by Gina Wilkins
The band was good, he supposed, though their brand of wailing alternative rock wasn’t really to his taste. Give him country any day. Strait, Jackson, Brooks, some of the newer stuff by Chesney, Shelton, Florida Georgia Line. He still listened to some classic Diamond Rio occasionally, though he tended to avoid the memories their songs invoked. Jenny had loved their music back in the day. Did she still, or had her tastes become more sophisticated to suit her new status?
A few people drifted out onto the smallish dance floor, followed by a few more once that ice was broken. A slightly chubby guy with thinning hair and a winning smile paused by the table. “Hi, Tess. I thought that was you. How’s that boss of yours? Still a slave driver?”
She laughed. “Hi, Glenn. And yes, Scott will never change.”
“Would you like to dance? Unless your lucky friend here doesn’t want to share any of the lovely ladies at his table.”
Gavin chuckled.
Watching as Tess and Glenn moved to the dance floor, Stevie exhaled gustily. “That’s not going anywhere. No chemistry between them at all.”
“Okay, I have to ask. Why are you so hell-bent on fixing Tess up with someone?” Gavin asked with a bewildered shake of his head. “Seriously, she’s great-looking and seems nice enough. I wouldn’t think she’d need you to round up dates for her.”
Stevie wrinkled her nose. “You’d think. But she and Glenn weren’t joking about her boss. Tess works all the time. Even more than Jenny, and Jen’s a major workaholic. Tess has been saying she’s ready to get married and start a family, but she’s had trouble meeting anyone with her crazy hours. Online connections just aren’t working out for her so far, so I hoped maybe she could meet someone here tonight on her rare chance to mingle. Um, you said you’re single, right?”
Jenny groaned, but Gavin only laughed. “Yes, I’m single, and yes, I think Tess is great, but...”
“But no chemistry with her,” Stevie finished with another sigh.
He made a concerted effort not to look at Jenny. “Not that I’ve noticed, no.”
“Oh, well, if you change your mind, I’ve got her number.”
Jenny set her wineglass down with a thump. “Seriously, Stevie.”
Gavin thought it might be time to turn the tables on Jenny’s meddling friend. “So what about you and Joe Porkpie Hat? Seriously?”
Stevie had never been easily offended, and apparently that hadn’t changed. She merely spread her hands. “Yeah, I know, he’s kind of a nerd, but he’s a very talented musician. And he’s a lot of fun when he’s not trying to be the cool bass player, you know? When it’s just the two of us, or a few close friends, rather than a crowd like this.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
A new song started, a bit slower this time.
Gavin turned to look at Jenny, who was being very quiet. “How about it, Jen? Want to dance? For old times’ sake?”
She had always loved to dance. He couldn’t imagine that ever changing, no matter what else might be different about her now. Yet, she hesitated, leaving him to wonder if she’d tried and failed to find an acceptable reason to decline. Was she, too, afraid of the electricity he sensed sparking between them again?
He knew she’d been hurt by their breakup, maybe almost as much as he had, though that was hard to believe. He couldn’t blame her for not wanting to reopen those old wounds, any more than he did. And yet...
He stood and offered her his hand. “Just one dance?”
She placed her hand in his. “Just one,” she said.
He noticed that Stevie watched with a suspiciously smug smile as they walked toward the dance floor.
* * *
How could ten long years fall away in the space of only minutes? How could a decade of change and growth be forgotten with only the touch of a man’s hand, the warmth of his body next to hers? How could formerly hazy memories of long, passionate, wondrous nights be suddenly more real to her than the people surrounding them as Gavin took her in his arms on the dance floor?
Jenny closed her eyes with a touch of despair as the foolish questions flooded her mind, making her stumble a bit as he guided her into the dance. Opening her eyes and glancing up at him, she murmured an apology.
Stop this, Jenny. Stop it before you do something incredibly stupid.
“Stevie hasn’t really changed a bit, has she?” Gavin spoke with his mouth close to her ear to be heard over the music. His warm breath brushed her cheek, and she almost shivered, but managed to control herself.
“Of course she has. We’ve all changed in ten years.”
He eyed her a bit too closely, as if trying to read her expression. “Okay.”
“You’ve changed quite a bit, too,” she couldn’t help pointing out. “I’m sure some of your experiences as a police officer have left their mark on you, in addition to the scar on your shoulder.”
If he had other physical scars from his service, she hadn’t seen them, but then she’d been hesitant to look very closely. For various reasons.
“I’m sure you’re right,” he agreed equably. “It gets ugly at times.”
She had no doubt that was an understatement. Oddly enough, she was torn between wanting to hear more about his work and being reluctant to know the grim details. She shook her head. “The thing is, we’re all different now. We’ve all changed.”
“I’m kind of hoping that’s a positive thing.”
He was gazing into her eyes again, and once again her thoughts scattered. She tried desperately to keep them in line.
Sex, she told herself flatly. That was all this was about. She’d always had a somewhat primitive response to whatever pheromones Gavin put out, and apparently that was one thing that had not changed. It wasn’t as if she were unique in her response to him. Even women who looked quite happy to be with their own partners couldn’t help glancing Gavin’s way a time or two. There was something so very virile and masculine about him that no red-blooded woman of any age or eligibility status could help but notice.
Still, if he was getting ideas that there was still something between them, that their chance meeting at the cabin could lead to anything more, she needed to set him straight. Sure, they’d gotten along fine at the cabin, worked well as partners in cleaning up after the storm, shared a few meals. Shared an amazing kiss. But that was supposed to have been a kiss of goodbye, not the start of something new. And if she’d thought of that kiss a few times—more than few times—since, well, that, too, was only natural, right?
Perhaps a crowded dance floor wasn’t the ideal place to remind him that it was too late for them to try to recapture the past. It was bad enough that people who knew she was dating Thad were eyeing her curiously now, wondering about the identity of this sexy guy she was dancing with and talking with so intently. Did any of them know Thad well enough that they’d be on the phone to him soon, oh-so-casually asking if he knew what was going on? He wasn’t the jealous type, she acknowledged candidly, but she doubted he’d like being the subject of gossip.
Gavin’s hand moved at the small of her back, pressing very lightly inward to bring her an inch closer to him. She could have resisted; he didn’t hold her that tightly. But for just that one moment of weakness, she allowed her eyelids to go heavy, gave herself permission to simply enjoy the remainder of the dance without thought of what would come after. It was unlikely that she would ever dance with Gavin again. Might as well enjoy it while she could.
The music ended with a flourish of Joe’s bass guitar. Swallowing a regretful little sigh, she stepped back. “Gavin, do you think we could find someplace to talk? In private?”
Looking steadily at her, he nodded. “I think that can be arranged.”
She turned toward their table. Stevie had been joined by Sandy Powell and a couple of other women Jenny didn’t recognize, as well as two
guys who hung around the table, flirting, laughing. But she didn’t see Tess among the group. Was she still dancing with Glenn? No, there was Tess, hurrying toward them, a phone in her hand and a very familiar look on her face.
“I’m so sorry, Jenny.”
“Don’t tell me. His Majesty needs you again.”
Tess nodded somberly. “I’m afraid so. I have to leave. Do you want me to drop you off at your place on my way or...”
“I’ll drive her home,” Gavin cut in, his tone encouraging no argument.
Tess looked to Jenny for guidance.
Jenny moistened her lips. The thought of being driven home by Gavin made her entire body tighten with nerves. So many emotions still simmered between them. So many words that were probably best left unsaid after all these years. Yet, as she’d just told him, they needed to talk. Alone. She supposed this was as good a time as any.
She nodded. “That will be fine. Thank you, Gavin. Do what you have to do, Tess. But it wouldn’t hurt you to tell His Majesty that you deserve a night off every once in a while.”
“It’s not another break-in, is it?” Gavin asked with a frown, slipping into cop mode.
“No,” Tess assured him. “There’s been an incident at one of the job sites. My boss is out of town, and the foreman hasn’t been able to reach him. So they called me.”
“You’re on call during your off-hours?”
Tess chuckled drily. “I’m pretty much on call 24/7. It’s the downside of having made myself indispensable.”
Gavin lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe you should consider looking for another job?”
“I would, but...well, I love the one I have,” Tess confessed almost sheepishly.
Jenny smiled. “Not to mention that she pretty much runs the company. Her title might be office manager, but the whole place would go under without her. As Scott is the first to admit.”
Flushing a little, Tess shook her head. “That’s hardly true. Scott is a brilliant man. He just needs a little organizational assistance.”
She hurried away a few moments later to handle whatever crisis had occurred at ten o’clock on a Saturday night.
“How much later are you expected to stay at this thing?” Gavin asked Jenny.
Looking toward the gregarious Stevie again, Jenny made an on-the-spot decision. “I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”
At least she didn’t live far, so the drive wouldn’t take long. And she could have her little talk with him in the privacy of her apartment.
Stevie made no argument when they took their departure of her. In fact, she looked just a bit too pleased that Gavin had offered to drive Jenny home.
Jenny was definitely going to have to talk to Stevie tomorrow. She knew her friend wasn’t Thad’s biggest fan, but surely she wasn’t trying to deliberately sabotage the relationship by throwing Gavin in Jenny’s path. Why on earth would she think an ex-boyfriend from a spectacularly failed relationship would be a better match?
She and Gavin made their way through the crowded bar area near the exit door, then stepped out into the darkened parking lot. They could still hear the muted strains of Eleven Twenty-Five playing behind them. In front of them a steady stream of traffic traversed the road that ran past the restaurant, parallel to the river. Pebbles on asphalt crunched beneath their feet as they walked to Gavin’s truck. He didn’t speak, and she could think of absolutely nothing to say, either.
He opened the door for her, then held out a hand to give her a boost into the tall cab. She settled into the seat, arranged her dress around her legs and fastened her seat belt. Gavin climbed behind the wheel, slanted a smile at her that made her nerves flutter again, then started the engine. Country music blasted from the speakers before he quickly turned it off. Fortunately, it had been a new song and not one that carried any old baggage with it.
She gave him the name of her apartment complex and he nodded to indicate that he was familiar with it. He didn’t seem to be interested in conversing as he drove, so she settled back into the taut silence and mentally rehearsed a breezy, casual speech about how nice it had been to see him again, how she was glad they’d had a chance to put the hard feelings behind them, how she would always remember him fondly even as she went on with the hard-won life she’d been leading before they’d reconnected.
“You’ll turn right at the next light,” she said, mostly to ease the mounting tension.
“I know.” His tone wasn’t curt exactly, but there was an edge to it that made her aware she wasn’t the only one dealing with discomfort during this drive. She thought wistfully of how effortlessly he’d teased with Stevie and how comfortable he’d seemed with Tess, but there was entirely too much history between her and Gavin to allow them that easy interaction.
With a couple of cars stopped ahead of him, he braked for the red light, his fingers drumming restlessly on the steering wheel. She found herself mesmerized by the movement. The light must have changed and he eased forward. Because she was studying his strong hands instead of looking out the windshield, she didn’t see what happened next, but Gavin suddenly braked and pulled into the parking lot of the gas station on the corner. The station was closed for the night, but one other car was parked in the lot. She noticed someone standing outside the other vehicle—a woman, she thought, but it was hard to tell in the shadows under the yellow security lights.
She frowned toward Gavin. “Is something wrong?”
“Sit tight. I’ll be right back,” he promised, and slipped quickly out of the truck.
She watched as he approached the other car, his hands out in a nonthreatening position at his sides. Squinting, she saw that the woman was bent over, one hand on the top of her car and the other hand on her stomach. Either she was quite overweight, or...
Or pregnant, she realized suddenly. Despite Gavin’s instructions, she reached for her door handle and jumped out of the truck to see if there was anything she could do to help.
The woman was probably close to her own age, though it was hard to tell in the pale lighting. She leaned heavily against her car, crying, gagging and moaning while Gavin talked soothingly to her. To make things worse, Jenny could hear wails from the backseat of the car, at least two separate little voices. “What’s going on?”
Gavin had the woman by the elbows now, supporting her as he summed up succinctly, “She was stopped at the light ahead of us and had some sudden sharp pains and felt dizzy. She was able to pull in here and stop the car but now she’s in severe pain and nauseated. I told her I’m an off-duty cop and I’ll get her help. I’ve already called for an ambulance.”
He’d done all that in the brief minutes it had taken her to even see that someone was in trouble, Jenny realized. Still speaking in the same calming tone, he supported the woman while she was sick again beside the car, and he was apparently unfazed by the unpleasant situation.
Another shriek came from the car.
“My babies,” the woman gasped, taking a staggering step that way.
“My friend is going to check on the kids right after she grabs a blanket from behind the seat of my truck,” Gavin assured her with a glance at Jenny. “I need you to lie down until the ambulance gets here. Your kids are safe for now. They’re just frightened and upset.”
Jenny whirled toward the truck, located a plaid stadium blanket folded neatly behind the seat where Gavin had said it would be and whipped it out onto a relatively clean patch of pavement. She’d spotted a first-aid kit, too, but couldn’t imagine anything they’d need from that at the moment. Gavin was certainly prepared for anything, it seemed.
She helped him carefully lower the crying woman onto the blanket and then she opened the back driver’s side door of the woman’s car. Two children were strapped into car seats, the older a boy of maybe four, the younger no more than eighteen months, if that. Both were fighting their restr
aints and howling for their mother. It was late, and she was sure they were sleepy and scared. The baby—a girl—was closest to her, so she fumbled with the straps and buckles to take her out of the seat and cradle her soothingly as she hurried around to the other side of the car to comfort the little boy. The baby clung to her so tightly Jenny could hardly breathe. She patted the little back as she opened the second door to look in at the boy.
“It’s okay,” she assured him over the lessening wails of the baby in her arms. “My friend is a policeman and he’s helping your mommy. What’s your name?”
“M-Marcus,” he snuffled. “Can I get out?”
She wasn’t at all sure she could safely control two children in a parking lot this close to a street that, while mostly deserted at the moment, was often quite busy. The few cars that passed were driving too fast, and none bothered to stop to offer assistance. Unlike Gavin, most people didn’t instinctively leap to help strangers on the side of the road this late at night.
“Why don’t you stay in your seat just a little longer?” she suggested, bouncing the clinging baby, whose cries were down to a whimper now. “We’ll get you out just as soon as we can.”
The boy burst into shrieks of protest. “I want out. I want my mommy!”
The baby began to cry again, not as loud as before, but still sounding pitiful. She probably needed a diaper change, a bed and a familiar face, not necessarily in that order, and Jenny was helpless to comfort either of the unhappy siblings. Considering their mother was still crying loudly nearby, Jenny was close to bursting into tears of sympathy herself.
The sound of a rapidly approaching siren was the most beautiful music she had ever heard. Moments later, the ambulance was parked nearby and medics bustled around the woman in distress. Gavin appeared at the car door, giving Jenny an encouraging nod as he reached into the car to unbuckle the howling little boy much more easily than Jenny had freed the baby.
