Sandy laughed, recognizing what he was really doing beneath the humor and innuendo—giving her an out if she was feeling uncomfortable. He was incredibly sweet and perceptive that way. She appreciated it more than he probably knew, but she figured she could hold her own for a while. She and Tori got along well, and while she didn’t know Sam very well, her easygoing, down-to-earth vibe suggested they would get along too.
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll wait and be wowed with everyone else.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself, but you’ll see. You’ll be begging me for it later.”
He walked away, whistling, his gait both cocky and hypnotic. Her eyes were drawn to his broad shoulders and fine backside once again, thinking that, yes, she probably would be begging at some point. Heat rushed into her face when she turned back and found Sam and Tori grinning at her. Thankfully, they didn’t call her out on it.
“Looks like the guys have everything under control,” Sam said. “Let’s head into the shade and relax while they argue over who has the bigger tools.”
Sandy laughed and followed behind her. “Do they do that a lot?”
“Constantly. I think it’s a guy thing.”
They sat down at one of the tables that had been set up in the gazebo. Kevin and Danny were on the far side, building something while Danny chattered on.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard Danny talk so much,” Sam observed a short while later.
“He only does that around Kevin,” Tori told her. “He told me today that Kevin is his best friend.” She turned to Sandy. “I’m so glad you decided to give us a try. Having Kevin around is doing wonders. He’s really bringing Danny out of his shell. He’s made some friends in Pine Ridge, but they’re mostly younger, and he doesn’t get to see them as often.”
“Danny’s good for Kevin too. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’ve seen some positive changes just in the last few weeks since I’ve known him.”
Sam’s eyes widened slightly. Clearly, neither Tori nor Heff had mentioned anything about her situation, which she found refreshing. She’d been the subject of small-town gossip for so long; she’d become accustomed to people openly sharing and commenting on her life.
What had happened wasn’t exactly a secret though, and Sandy found herself explaining a little about the circumstances that had brought Kevin to her. Tori had already known most of the story anyway, and Sam was a lot like Tori in that she was very easy to talk to.
“Wow,” Sam said when Sandy finished. “So, you don’t know where your father or Kevin’s mom are?”
“Our father’s in jail,” Sandy said, unable to keep the bitterness completely from her tone, “and we thought we had a lead on Kevin’s mom, but it was outdated. She was gone by the time I called.”
“Maybe you should ask Cage,” Sam suggested thoughtfully. “He’s really good at tracking people down.”
Her eyes darkened momentarily, and Sandy recalled some of what Heff had told her—how one of the guys had used his digital skills to figure out where Sam’s kidnapper had taken her. Sandy guessed that guy was Cage. She made a mental note to talk to Heff about it later.
“Maybe I will, thanks.”
After a delicious lunch of grilled meats and veggies, Heff offered to take her and Kevin on a tour of the place. Sam and Tori encouraged her to go. Kevin and Danny were engrossed in their building project, and with Tori’s assurances that she’d keep an eye on both boys, it was just Sandy and Heff.
Once they entered the forest and were out of view, Heff backed her up against a tree and kissed her, a soul-searing meeting of lips, teeth, and tongue that made her forget everything else.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he admitted softly.
She had too. That, and a whole lot more. But they were both showing remarkable restraint. If she hadn’t felt the hard proof of his arousal against her belly or seen the way his eyes blazed with heat, she might have doubted him. As it was, she was just incredibly turned on.
With a heavy sigh and obvious reluctance, he stepped back and curled his fingers around hers. “Right. Tour. Now.”
She chuckled softly, taking pleasure in his single-worded sentences and the knowledge that he was every bit as affected as she was. “You sure?” she asked, the ache in her core making her bold. “Because I have this fantasy about sex in the woods—”
She didn’t get to finish that thought before she was up against another tree, and his lips were covering hers, even as his fingers were slipping into her shorts.
“Goddamn it.” He groaned as his fingers stroked between her legs. “You’re so fucking hot. So fucking wet. And so fucking close, aren’t you?”
She was close. Embarrassingly so. Being around Heff did that to her. The self-care she’d been giving herself every night didn’t begin to satisfy the hunger he’d created, and watching him discreetly over the course of the afternoon hadn’t helped.
She grabbed on to his shoulders, curled her hips, and met his rhythm, moaning when he slipped one and then two fingers inside her and hit that perfect spot. He added the pressure of his thumb on her clit, and she exploded with a silent scream against his neck.
He held her tight against him, stroking gently as he brought her down.
“If you expect me to control myself, you can’t talk about your fantasies when we’re alone in a forest, Sandy. There’s not a tree here I won’t fuck you against.”
His voice was rough, husky, like the calloused fingers that had just brought her so much pleasure. He withdrew his hand, and with his eyes locked with hers, he licked his fingers. It was one of the most erotic things she’d ever seen, and just like that, her arousal revved right back up.
“My turn.” She licked her lips and reached for him, but he stepped quickly out of her reach and shook his head.
“Oh, no.”
He was bigger than her. Stronger. Faster. She couldn’t physically manhandle him with the same ease of effort he had done to her. So, she chose another tactic.
She dropped to her knees and looked up at him, letting him see just how much she wanted him. “Yes.”
She could see him warring with himself. What he wanted versus what he thought he should do.
“Please, Heff.”
Her secret fantasies hadn’t been only about him getting her off, but also about her doing the same to him. As wonderful as he made her feel, she craved the rush that came from making him lose control just as much. To see his eyes fill with lust, to feel his body tense and flex, to hear his breath and heartbeat get faster and heavier as she explored and enjoyed.
She knew the exact moment when he made a decision. His eyes darkened, and he stepped forward, tangling his fingers in her hair while she made quick work of undoing his jeans. He hissed as she released his cock and wrapped her hand around his solid thickness. He was so hot, so hard, the tip already glistening.
“Ah, fuck, Sandy.”
She wasted no time, wrapping her mouth around as much of him as she could. She sucked and licked and stroked with singular focus. He must have needed it every bit as she had because, in mere minutes, he was pulling her hair and coming hard down her throat.
“That was ...”
“Incredible,” she finished for him, licking her lips.
“Not part of the plan.” He exhaled and refastened his jeans. Then, he pulled her up for another soul-searing kiss. “I want to take this slow, Sandy. I want to do it right.”
“Doing it right is doing whatever works for us. And this? This definitely works for us.”
“Can’t argue with that.” He kissed her again—this time, sweet and tender. “Now, are you ready for the rest of the tour, or do you want me to bend you over that fallen tree and fuck you senseless?”
“Are you actually giving me a choice?”
He groaned. “No. Let’s go.”
He grabbed her hand and tugged her forward. He showed her the path that would eventually connect Sanctuary to Danny’s Happy Trail Ranch, p
roviding off-road access on horseback. They emerged on the far side of the pond, and Heff pointed out outbuildings in various states of disrepair as well as the trailers most of them lived in and the cabin they’d fixed up for Smoke and Sam.
“It’s really beautiful here,” she told him as they concluded their tour and approached the gazebo.
“It is,” he agreed. “But it’s not for everyone.”
No, it wasn’t, herself included. It was peaceful and quiet and scenic, but it held none of the energy of the big city. Strangely enough, the idea of moving to New York didn’t seem quite as appealing as it had. Much of that could probably be attributed to the man walking beside her and not the area itself.
“What about you?”
He looked down at her, his lips holding the ghost of a smile. “For me? It’s perfect.”
Was he talking about her or about the area? He seemed far too ... vital ... for such a sleepy little place or to be satisfied with someone like her for any length of time.
She told him as much, “You don’t think you’ll get bored?”
“No, not anytime soon.” He grinned, an added silent reassurance to the meaningful squeeze he gave her hand. “And as for this place, it’ll take years to realize Church’s vision. Besides, I’ve already seen and done more things than most people do in a lifetime. I’m good.”
She envied him those experiences, those opportunities. Despite the undeniable chemistry between them, they were as far apart on the spectrum of life experiences as they could get. He’d traveled, seen places, done things. She hadn’t.
A sense of uncertainly rippled through her. As wonderful as it felt being with him, were they making a mistake in trying to take things beyond the purely physical and into something more? The more time she spent with him, the more time she wanted to spend with him, but she hadn’t planned on it becoming a long-term thing. Her end goals hadn’t changed. What would happen when her universe finally aligned, and it came time for her to leave?
She didn’t want to think about that. Short-term, they were in a good place, taking things day by day. As long as she kept things in perspective, there was no reason not to make the most of it. Besides, the way things were going, it didn’t look as if she’d be leaving anytime soon.
“Hey, you okay? Where’d you go?” he asked, concern coloring his lovely green eyes.
She summoned a smile. “Nowhere. I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Stuff.”
“Got it. Mind my own business.”
She laughed. “No, it’s not that. I just don’t know what’s going to happen, you know? I had all these plans, and now, I’m in this holding pattern until something shakes loose. I love my brother—don’t get me wrong—but living in Sumneyville and working two part-time jobs ... not exactly my life goals.”
He considered that for a moment. “What do you need to move forward?”
“I’d like to get in touch with Kevin’s mom because I have no idea what’s going through her mind. Like, did she walk away permanently, or is this a break to get herself together? A lot of what I do next will depend on that. That reminds me ... Sam said something about Cage being good at finding people. Do you think he’d help me track down Kevin’s mother?”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Heff
“I don’t see why not,” Heff replied.
Cage was a good guy, and he was damn good at ferreting out information and finding people who didn’t want to be found. The problem was, Heff wasn’t sure he wanted Cage to find Kevin’s mom. It could change things, and he liked the way things were going.
He hadn’t been lying when he said he liked the area. He did. He also believed wholeheartedly in the Sanctuary project and wanted to see it realized. But he’d always figured that after that happened, he’d be ready to move on.
Now, he wasn’t so sure. Meeting Sandy had changed things, and he was beginning to think that sticking around wasn’t such a bad thing.
He was thinking other things too. Crazy things. Like having a real relationship for the first time in his life. Sandy was the first woman who’d ever made him think it was possible.
Granted, that was selfish on his part, but it was what it was. He wasn’t a complete asshole though. Holding on to something that didn’t want to be held never ended well.
“Let’s ask him.”
“Right now?”
“Why not? No time like the present. Plus, he’s probably got a few of those lagers in him by now. I don’t think he’d refuse you anything.”
They found Cage in the pavilion, sitting back with a beer, playing with something on his phone, his face a mask of concentration.
“Hey, Cage. Got a sec?”
He put his phone facedown on the table and sat up. “Sure thing. What’s up?”
“Sandy could use some help with something.”
Heff sat back, watching and listening as Sandy shared what little she knew, including the information about a hotel down in Florida. It sounded to him like Kevin’s mom was taking more than just a break, but he didn’t say so.
Cage agreed to help without hesitation.
The afternoon turned mellow. Good food, good weather, and great company made Heff feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time—content. He looked over at Sandy, who looked up at the same time and smiled, and he was glad that she seemed to be enjoying herself too.
The boys had built an incredible contraption out of a pile of colorful plastic pieces, but Danny grew bored after a while and wanted to make s’mores, so Brian took him toward the forest to find some good sticks. Kevin hung back, intently focused on drawing something, while Sandy sat nearby, sipping iced tea, looking more relaxed than he’d seen her. Of course, he was going to take some credit for that.
“Sandy, you studied graphic design, right?” Tori asked.
She nodded.
“Have you seen our website for the ranch?”
“Yes, that’s how I was able to contact you.”
“Would you mind telling me what you thought of it? No pressure. I’d just like to hear your professional opinion.”
Sandy smiled. “I’m hardly a professional. I’m a part-time waitress and a secretary, remember?”
“Yes, but one with a degree and a job offer with one of the biggest design firms in New York City,” Tori answered, pride obvious in her voice.
That was news to Heff. He knew she’d had a job lined up in the city, but she hadn’t seemed like she wanted to talk about that, so he hadn’t pressed.
Sandy shifted, looking slightly uncomfortable with the attention and interest now directed her way. “Yes, but as you know, that didn’t work out.”
“But you designed those gorgeous menus at Franco’s, right?” Sam asked. “And you do a great job with all the stuff for the township—website, newsletter, public announcements—don’t you?”
Sandy sipped her tea, a red hue now creeping up the delicate column of her neck. “Yes.”
“Then, I’d say you’re more than qualified.”
“Well, okay.”
Sandy pulled up the website on her phone and thumbed through the screens. “It’s nicely done. Very clean. Good images.”
“But it could be better, right?” Tori prompted. “It’s missing something, but I can’t figure out what it is.”
Sandy considered that for a few moments. “It is a good site, but after spending some time there, I don’t think it really captures the warmth and healing vibe of the place, if that makes sense.”
“Yes! That’s it exactly. But how do we do that?”
“First thing, I’d change the font. Most people don’t realize just how important typography is in conveying the right feel. And I’d add a slider on the home page, showing some of those pictures you have buried under the menus. Maybe ramp up the About page with a short paragraph on your mission and why it’s so important along with some testimonials. Your passion and dedication to your clients is what makes it superior to everything els
e out there. That’s what you want to focus on.” Sandy paused. “I can do some quick mock-ups for you, if you’d like.”
Tori beamed. “I would love that! I knew asking you was a good idea! We’d pay you, of course.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sandy said. “You’ve done so much for us; it’s the least I can do.”
Sandy and Tori talked for a little longer, tossing around ideas. Heff watched surreptitiously from the sidelines, enjoying the way Sandy’s eyes lit up as she talked about designs.
“Sounds like she really knows her stuff,” Cage said, joining him. “Maybe we should have her look at one for us too. We’re going to need a way for vets to learn about us, see what we do.”
It was a good idea. It might even provide added incentive to keep her around.
“I’ll talk to her about it, see if she’s into it.”
When the sun began to disappear behind the trees, Sandy rose and said they should probably be going. Heff didn’t agree.
“Stick around,” he told her.
“I don’t want to overstay our welcome.”
“Not a chance of that,” he told her. “Besides, I picked up some fireworks.”
She looked at him with big, round eyes. “You did?”
“Yeah. We didn’t get to see them at the farm show, so ...”
Her eyes got slightly glassy, and he thought he might have made a grave error.
Then, she impulsively went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
It was an effort not to haul her in for a proper kiss, but he already caught a few glances being shot his way, Church’s among them.
“You’re very welcome. In fact, we should start setting them up on the dock while we still have some daylight.”
By the time darkness fell, everything was ready. Sam got blankets for everyone, and they sat on the grass, ready and waiting. Smoke, their demolitions expert, set off the sequence, a gorgeous display, thanks to a friend of Brian’s, Ian Callaghan. Heff had driven down into Pine Ridge earlier that morning to pick them up in the hopes that Sandy would come.
Best Laid Plans Page 18
