Eyes shining, he held out a hand. “Ready, Seri?”
“Oh, um. Sure.” She grabbed her purse and locked her door. And then took his proffered arm as they slowly walked down the flight of stairs to the parking lot. To her amazement, he shortened his stride to keep pace with her. And opened her door with ease before hopping into the driver’s side of his truck.
The minute his door closed, she smelled his cologne.
She eyed him again. “So, you seem awfully dressed up today.” Tension knotted her insides as she attempted to figure out the reason why. “Do, ah…you have plans?”
“I do.”
Well, she should have expected that, Serena supposed. Jarred had never been the type of man to sit around and do nothing. “With Veronica?”
“No.” He glanced her way as he stopped at a streetlight. “I told you she and I didn’t suit.”
“She told me that, too. Sorry, I don’t know why I ask things like that…” Her voice drifted off as an uncomfortable silence began to rise between them. Who was he dating now? She wondered. And wished she didn’t care.
When he pulled into the library parking lot, she turned to him and smiled as best she could. “Well, thanks so much for dropping me off.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes. I’m not just dropping you off, Seri. I’m walking in with you, too.”
For all his good looks, he sure seemed more irritated with the world than usual. “That’s not necessary.”
“I think differently. Now sit here while I act like a gentleman.”
So she let him walk around and get her door. She took his hand when he held it out. And did her best to push everything she’d ever dreamed about away.
Regrets held no place in her life. She was going to get through things just fine. It was a good thing that she and Jarred were back to being buddies again.
It was just terrific. Friends were hard to come by, and he was one of the best. Definitely.
And, shoot. There was a real good chance that in time—maybe in a year or two—she’d be able to look at Jarred and not think about kissing him.
She’d see his smile and hardly remember when he’d smiled at her in the shower.
One day, she’d see him escort some pretty thing to dinner or to a dance…and she’d almost feel no jealousy.
One day. Yes, one day she was going to feel all those things, for sure.
The main room of the library was a cool, welcome change from the muggy heat outside. But the quiet was startling. Lunch hour was one of their busiest times of the day. “Where is everybody?”
“Hannah closed up for a while.”
“What?”
“Don’t get all excited. She’s going to open back up at two.”
“But…that’s not allowed.”
“So? She did.”
“But…what will the patrons think?”
“Most likely that they’ll have to come back tomorrow,” he said almost too patiently.
Serena examined him again. And noticed that his usual air of confidence was firmly back into place. Whatever tug-of-war he’d been waging with himself had finally ended.
Now he looked to be firmly in charge again.
She was just curious enough about what had happened to walk forward when he tugged on her hand a bit.
“Seri, come on over here, would you? I want to show you something.”
There was a time to argue, and there was a time to follow directions. Serena decided to keep her mouth shut and follow.
Back behind the stacks was a little table, covered in a white tablecloth. Sitting neatly on top were two china place settings, complete with linen napkins and champagne glasses.
It was beautiful.
“Jarred Riddell, what are you up to?”
“I’m having a little graduation ceremony, of course.”
“For who?”
“For whom, you mean? For me, of course.” He opened up a cooler that was off to the side and withdrew a bottle of champagne and two slices of chocolate cake.
He pulled out her chair. “Seri, the truth is, I’m so fancy, I ain’t hardly good for regular company no more.”
She took her seat and watched him. “Is that right?”
“Mmm-hmm.” With a few deft motions, he uncorked the bottle and filled their glasses. As the sparkling wine shimmered in the crystal, he sat down across from her.
Feeling a little at a loss of what to do, she unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap. And waited.
But not for long.
Looking especially pleased, Jarred picked up one delicate glass and held it up in the air. “Cheers, Serena,” he said huskily. “Here’s to me.”
“Cheers,” she echoed, then sipped. As she’d expected, the wine was ice-cold and refreshingly dry. Expensive.
“Now try the cake. I baked it myself.”
She almost believed him. Carefully, she took an experimental bite. Instantly, rich, dark chocolate exploded in her mouth. “It’s wonderful.”
“I thought so.”
He looked so smug, she laughed. “This is quite the event. Want to tell me why you picked the library?”
He leaned back in his chair. “There’s a couple of reasons. One, I needed someplace to set things up and my house wouldn’t do. I swear, it’s like Grand Central Station these days.”
“And two?”
“We had our lessons here, so it made sense. Plus, well, I like seeing you in the library.” His voice lowered, became softer. “Fact is, it makes me happy to see you here.”
Her heart started beating a little faster. “And three?”
He sipped his wine again, then set down the glass. “And three…”
She leaned forward. “Yes?”
“I guess I just wanted you to be pleased with me,” he murmured as he rested his elbows on the table. Just as she’d taught him not to do.
His blue eyes met hers. “Seri, are you pleased, honey?”
Her mouth had gone dry. “Uh-huh.”
“I’m glad. Which brings us to four.”
“Four? How many points do you have, Jarred?”
He shook his head slightly, as though he was out of patience with himself. “As many as it takes for me to finally tell you that you’re special to me. That you’re everything to me.”
“Jarred?”
He held up five fingers. “Shoot. I still can’t spit it out. What I’m saying is that you’ve always had my heart, Serena. I love you. I love you a lot…it’s, ah, just taken me a while to remember that it’s okay to love. And, well, I’m hoping that one day you’ll love me, too.”
He loved her? She had his heart? This was the stuff her dreams were made of. She bit her bottom lip. “Do you have any more points to make?”
He looked at her lips for a brief moment then slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so. Fact is, I’ve been so busy laying my heart out to you I forgot to keep count. I love you, Serena, I love you and I want you in my life for good. I want to kiss you in the shower and I want to take you out to dinner. I want to hold your umbrella in the rain, and I want to listen to you read to our children. I want to be able to look at you in the moonlight and have my head wrapped in so many memories of our life together, that even more time with you feels like a gift. So, what do you say, Serena Higgens? Want to be my girl? Forever?”
Her eyes grew damp. “Jarred Riddell, that was almost poetic.”
“Oh, yeah?” He looked pleased. Standing up, he walked over to her and held out a hand.
When she took it, he guided her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and said, “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I had one heck of a charm-school teacher. She taught me well.”
Resting her palms on his chest, she looked up at him. Up at those blue eyes she knew so well. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh.” With care, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly. Taking his time, as if they had a lifetime to kiss and hold each other. “Actually…just about everything I’ve ever needed to know…I l
earned from you, Serena Higgens.”
“Then, I suppose, my job here is done,” she whispered. Then Jarred kissed her again. Right there in library. Right there in the middle of Electra, Texas.
Where Serena Higgens had always been. Waiting for him.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8962-2
MY FAVORITE COWBOY
Copyright © 2011 by Shelley Sabga
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My Favorite Cowboy Page 19
