by Emma Roman
She stared in shock at him. "How often do you bring women out here?"
"You're the first. Sometimes I bring buddies of mine. Especially if we're fishing in the morning."
"No chairs?"
He smiled. There were folding lawn chairs stored in the shed, but he wanted something cozier. "Not tonight."
It wasn't exactly a lie. He wanted to sit beside Taylor and gaze at the stars as they came out. Sure, they couldn't be out here too late. But long enough.
"Okay, I'm going to start the fire now," he said, hurrying over to the wood pile. "Need to get it going so the snakes won't bother us."
He kept the space mowed but the cold had sent the snakes into hibernation. In the spring and summer, a smart camper watched for water moccasins or even rattlesnakes.
"Snakes?" she said, her eyes dilating as she gazed around the grassy area. Shaking her head, she laughed. "No, they're gone for the winter."
He smiled. "I think you've been camping before."
"Oh yes," she said, spreading the blanket over the grass and putting out the pillows. "If we brought our rods we could have fished. I love a mess of crappie."
Now, that bit of information he filed for future reference. Frying fresh fish at a campfire under the stars couldn't be beat. The hint of smoke made everything taste better.
"Once it warms up, we'll go fishing," he said, knowing he couldn't wait for fishing weather.
She shivered.
"Are you cold?" he asked, blowing on the smoldering tinder hoping that soon he'd be igniting a fire in Taylor. One that would satisfy them both.
"I'm chilly," she said, glancing at him.
"Wrap the second blanket around you. I'm creating a roaring fire and then we'll eat and watch the setting sun."
"Are you always this romantic?" she asked, cuddling beneath the throw.
"This is my first date in two years. You're the first woman since I moved back to Cupid. Does that surprise you?"
Her mouth dropped open and she smiled. "Why?"
"When I got back from Afghanistan, I needed some time to adjust to civilian life. The Middle East is like existing on two different planets. One is focused on killing an enemy that is hard to recognize, and here, life is work and play and family and living."
She nodded and sank to the ground. "I can only imagine what you saw over there."
"Yeah, not good," he said, needing to somehow redirect the conversation. He added several limbs to the kindling now burning. "After I returned, I made the decision to focus on my career. One of my friends told me Sheriff Fred was retiring and the city was interviewing. I realized going home was where I was supposed to be. I came back to Cupid, applied, and got the job."
He joined her on the blanket sitting beside her. Flames licked the wood and soon heat would begin to warm the space. He pulled the throw around her tighter and opened the ice chest. He took out a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"Wow, I'm impressed," she said, gazing at him in awe.
This reaction he'd been looking for. He wanted her to see how much he was vying for her. With the boys, the small cooler would have held beer, but for her a smooth Chardonnay. Digging in the basket, he found the cork remover.
"I didn't think you drank?"
"I drink. Just not to excess," he said. "It's kind of hard to arrest the town drunks if you show up inebriated."
"True," she said.
He poured the alcohol into the glasses and handed her a wine flute before he scooted closer to her. What he really wanted was to kiss her, but he didn't think now was the right time. "Look at that sunset. In about ten minutes, we're going to be in the dark."
"It appears the sun is disappearing into the river," she whispered. She turned to him. "I'm so glad we did this."
"The night is not over yet. In fact, we have a basket full of food."
"Did you bring s’mores?"
"Yes, I did for dessert," he said turning to smile at her.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. I haven't had s’mores since I was a little girl."
He tipped her glass to his. "To first dates."
She smiled and shook her head. "To first dates."
Yet, it didn't seem like a first date. For over two weeks every night he walked her home and every night on the way, they'd laughed and talked and gotten to know each other a little more. They were friends and he wanted to take it to the next level.
The sun slithered below the horizon just as a piece of firewood popped, sending sparks into the sky. "Are you hungry?"
"Starved," she responded. "What did you bring?"
"Well, it's not the gourmet meal you cooked me, but sliced chicken breasts with Brie, grapes and almonds and apples."
"That's perfect. A little protein, some fruit and nuts and who can forgo Brie cheese. I'm very impressed, Ryan."
"This seemed like the place for us to get to know each other better," he said, wanting to kiss her as the first stars appeared.
Instead, he reached into the basket and pulled out the food. He fed her red grapes. With a laugh, she took them from him.
"Remember how Max used to toss grapes in the cafeteria?"
"Oh yes, he got suspended. Hard to believe he played professional football," he said and then it struck him. "Didn't he and Meghan date in high school?"
"Oh yes," Taylor said, picking up a slice of the cheese and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Now she's the librarian and he's the football coach. Wonder if it's hard seeing each other all the time."
Taylor laughed and let him suck a grape from her fingertips. "She can't stand him. They had a misunderstanding that traumatized them both. Now she refuses anything to do with him."
"We were all kids. We made mistakes. I did," he said. "We were learning about relationships."
"Well, maybe you did. Remember, I didn't have a major boyfriend in high school. After college, I thought I had a relationship, but we know how that ended. I'm just not cut out for love and marriage."
"Maybe the right guy hasn't come long yet."
"And you're the right guy?" she asked staring at him.
That taunt was more than he could resist. He pulled her into his arms, unable to wait another moment to kiss. Their mouths centimeters apart and he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't know. But I'm willing to find out."
He fell back against the blanket, taking her with him.
"Maybe I'm not," she said.
"Or maybe you're scared," he replied, kissing along her ear.
A tremor went through her and he realized her issue. Fear of involvement with another man was keeping Taylor from him.
"Maybe," she said softly, her neck rolling to the side, giving him more access.
"We'll go slow," he whispered.
"How slow?" she asked.
"I won't hit a home run tonight," he said.
She giggled. "You won't even get to first base."
"Well, darn, I hoped to at least cop a feel."
She took his hand and placed it on her buttocks. "That's all you're getting."
"Not exactly what I hoped for, but I'll take whatever I can."
With that, he covered her mouth with his.
5
The next day, Taylor had awakened thinking about Ryan. The man made their first date memorable and fun, and good Lord, he'd left her hungering for him. Close to midnight, the cold night air forced them to pack up their picnic, put the blankets back in the storage shed, douse the campfire, and ride the ATV back to the house in the dark.
Being in the woods with shadows all around gave a unique atmosphere of both isolation and romantic ambiance. By far, being with Ryan was the most fun she'd ever had with a man. That left her more confused.
He and Kelsey had dated. They'd been an item in school and she couldn't think about hurting her friend. Tossing and turning, sleep had been elusive with thoughts of their night on his family's land and wondering what she should do. Finally, at dawn, she'd concluded that no man was wo
rth losing a girlfriend over.
She couldn't go out with Ryan. It would be breaking the girlfriend code.
The door to the restaurant opened and Jack walked in. "Good morning," he said, his voice upbeat and chipper.
"Morning," she said and hurried over to him. "How are you?"
"I'm doing all right. The sun is shining and it's a great morning."
"Wow, you're in a happy mood."
"My daughter called. She's coming to visit and bringing my granddaughter. I can't wait to see them," he said. "She's the spitting image of my Margaret."
"Wonderful," Taylor said, setting a cup of coffee in front of him. She waited until after the waitress took his order before she spoke. "Do they come often?"
"No. They live in Tennessee, so they only get out here about once or twice a year. She calls me on the phone every week, but I miss seeing them."
"You should go visit them," Taylor responded. "I always loved it when my parents dropped in on me at college."
"Oh no," he said. "I have to stay here and take care of the farm."
Taylor shook her head. He was such a lonely man that she felt sorry for him. She wanted him to find some kind of happiness. "Did you and Margaret ever talk about what was going to happen when one of you were gone? Do you ever think about remarrying?"
He laughed. "Margaret told me if I wanted to marry someone on the way home from the funeral, I had her blessing. She didn't want me to be alone."
"Have you considered dating?"
She couldn't imagine dating at his age, but people did it all the time and if it cured their loneliness, then more power to them.
"How?" he asked. "Most women my age are either happily married or they're man haters because someone did them wrong. And no, I'm not doing that computer matchmaking. I'd never trust a machine to find me a partner."
Nodding in agreement, she said, "I haven't tried meeting men online myself. I'm not in that big a hurry. You will be happy to hear that I went out last night with a man."
His brows rose. "How did it go?"
She sighed. "It was the best date I've ever been on. It wasn't fancy, but rather simple and he went to so much trouble to please me."
"Why do I sense a but coming." Jack laughed.
"Because, there are complications."
"Isn't there in every relationship?"
"Yes, but this is kind of touchy. How do you date a best friend’s ex?"
There was more to her reasons for not dating Ryan. Not only was he Kelsey's old boyfriend, but there was the fact he was a lawman, but the biggest reason - he made her feel more than any man she'd ever dated.
His pheromones had her body calling out a response that she wasn't ready to explore. If the last breakup had left her dazed and hurting, what would happen if Ryan ended their relationship?
Wouldn't it be better to end the dating before she had a chance of getting burned.
Jack started laughing. "You don't. But you want to, don't you? When you mention his name your eyes light up. You're not fooling me."
"Yes," she said. "There are other things against him as well. I just don't know."
"Does it matter what other people think?"
She stared at him and she could feel the frown on her face gathering like storm clouds on the horizon. "No. But I don't want to upset my bestie."
"Yet, you want to go out with this man."
"Yes."
"Then tell your friend. She should know you're attracted to her old boyfriend. Maybe she could help you."
"Oh no, I don't think so. Even after all these years, she doesn't like him."
Jack picked up his fork. "You should find out why they can't put the past behind them and move on. You need to seek out the truth from both of them."
It did seem strange that Kelsey, who said she never slept with Ryan, still hated him like the breakup was yesterday. "Enjoy your breakfast, Jack. I think you're right. I should ask some questions."
The day had been nonstop. A steady stream of customers kept Taylor busy in the kitchen. The weekly order of food supplies and meeting with the crazy butcher trying to meet his demands made the day pass in one big blur.
At four o'clock, Meghan walked through the door, her curly hair straight, dark circles under her eyes, her mouth pursed in a frown. Who said being a librarian was easy?
"I need a root beer float," she said, sinking down at one of the tables.
"Coming right up," Taylor said. They didn't have root beer floats on the menu, but when she returned to town, she'd stocked the necessary ingredients. A classic drink for her and her friends. It was good ole Texas comfort food.
Taylor placed the floats on the table and joined her friend. One of the best things about being in Cupid was spending time with her girlfriends.
"Tough day?"
"Since Coach Max rescued my naked ass, he thinks we should do all these school events together. As in organizing the spring dance next month. Crowning the Basketball Queen and now he volunteered us as Senior sponsors for next year. He's crawled up my butt so far, he'll need a flashlight to find his way out."
Taylor started giggling. She loved Meghan. This cute little redhead who wore glasses and looked like a Mensa candidate had a sailor's mouth on her. You never knew what would come out. Sometimes sweet and sometimes a mouthy sassiness that could make her ears burn.
"You shouldn't be laughing. This is all your fault."
"You two have been dancing around each other for months. The Cupid incident brought it all out in the open."
The couple had been hotter than firecrackers on the Fourth of July in high school. And even today, Taylor sensed there were fireworks being lit and was waiting on the big kaboom. But could they overcome their past?
"Well, I would have preferred to sweep Max and our history under the rug. I don't want to deal with the professional jock itch."
"Call his bluff. See if he really will tell the school board about the other night."
"It's not that. Max would never expose me. It's just...I told him the science teacher, Mr. Googly Eyes McBride, has been clingy and doesn't take no for an answer. So today in the teacher's lounge, right in front of the scientist, Max asked what time should he pick me up Friday night."
A private person, Meghan didn't like the spotlight on herself. She'd rather be the wall flower than the star.
"Did the science nerd get the message?" Taylor asked, knowing Meghan didn't want anyone talking about her and Max.
"Yes, it solved my problem with Googly Eyes McBride. More than half the teachers in school were in the lounge eating lunch and now Max and I are the gossips’ latest buzz."
The thing with Meghan was that sometimes she liked to play hard to get. But then again, Max and her had a past, a very difficult past. Taylor understood why Meghan wouldn't want the teachers thinking they were a couple.
"Wow, one problem solved, another created."
"Yeah, I feel like I'm wearing a sumo wrestler outfit and we're bouncing against one another. I'm scared to death there will be Velcro somewhere and we'll stick."
"Do you want me to put on a sumo outfit and you can practice with me?"
Her brows raised and she giggled. "You're nuts."
"Drink your root beer; it will calm you," Taylor said, wishing she could confide in Meghan about her date with Ryan. How much she'd enjoyed their simple evening together. How much she wanted to see him again. How much she enjoyed his kisses.
"Thanks," she said, “but I may need something stronger."
Taylor took a bite of the rich float, letting the ice cream slide down her throat. "What can you tell me about Kelsey and Ryan's break-up?"
"Good grief," Meghan said. "We're all back in Cupid. Sometimes I wake up and think we've returned to high school. Are we in a time warp?"
"No," Taylor said, shaking her head. "You're a librarian. I'm a cook."
"Don't make me rethink my career decision," Meghan said, tossing her auburn hair. "After days like today, being a rocket scientist might ha
ve been easier."
"I know," Taylor responded, wishing Meghan would answer her question. Sure, they'd all changed since that time years ago, but maybe they had more growing in their future.
For a few moments, they drank their root beer, but Taylor kept waiting for Meghan to tell why Kelsey hated Ryan. "What happened between Ryan and Kelsey?"
Meghan frowned at her over her root beer, studying her face, making Taylor's nerves tighten in her stomach.
"Something went wrong right after we graduated at an end of year party, but I don't know what. Her family whisked her out of town and took her on an expensive vacation to Italy as a graduation present. We didn't speak again for years," Meghan said. "Sorry, I guess I wasn't much help. Why are you asking?"
"Oh, I wondered what happened to the two of them. She hates him."
Meghan's eyes grew wide and she put her spoon down, cursing beneath her breath. "Oh no. You're dating him."
Taylor vigorously shook her head. "No. No, I'm not."
She lied. There had only been one date. They weren't official or anything. One wonderful evening spent together, nothing more.
Meghan sat across the table staring at her like snakes were crawling in her hair. "For some reason, I don't believe you."
"No, Ryan and I are not seeing each other."
After twenty years of friendship, losing Kelsey as one of her besties would devastate her, but being with Ryan was a temptation she was fighting.
Awaking this morning with thoughts of Taylor filling his head, his body tingling with need, Ryan was anxious to see her again. He didn't want to appear too eager or he feared frightening her away, but last night convinced him he wanted to pursue Taylor.
He wanted to pursue her, catch her, and reel her in, and he aimed to do just that.
Walking into the restaurant before the supper rush, he looked around not locating her. When he couldn't find her, he went into the back. Her employees smiled at him and pointed to her.
He saw her up on a ladder trying to pull down a container from an upper shelf. He hurried over and lifted the box out of her arms. She glanced down at him as she came down the steps. "Thanks."
