What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)
Page 165
Chapter Eight
Paul downed the bitter rum and wished with all his might he could get drunk without his conscience screaming that this wasn’t him and he wasn’t like his deadbeat drunk father.
“Another,” said Paul to the bartender, who eyed him long and hard.
“Everything all right?” asked Brody, the bartender who was easily pushing sixty, and who had known Paul since he was a teen trying to sneak into the bar with a fake card.
“Yup, just great,” said Paul, downing his fourth double rum and coke.
“Well, that’s great, Paul. Last call for food. You want me to order something for you?” said Brody, pushing the greasy menu next to Paul’s tumbler.
Paul shook his head. “Nope. I’m good.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said,” said Brody, sighing as he snatched up the menu and turned to pour a drink for the customer at the far end of the counter.
Paul was pleased he was once again alone with his thoughts. Brody could push sometimes and try to loosen his tongue, but tonight Paul suspected his dark attitude was all the warning the bartender needed to back away.
“I’ll have what he’s having,” said Rob to Brody, adding “And a plate of fries.”
Brody nodded and then slipped behind the bar to issue the order to the kitchen staff. Paul wasn’t in the mood to talk and seriously hoped Rob wanted to be his drinking companion for the night. One look at the man he’d called friend for the past five years and he knew that wasn’t to be the case.
“So, what’s new?” asked Rob.
Paul turned slightly on the barstool and looked at Rob. “Not much.”
“Okay,” said Rob, obviously not buying it.
Paul took a sip of his drink, wishing it would erase the memory of holding Ella in his arms. It wasn’t working.
“Busy day at the hospital?” asked Paul, not really caring what Rob’s answer would be but those damn manners of Mrs. O’Connor’s had not only rubbed into his subconscious, they’d dug deep roots inside the man he was now. Pushing aside his drink, Paul turned to study Rob.
“Tara called you, didn’t she?”
Rob gave a half smile and his shoulders relaxed. “Guilty as charged. So you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. It’s ancient history.”
“You sure about that?” said Robert, taking a sip of his drink.
“Doesn’t matter what I think. She’s bloody well engaged.”
Rob swiveled on the bar stool as he turned to look out at the bar crowd. “You sure about that?”
Paul wished he’d ordered ice water. His hands felt idle but he no longer sought the comfort of the alcohol, knowing full well it would only give him a headache, and solve nothing. “Trust me, I’m sure.”
“Well, according to Tara, that’s not the case for much longer. Guess the guy’s nice but he doesn’t make Ella’s knees go weak.”
“What?” Paul wondered what game Rob was playing.
“I’m just repeating what Tara said.”
“What the hell does that mean…knees go weak?”
Rob laughed. “Tell me you’re not that dense.”
Rob gave Paul a long hard look. “Guess you might be. Well, you’ll figure it out.”
“Are you trying to tell me that she’s not going to marry that guy?”
“Looks that way, but she might change her mind,” said Rob grabbing his drink.
“What the hell does that mean?”
Rob waited until the fries were set in front of him and then he pushed them toward Paul so they could share. “It means, if I were you, I’d work on my charm and start pursuing what your heart really wants.”
“You know Rob, it’s a good thing you’re a GP because you suck at giving advice.”
Rob laughed which made Paul chuckle, and damn if that didn’t make him feel marginally better than the drinks he’d downed. “So what’s up with you and Tara?”
This time Rob was the one fidgeting. “Not a lot. I’m going to miss this place.”
“You going somewhere?”
Rob ate another handful of fries dipped in ketchup before answering. “It’s time I moved on.”
“Not surprised. You were a city doc first so it always surprised me you decided to stay. If the accident hadn’t happened—”
“But it did.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, heard that enough times over the years. You know Paul it might not have been my fault but in this town it doesn’t matter.”
Paul had nothing to say to that because Rob was right. Rachel had been one of their own, a bright shining star who’d left at the beginning of September only to return with the beginning of summer with a doctor in tow. A townie, who’d insisted on hitting the waters off the Cape when he’d been warned a storm was coming. If Paul hadn’t already been at sea on his way back to port Rob would have drowned like Rachel. But fault wasn’t the issue. Rob was an out of towner and while he might do well as a doctor he’d never escape his scarred past in this town.
“So when is this big move of yours happening?” asked Paul.
“Not sure yet. Soon.”
“What does Tara think?”
Rob gave a small chuckle but it sounded forced to Paul.
“Paul don’t get the wrong impression. There’s nothing between Tara and me.”
“Well maybe you should heed your own advice, pal,” said Paul, dishing out a few twenties. “Time for me to head home. Looks like I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
Rob grinned. “Good luck, Paul. I tell you these O’Connor girls aren’t easy.”
“Thank God. If they were easy do you honestly think we’d be fighting for them?”
“Touché,” answered Rob, turning back to the plate of fries to finish them off.
Paul walked out of the bar a hell of a lot better than he had a few hours ago. Rob was right. The O’Connor girls were special and if there was even a slim chance of having Ella in his life again he was going to fight for her.
The next morning Paul sat for a good five minutes in his truck which was parked next to the O’Connor house as he mustered his courage. Deciding it was time to put on his game face, he strode out and knocked on the O’Connors’ door. He waited a minute and tried hard not to fidget.
Tara opened the door letting him in. “She’s not here.”
Paul stepped through the kitchen and the smell of hot chocolate and hot blueberry muffins hit him. “Did she say where she was going?” He hoped to hell she hadn’t gone back to the big city and he hadn’t wasted his chance.
Tara sighed. “You know, honestly I’m not sure. She said she had a few things she wanted to take care of this morning.”
Paul looked down at his boots. “Did she?”
“Paul, she’s not going back to the city if that’s what you’re thinking. I think she’s up to something.”
That perked up Paul’s attention. “Up to something. Like what?”
Tara shrugged her shoulders. “It’s a hunch but yesterday she was talking about that old house up the road for sale.”
Paul thought for a moment and recalled the old farmhouse up the road. He used to cut the lawn sometimes for Mrs. Beckman and he’d once convinced Ella to join him in the Beckman’s hayloft in their old barn. “Are you talking about Mrs. Beckman’s house?”
Tara nodded. “Look, I’ve got to go before Mom comes down and makes me run her errands this morning.” As Tara spoke she grabbed her coat and shimmied into her winter boots.
Paul let her pass and walked with her down to the barn. At the barn door, Tara stopped.
“This is my workplace and I’ve got a few things to do,” said Tara, not quite meeting his eyes.
Paul got the hint. Tara had always been shy and secretive about her work and he understood that. “Thanks Tara. I think I’ll head over to the old farmhouse and see is she’s there.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” said Tara. A second later she slipped through the barn door.
Not sure what to do and feeling like he might be invading a private moment, Paul still trudged up to the barn. The barn door was almost off its hinges and tilted at an odd angle, but it allowed Paul privacy as he eased up to listen in on the conversation. It was then he realized Ella was crying.
To Hell with this. Paul strode in, determined to give the guy his own version of hell for hurting Ella.
“Everything all right in here, Ella?” asked Paul making it clear by his sweep of the guy he wasn’t impressed.
“Paul? What are you doing here?” asked Ella, wiping at her tears.
The sight made him furious. Without really thinking he strode forward to ease up to her side. “You okay?”
She nodded her eyes darting back and forth between him and the guy.
“Listen Ella, if this guy’s hurt you–”
The guy laughed. “I take it you must be Paul. As hard as this is to believe you’ve got it all wrong. It’s more like Ella’s broken my heart, haven’t you Sweetheart?”
Paul ground his teeth. He liked the broken heart part but damn he didn’t like anyone calling his Ella sweetheart.
“Craig and I were just talking and…”
“And she broke up with me,” said Craig.
“You did?” asked Paul, trying hard to fight the grin that wanted to escape.
Ella nodded and then kicked at some old dusty hay lining the barn floor. “Craig I just think we worked much better as friends.”
Oh, yeah, Paul really liked to hear those words because friends meant this guy would soon be leaving and he’d get Ella all to himself.
Craig moved closer to Ella and Paul tried hard not to step between them. The fact they had a shared history and intimacy wasn’t one he wanted to dwell on.
“I’m going to go and if you change your mind—”
“She won’t,” said Paul.
“Yeah, tell that’s her decision and like I said to Ella, where the hell were you all the years she was away?”
Low blow. “For your information Craig, I was here doing what I could to help my community and her mom and sister. I never left.”
“This what you want?” asked Craig to Ella.
Ella smiled at Craig. “Yeah, this is what I want. I left but I’ve come back on my own terms.”
Paul edged closer to Ella, making it clear he wasn’t the one leaving.
“Well, I’ll be going. I wish we’d had this conversation a while ago,” said Craig.
“Yeah, me too,” said Ella.
Craig looked like he was waiting for a hug or kiss goodbye but Paul was having none of that. Going for the dramatic, he pulled Ella into his arms and said goodbye to Craig for both of them. She stiffened for a moment but the second Craig started to move she melted more into his embrace.
The minute Craig left, Paul turned her into his arms so that they were face to face. The sound of the SUV driving away sounded perfect to Paul.
“Is it true? You’re staying?” His heart felt like it was beating like a jackhammer. She eased more into his arms and then smiled up at him, her hazel eyes still red from her tears. “Why were you crying?”
“Paul, until I came here I thought I’d marry Craig.”
“And now that you came here?” He tried hard to keep that hopeful note from his voice.
“Everything’s changed.”
“In a good way,” he said, bending his head down to give her a kiss on the lips.
She responded exactly how he loved. Tentative at first but then all woman and all passion. Her hands crept up to his head to finger his hair while his hands crept lower to cup her bottom. The need to kiss her senseless slammed into him and Paul wasn’t sure who moved them toward the pile of hay stacked at the back of the barn but the next thing he knew he’d hoisted her onto the stack and was zipping down her winter jacket. Puffs of cold air mingled in the barn with their hot breath as they reluctantly broke the kiss long enough for them to both shrug off their jackets.
Keeping his eyes on her, he moved his attention to undoing her blouse. “You’re really staying?”
She looked at him while her nimble fingers undid his own flannel shirt. “Oh yeah, I’m staying.”
“And this?” he asked, parting her shirt which revealed a pink lacy bra he couldn’t wait to unhook.
She laughed. “This is perfect. Just like I remember, only better.”
“I’m not the same man, Ella.”
She yanked off his shirt and hauled him into the vee of her legs with her heels “I’m not the same either and I think that’s good.”
“You’ve got to know that I’ve never stopped loving you,” he said, meaning it with all his heart.
“They say you never forget your first and it’s true. I never forgot you even when I tried to,” she said with a sexy sigh.
Paul smiled. “Well, just in case your memory’s a little rusty how about I remind you how good we are together.” Before Ella could respond Paul leaned his head closer to her chest to lay a path of sweet, light kisses across the tempting swell of flesh exposed by her push-up bra. Then he moved up to her neck, and at her earlobe he kissed her and was instantly rewarded with a girly laugh.
“I think you forgot how much that makes me laugh,” she said.
“Trust me, I’ve forgotten nothing about you,” he said, breathing into her ear, watching as goose bumps skimmed to life along the right side of her.
She ran her hands up his back and the feel of those delicate fingers caressing him made him ache all over. His erection pressed against his zipper with an urgency he tried hard to ignore.
“It’s broad daylight?” she said, breathless with anticipation. “We really shouldn’t be doing this.”
With his lips close to hers he said, “Do you remember what we did in the hayloft?”
She blushed. “We almost got caught.”
“All I remember was that it was the first time I made you come,” he said, grinning as he captured her mouth for a devouring kiss.
When their lungs were both desperate for oxygen they released each other. “I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve thought of that,” said Ella, her hands still sliding across his chest.
Paul wanted more than anything to resume their makeout session but he also knew this was his one chance to get it right. “I want to make you come again and again and as much as I’d love to start this moment, you’re right. I promise to stop ravishing you if you’ll go on a date with me tonight.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “I’d love that. I really would.” She shivered and Paul was the one who handed her the discarded jacket.
She was cold and tonight he wanted more than a quickie with her, he wanted to love her all night long and heat her on the inside and out.
Cupping her head with his hands, Paul looked at her. “You and me tonight. I’ll pick you up at seven. I’m going to leave now because I swear to God if I stay five more minutes we’re going to be all over that cold straw because more than anything I’ve missed you.”
She laughed. “I’ve missed you but you’re right. Cold straw and an equally cold barn aren’t that inviting. Guess we’re not like we used to be when that wouldn’t deter us.”
He invaded her space again and cupped her head with both hands. “I want you more than I did when I was a teenager but tonight I want it to last. And trust me, knowing I could have you here in th
is barn is going to leave me hot and hard and taunt me all day.”
She gasped and smiled. “You won’t be the only one aching.”
Ella kissed him then, reminding him once again why he’d fallen head over heels in love with her all those years ago.
Breaking the kiss was hard but getting it right was more important. Paul stepped back from her embrace. “Tonight. Seven. Be ready.”
She slid off the pile of hay and plucked some pieces of the dried hay from her hair and jeans. “Oh, I’ll be ready.”
Paul gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left. More than anything he knew anticipation was going to make this day a killer but if the reward ended up being with Ella forever it would be worth the torture.
Chapter Nine
Ella was on cloud nine. What had started out as one hell of a morning because she knew she had to end things with Craig, had turned into one sweet feeling of anticipation all day. The thought of finally being together with Paul left her feeling like a school girl – giddy and tingly all at the same time. Her hands ached to touch all of his new muscles and the feel of his skin on her fingers had felt wonderful and so right. For a minute she’d been hurt when he’d said let’s wait but she knew he was right. This was their one time to get it right and while a quick loving would have been nice in the barn, a long night of having complete access to Paul’s muscled-up body would be even better.
“What’s got you smiling?” asked her mother, who was as usual mixing up something in the kitchen. For a woman who had a stroke a week ago you’d never know.
“Well, you’ll be proud of me. I ended things with Craig.”
“And that’s why you’re smiling?”
“No, Paul sort of came in and…well, I have a date with him tonight.”