The Time of Aspen Falls

by Marcia Lynn McClure

  Aspen giggled again—further enchanted by his flirting—by his hands at her waist. “Is that so?” she asked.

  “Yep!” he chuckled. “My sexy specs…well, they’re like a magical superpower or something.” He gathered her into his arms, all the while gazing down at her through the lenses of the glasses. “You won’t be able to resist me as long as I’m wearing them.”

  Secretly she wished he would just take the silly glasses off so she could better see the smolder of his dark eyes, but his flirting and teasing her about them were entertaining too.

  Gazing up into his handsome face, she breathed, “Okay.”

  He grinned. “Okay,” he said as his head descended toward hers.

  Aspen Falls determined she could spend her entire life kissing Rake Locker. His mouth crushed to hers, sending goose bumps rippling over her body. Her toes literally tingled as he coaxed her mouth to join his in a mingling of warm, moist savoring of affection.

  Seriously, she thought. I seriously could kiss him forever!

  How did she get here? How was it that she was standing in a clock shop, locked in the powerful arms of the most attractive man she’d ever known? How could he possibly have found something in her, something interesting enough to spend time with—interesting enough to kiss?

  Aspen gasped, drawing a deep breath as he broke the seal of their lips. Taking hold of her waist, he effortlessly lifted her, setting her on the top of his work bench. Rake smiled—a truly roguish smile—and stripped the sexy specs from his face, tossing them aside. He took her face between his powerful hands, gazing into her eyes. She could’ve sworn she saw the flicker of tiny flames leaping in the deep brown of his eyes as he studied her face for a moment. She let her hands cling to his forearms, trying to hold on—to hold onto her self control. She stared at his mouth—swallowed when the thought of his kiss caused hers to flood with excess moisture.

  Rake tipped Aspen’s head back—lowered his mouth toward the soft curve of her throat. Inhaling deeply the fragrant scent of her skin, he allowed his lips to trail over the flesh of her neck, pausing to kiss her now and then. He felt her tremble and smiled—pleased he was able to effect such a reaction from her. Maybe his sexy specs really did hold some bewitching power! He released her face, letting his arms go around her, pulling her body against his as his lips lingered at her neck just below her ear. No doubt Aspen assumed he was teasing her—kissing her neck and cheek in order to increase her desire that he pay more attention to her mouth—but it wasn’t true. He needed a moment—a reprieve—in order to settle himself, to rein in his self-control. His thoughts and desires toward Aspen Falls surprised even him, and he had to retrench—fortify his willpower. He felt his own hands trembling as he held her—wondered if his heart might burst from his chest if it didn’t settle its hammering rhythm soon. He was considering—considering he might take a chance on Aspen Falls—might endeavor to trust her with his affections—even his heart. He paused in his contemplation to do so and drew back from her, studying her face for a moment. Should he leap? Should he just go for it—throw caution and all his previous experience to the wind?

  She placed a soft palm against his whiskery cheek—let her thumb trace his lips—and Rake made a decision. He’d take a chance on her! Not just because she heated his blood—not just because she stoked a fever in him that started in his chest and fanned out through his whole body. He liked the way she smiled—the way he kept wishing their conversations would never have to end. He liked her voice—liked to hear it reciting that sappy poem her mother named her after. He liked that she was fun—made him feel more alive. Rake realized in those moments just how much he liked Aspen Falls. Yep, he liked her enough to take a chance.

  “You’re right about those glasses,” she whispered, smiling at him.

  “Am I?” he asked, grinning with triumph.

  “Yeah,” she breathed.

  Rake heard the Westminster clock on the wall chime the half hour. Fifteen minutes, he decided. He’d limit their kissing to fifteen minutes—until he heard the next chime. Surely he could stay in control for fifteen more minutes—long enough to really drink of the passion growing between them but short enough to keep himself in check. Rake grinned at Aspen. He knew he couldn’t keep his mouth from hers any longer. So—he didn’t.

  

  As Aspen sat in the pickup nestled against Rake’s strong form, she sighed with pure contentment. She couldn’t believe how tired she was—how entirely satisfied she felt. What a day it had been! Balloons at sunrise, picking piñons at noon, dinner at dusk, and kissing Rake intermittently through it all. Could he really like her as much as it appeared he did?

  She glanced up at him, studying his unearthly attractiveness. Surely he didn’t like her as much as she liked him. Yet she wondered if maybe he did. It wasn’t just the kissing or even the activities they’d enjoyed together over the past couple of weeks. It was everything, including the way he treated her in front of his family—as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her to be with them.

  Aspen could feel her heart literally adhering to Rake—dreaming of being with him forever—and it was dangerous. She knew it was. Still, she knew she couldn’t tear herself away from him. In the beginning she’d wondered if maybe she should heed the warnings in her brain—the silent murmurs telling her he would turn out to be a jerk. But now—now she had slipped beyond rational thought. He was wonderful, and she was secretly considering surrendering—surrendering to the idea of letting things play out—wondering if it was worth the risk of total emotional annihilation.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

  Aspen giggled. “Just thinking how glad I am that you didn’t turn out to be a serial killer.”

  He smiled, shook his head, and said, “Well, as glad as I am for the acquittal…I was kind of hoping you were considering whether or not I’m worth the risk.”

  “Worth what risk?” she asked—although his ability to follow the same line of thought she did was uncanny!

  He hit the brakes, pulling to the side of the road in a cloud of dust.

  “The risk,” he said, looking at her. “Let’s face it. There’s always a certain amount of risk involved…when you start going out with somebody—a risk of disappointment, betrayal, heartache. Do you think I’m worth the risk?”

  She couldn’t respond—only sat staring at him, astonished at his forthrightness.

  “At least I’m a good kisser,” he said, grinning at her, attempting to soften the question perhaps. When she didn’t immediately answer, he frowned and asked, “Aren’t I?”

  Aspen blushed scarlet, clear to her toes. Of course he was a good kisser. Fabulous! Magnificent! A true master! Was he kidding?

  “How can I possibly answer that without incriminating myself?” she asked.

  He chuckled. “You’re a good kisser…and I ain’t afraid to say it,” he said.

  “That’s because you’re a boy,” Aspen said, smiling at him. “Boys can say stuff like that and not get in trouble.”

  “A boy?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

  Aspen giggled, delighted with his offense. “A man, then.”

  “A man worth taking a risk with?”

  Aspen paused and smiled at him. At last she breathed, “Yeah.”

  Rake smiled, leaned over, and kissed her softly on the lips.

  He shifted into first and said, “Good. Then hang on, baby! I’m gonna take you on the ride of your life.”

  As he peeled out, sending dust and gravel kicking up behind the truck, Aspen drew a deep breath—a breath of courage. The ride of her life? With Rake Locker at the wheel, she had no doubt it would be exactly that.

  Chapter Twelve

  October waned, and November settled in crisp and cool. As Aspen sat at a booth in Blake’s Lotaburger waiting for Gina to return from the bathroom, she sighed. In that moment of waiting—lingering with nothing to do—she let her mind wander over the events of the past couple of months. It all se
emed like a dream—meeting Rake, their first date, their many, many, many days and evenings together since. In those quiet moments, the kind she rested in now, she still couldn’t believe he’d chosen her—couldn’t believe she was Rake Locker’s girlfriend! Even just thinking of him caused goose bumps to prickle her arms.

  She thought of Thanksgiving, the week before—how delighted her family had been to meet him, how friendly and personable and how comfortable he’d appeared to be. It seemed as if he belonged there—right there—at their family table. Her family had adored him, naturally. Who couldn’t? She smiled when she thought of the look on her mother’s face when Rake had offered to help with the dishes after dinner.

  “You slaved over cooking the meal, Mrs. Falls,” he’d told her. “You shouldn’t have to clean it up too.”

  Aspen had wondered if Rake were just trying to score some big-time brownie points with her mom. Yet when she heard him explaining to her mother that his own dad always made sure his mom didn’t have to clean up after working so hard over a meal, well, she realized it was just another positive notch in Rake’s already uniquely good character. He’d spent some time watching football with her dad and brothers that evening—even played with their dog for a few minutes. Yep—he’d won over her family without any effort at all.

  Over the past weeks, Aspen had also gotten over the waiting—waiting for Rake to turn into some egotistical jerk. She’d prejudged him just because he was gorgeous. He was just as humble, kind, and wonderful as he appeared to be. The truth of what he actually was in contrast to what she had expected him to be had taught Aspen a valuable lesson: be careful in judging.

  The one thing that had turned out to be a little difficult for Aspen to deal with was the reaction of other women to Rake. She’d been absolutely mortified at the brazen attitudes of some of the women who had crossed their path when she and Rake were together. One waitress had the audacity to proposition Rake while Aspen was sitting right there!

  They’d just finished their meal, and the waitress, a striking brunette about Aspen’s age, had handed Rake the check and a napkin with her phone number on it.

  “Call me anytime,” she’d said. The waitress had winked at Rake and smiled, totally ignoring the fact that Aspen sat right across from him.

  She’d winked at Rake again and walked away, hips swinging like a pendulum. At first, Aspen thought Rake was unaffected—so used to having women hand him their phone numbers that the incident hadn’t even rattled him at all. Still, when he’d left cash for the ticket amount, completely stiffing the waitress of any tip, Aspen knew he had been affected—silently perhaps, but affected all the same. Rake was a great tipper, and Aspen knew the waitress had ticked him off.

  The waitress had been one in a very long line of forward women—women hitting on Rake with brazen abandon. Then there were the “Ogling Olgas,” as Gina had dubbed them. The Ogling Olgas weren’t as forward and pushy, but they could disturb Aspen all the same. The Ogling Olgas unashamedly stared at Rake—entirely unguarded and casting propriety to the wind, as if he were a big ice cream sundae smothered in hot fudge. What unnerved Aspen about the Ogling Olgas was the fact she knew darn well they were all thinking the same thing: What’s that gorgeous guy doing with that girl? How did a girl like that snag a guy who looks like him? Yep—that’s what they were all thinking. Aspen knew they were thinking it because she would’ve been thinking the same thing. Still, the Ogling Olgas were easier to deal with in a way. They were basically harmless for one thing. And for another—well, in her secret-most self, Aspen could admit she liked the fact Rake sent the hearts of women to hammering. It made her feel okay about being so incredibly attracted to him.

  Aspen bit her lip as she thought of hers and Rake’s wild attraction to one another. At that very moment, her mouth flooded with moisture at the thought of kissing him. They’d kissed so much—almost every day for the past month—and still she felt thirsty for his mouth to mingle with her own. Sometimes her physical desires toward Rake frightened her. They were so strong—so overwhelming! Yet she’d set her standards long ago, and apparently so had he, for they each knew when enough had to be enough—for the moment.

  In an attempt to satisfy her hunger for Rake’s kiss at that moment, Aspen snitched one of Gina’s remaining seasoned fries. It did little to gratify her, however, and she glanced to the restroom door, wondering where the heck Gina was.

  Snitching another one of Gina’s fries, Aspen smiled. Everything seemed brighter, more wonderful, more hopeful, and simply fabulous. She was Rake Locker’s girlfriend! She still couldn’t believe it, but it was true—and she loved him! Aspen loved Rake deeper and more obsessively than she could ever have imagined loving anyone before meeting him. She often daydreamed about marrying him. Of course, nobody knew about that except Gina, and Gina was sure it would happen. Without any hint of owning doubt, Gina was Aspen’s biggest advocate for the future being perfect—for the future forever including Rake.

  Aspen shook her head and snuck another seasoned fry. What would she do without Gina? What a loyal, loving friend she was. Aspen wished the right UPS man would come along and sweep Gina off her feet. And maybe he would. Maybe the mystery UPS guy—the one Gina had seen at her mother’s house and at the bookstore—the one Aspen and Gina had seen at the Special Shapes Rodeo, riding in the new UPS balloon—maybe he’d show up one day and just whisk Gina away.

  Oddly, both Aspen and Gina had begun to wonder if the handsome, wavy-haired UPS man were truly meant to be in their lives somehow, for Gina had seen him multiple times since the Special Shapes Rodeo—and in the strangest places. There was the park-and-ride incident. When Gina had stopped to pick up her brother, the handsome UPS guy had been there picking up someone himself, still wearing his uniform but lacking his signature UPS truck. Then there had been the time Gina had seen him dropping something off at the gift shop next to the urgent care where she worked. All in all, Gina had seen the same guy almost weekly since the Special Shapes Rodeo. Still, Gina’s broken heart feared meeting him.

  “What if he turns out to be a total jerk like Nick?” Gina had asked only the day before.

  “I used to think that about Rake,” Aspen had told her.

  Still, Gina had insisted Rake was different—the only exception to the rule that all handsome men were cruel jerks.

  “Sorry,” Gina said, sliding into the red vinyl seat across from Aspen.

  Interrupted from her musings, Aspen shook her head. “Are you okay? You were gone a long time,” she said.

  “I got an eyelash in my eye,” Gina explained, picking up one of her seasoned fries and popping it in her mouth. “It got all the way up under my eyelid, and I couldn’t get it. It was killing me!”

  “Ew! I hate when that happens,” Aspen said.

  “What were you thinking about just now?” Gina asked.

  Aspen shrugged. “Just stuff.”

  “Just stuff, meaning sexy man Rake Locker, no doubt.” Gina giggled, smiling at her ability to read Aspen’s thoughts.

  “Maybe,” Aspen said.

  “Oh, go on! It’s all you think about anymore…and I don’t blame you one bit.” Gina sighed and ate another fry. “If he was mine…I wouldn’t want to think about anything else. Why bother?”

  “I-I just still have trouble believing he likes me,” Aspen admitted.

  Gina sighed, exasperated. She rolled her eyes dramatically. “You’ve got to be kidding,” she exclaimed. “I mean…his lip prints are permanently adhered to yours! I mean…if the cops were going to try and solve a case using lip prints, they wouldn’t be able to tell whose lips were yours and whose lips were his! You guys spend so much time kissing, you’re starting to look more like Angelina Jolie than Aspen Falls.”

  Aspen laughed. Gina was so random! “Cops? Using lip prints to solve a case? Angelina Jolie?” She picked up her cup and straw-slurped the last few drops of her chocolate shake.

  “Yeah! You know how her lips always look swollen…like she’s a su
cker fish or something.”

  Aspen laughed so hard she snuffed chocolate shake into her sinuses.

  “I mean, seriously…you guys make out that much,” Gina said, apparently unaffected by Aspen’s near drowning in chocolate shake.

  Aspen coughed and wrinkled her nose at the burning inside it.

  “We do not,” she giggled.

  “You do too!” Gina countered. “And I’d think there was something wrong with you if you weren’t kissing him every chance you got! He’s absolutely one of the hottest—”

  Aspen coughed again and frowned when Gina’s sentence trailed off into silence, her eyes wide as saucers as she looked past Aspen to the restaurant door. The color had literally drained from her face, and she held a seasoned fry midair between the table and her mouth.

  “No stinking way,” she breathed.

  “What?” Aspen asked in a whisper.

  “It’s him! It’s the hottie-with-the-naughty-body UPS guy!” Gina said.

  “Here?” Aspen asked.

  “Right behind you. He’s walking up to the counter as we speak!”

  “He must be on lunch!”

  “He’s ordering,” Gina whispered. “A Lota Combo…with double green chili and bacon! No way!”

  “How do you know he ordered that?” Aspen asked.

  “I can see the order monitor from here.”

  “That’s exactly what you order.”