna that pulled him in. Sure, she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever known. But it was more than that. She was just as beautiful on the inside. There was also an innocence, a sweetness about her that brought out his protective instincts.
