She heard Jesse stand up from the rock and walk behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to rub. Lita let her head fall back and her eyes close as he worked the knots from her muscles.
“I’ve got a buddy who works for the Atlanta Sentinel. I could give him a call. I’d bet he could find out if there were any rumors about the consulate closing.”
She turned to face him. “You’d do that for me?”
“Make a phone call?” He brushed a finger over her nose. “No sweat.”
“That would be a good start, a really good start.” His offer felt like a life rope. “Thank you, Jesse.”
His hands, the same hands that had worked magic on her shoulders and neck now circled her throat. She felt his thumbs inch up the column of her neck and his fingers snake into her hair. “I don’t like to see you so upset, Angelita. You matter to me—don’t ask me why or how, I don’t have a clue, but you matter.”
“Jesse.” Whatever she’d been about to say was lost when he dipped his head and brushed his lips to hers again. He didn’t push her to respond, but she did. He didn’t ask her lips to part, but they did. His essence surrounded her, mixed with the woodsy fragrance of the night, and she could no more refuse him than she could stop herself from breathing. When his hands moved to her hips, she found herself against him in a heartbeat. The feel of his fingers against her skin under her shirt brought her to attention in an instant. She pulled away.
“I…”
“Angelita. You can’t avoid this forever. Whatever this is between us is going to happen sooner or later.”
“My life is already complicated, in more ways than I can explain.” She deliberately stepped away from his reach. “I’m only here for a few weeks, maybe not even that long.” He’d spoken the truth when he said there was something between them. “I’m not careless when it comes to sex. It’s not something I indulge in for fun. There’s too much at stake.”
“And you think I do?” He bridged the distance between them, stared down at her with heat in his hazel eyes. “There’s a living reminder of one of the complications of sex sitting at Cal’s house right now.”
“Pregnancy isn’t the only risk for me, Jesse.” How could she explain to him that she never indulged in sex unless she knew the outcome and understood all the risk? She couldn’t trust herself to make wise choices when emotions for feelings were involved. With him the risk was huge, as her heart was already engaged. “We’d better head back.”
Jesse sighed before grabbing her hand and leading the way down the path. He held her hand the whole way. She wasn’t sure why she let him. She needed his firm grasp when the path grew rocky and shrouded in darkness, but she held on when it evened out and the cabin was in sight.
On the porch, he picked up her purse and draped the strap over her shoulder. “Go on inside. I’d like to get home and call my friend before it gets too late.”
“I appreciate your help with this, Jesse. Even if nothing comes from your friend, I appreciate your listening.”
“We’ll figure this out, Angelita.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. She had to guess he was talking about more than her business problems. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
“Saturday?” she asked.
“Seven okay?” When she stood looking at him confused, he said, “Rafting, remember?”
“Oh, I forgot.” It was too late to weasel out of it now, especially since he’d been so nice to help her with her father. “What do I wear?”
“A bathing suit and bring a change of clothes.”
“Okay.” She nodded up at him as he stood in the moonlight. He didn’t make a move to leave, she didn’t make a move to go inside; they just stood staring at each other for what seemed like forever. The look on his face was unreadable. When he inched closer and slowly, very slowly, placed a kiss on her lips, she thought her heart would leap from her chest.
“Goodnight, Angelita.” He turned to leave.
“Goodnight, Jesse.” But she knew it wouldn’t be a good night; it would be a long, frustrating countdown to dawn.
***
Bryce was so damn stupid, getting his hopes up and feeling all confident that a fancy dinner and some real one-on-one time would change things between him and Kerri Ann. What a fool he’d been. But when they’d talked on the ride to Asheville, the way she’d shyly look over at him as he drove to the city, he couldn’t help but feel hopeful about the night to come.
When he’d pulled her from the car and she’d stumbled into him, he damn near kissed her, right there on sidewalk. She looked like she wanted him to, the way her eyes had slid to half-mast and her stare had lingered on his mouth. He considered keeping his hands off her one of his greatest acts of self-restraint.
Dinner had started off fine, he thought, as he drove the winding highway back toward Sequoyah Falls. She’d been shocked at the prices. Of course, he’d expected that. She was nothing if not frugal. But he’d wanted to treat her and he had, until Colleen Ferst approached their table and Kerri Ann seemed to sink into herself. She couldn’t possibly think he was interested in her. And then Colleen had come around, wielding her card in his face, suggesting he call her whenever. The woman had no shame. Couldn’t she see he was on a date?
Damn it, he didn’t understand anything about Kerri Ann now any better than he did before the night began. They’d started something that evening, he could feel it early on, and now it was as if they were back to the starting block. He didn’t know whether to be furious or sad.
He spied a sideways glance at Kerri Ann. God, she looked beautiful, sitting in the passenger seat of his car with a very distinct pout on her gorgeous face. He wanted to pull the car over and taste her, right then and there as she basked in the moonlight. What would she do then, he wondered? Probably haul off and slug him.
“Ty home tonight?” he asked to break the silence that had taken up residence in the car since they left the restaurant nearly half an hour ago.
“No, he’s staying at Cal’s. They’re working on the landscaping or something.”
She fell into silence once again and he felt like brooding himself. Soon they were exiting at Sequoyah Falls. “Is your car still at the Den?” He pulled onto Main Street.
“Yes. You can just drop me there.”
He’d like to drop her all right, right on her gorgeous ass. “I’m not comfortable dropping you off at work and having you drive home alone, especially at this hour. Why don’t you just run in and get your keys and I’ll follow you home?”
She turned to face him for the first time since leaving the restaurant. He pulled the car to a stop along the nearly deserted street. “Don’t be ridiculous. I drive home every night alone, later than this most nights.”
“This isn’t most nights, Kerri Ann.” He touched her arm when she reached for the door handle.
He saw the stubborn set of her chin as it warred with the wary look in her eyes. “Bryce, you don’t have to go out of your way to follow me home. It’s not like this is a real date or anything.”
He felt his smile fade in an instant and his hand left her arm. He wasn’t going to slink off with his tail between his legs like normal. “We’re two unattached adults sharing an evening out. Sounds like a date to me.”
“Bryce…” she looked away, but not before he saw the color rise in her cheeks. “You don’t have to pretend this was real. I know Lita put you on the spot and you were just being nice.”
Being called nice was the last thing he wanted to hear and it served to ignite the temper he rarely let loose. When she got out of the car and headed to the door of the restaurant, he grabbed her arm and spun her around so fast she gasped and grabbed his chest to steady herself. “I’m not doing this to be nice, Kerri Ann.”
His mouth was on hers in an instant. He didn’t give her time to think or breathe or react. His hands threaded through her whisper soft hair, holding her head in place as he assaulted her lips. When he felt her jerk in surprise, then sag against him, he dr
opped a hand and gathered her to him at her waist. He felt her hands on his chest, pulling at his shirt as her lips parted to let him take the kiss deeper. And he was lost in her. He had no concept of time or place or propriety. His every thought, his every breath, was of Kerri Ann. The way her scent drifted up from beneath her hair, the feel of her slender waist against his own, the sound she made deep in her throat when he gentled the kiss and yet took in more of her than he’d ever imagined possible.
When he dragged his mouth from hers, she stumbled into him. Her eyes were clouded and her breathing unsteady. “I don’t typically end an evening with a friend with a kiss like that. Do you, Kerri Ann?” He turned and left her standing on the sidewalk as he walked back to his side of the car. “You think about that and ask yourself if we just went on a date.”
All he could see as he pulled away from the curb was her standing in the streetlight, hugging herself and staring after his car. He’d gone and done it—taken all the mystery out of his feelings and left himself exposed to her with one reckless act. He’d never regret the kiss. How could he regret something that left him shaken and vulnerable and closer to the truth than he’d ever been? But he had to wonder where it would leave them come the first light of day.
Chapter 13
Jesse made his way to his father’s house, his head reeling from Angelita’s touch, her scent, her nearness. How in the world had he come to care about her so quickly? It made him uneasy and anxious to spend the weekend with her and explore his feelings and hers. She was a mystery and Jesse loved nothing more than to hack away at a good puzzle.
Cal and Ty had moved inside, as they often did after watching the sunset. Jesse assumed they’d be playing checkers or watching TV. Cal surprised him by appearing at the door as soon as Jesse opened it.
“Where the hell have you been?” Cal asked, irritation evident on his face.
Jesse moved beyond him into the den. “I went to see about Angelita. You knew that.” He could hear the Braves game coming from the back bedroom and knew Ty was getting comfortable.
“I didn’t expect you to be gone for an hour.” Cal glanced at the mantle clock when it chimed the half hour. “Or damn near two.” He shut the door and moved into the den where Jesse sat on the couch, absently flipping through the paper.
“I didn’t realize I was breaking curfew.”
“Look,” Cal said with a pained expression on his face. “I don’t mean to pry, but what’s going on between you and Lita?”
Jesse wanted to laugh, but couldn’t muster the energy. He knew they were treading near dangerous territory. “Since when do I need to ask your permission to spend time with a woman?”
“I’m not suggesting you need my permission to spend time with her, son. I want to know what you think you’re doing with a vulnerable young woman who’s only here for a few more days.”
“She’s made plans to leave?” Jesse could feel something akin to panic begin to simmer in his gut.
“No.” Cal paced in front of the couch where Jesse sprawled. “But you know she’s not here forever.”
“She doesn’t live on Mars, Dad. She lives in Atlanta.”
Cal stopped pacing and faced his son. “Are you saying you intend to see her after she leaves?”
Jesse shoved the paper off his lap. He couldn’t explain to his father his intentions toward Angelita any better than he could explain them to himself. “I have no idea. What’s with the twenty questions?”
“I just don’t think you should get involved with her.”
Jesse sat perfectly still, his eyes on his father. He waited for Cal to give him a reason, a valid explanation, as to why he should stay away from Angelita. His father couldn’t possibly care one way or the other. Just as he expected, Cal stood silent, looking irritated and uncomfortable.
“Oh, I get it.” Jesse stood up to face his father. “You don’t want me to do the typical Jesse Bloodworth love ‘em and leave ‘em routine, right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But he did, Jesse could see from the way Cal’s eyes darted down and around the room. They landed anywhere and everywhere but back on Jesse. “I simply think you’re wasting your time. Someone’s going to get hurt if you don’t back off.”
“You mean Angelita’s going to get hurt. Because God knows I couldn’t possibly care about her, want to spend time with her, get to know her outside of the bedroom, right?”
Cal snorted and returned his son’s stare. “You don’t exactly have the best track record, now do you?”
Here we go, Jesse thought. They’d danced around this for years and it seemed Angelita had cracked the wafer-thin layer of restraint between them. “What do you think I’m going to do, Dad? You think I’m going to sweet talk her into bed, knock her up, and walk out on her like I did with Kerri Ann?” He spun around and headed out the screen door to the deck. He needed room to move and fresh air to calm his boiling blood. Besides, if they were going to get into it now, he sure didn’t want Ty to overhear their conversation.
Cal was right on his heels. “Don’t you throw that crap in my face and walk out of this house. You stand up like a man and tell me how it is if I’m so off base.”
“You can’t for one minute let go of the past, can you?” Jesse moved to stand in front of Cal, their faces only inches apart. He had to fight the urge to poke his dad in the chest.
“No, son, I can’t. I can’t throw caution to the wind and walk out on my family when things get tough or uncomfortable. I’m not made that way.”
“No, you’re not, are you? You’re made one way and only one way. You’re rigid and shortsighted and unwilling to look at a situation from any other perspective than your own. Well, things aren’t so black and white in my world.”
“Is that the best you can do?” Cal sneered and turned to leave. “Platitudes?”
Jesse screamed at his back. “I messed up, okay? I was miserable, working at the bank, stuck in a bad marriage, and in denial that Mom was dying.” Cal spun around at his mention of Ellie. Jesse took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and looked his dad in the eye. “When she was gone, I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t pretend everything was okay because it wasn’t. Kerri Ann and Ty were better off without me. I know it was hard on them, Kerri Ann juggling all the responsibility herself, meeting me halfway every other weekend. But have you ever asked her if it was better? If she was happier after I left than when we were together?”
“A man doesn’t walk out on his family.” Jesse could feel the anger in Cal’s voice, see him shaking with it. “Your mother would have been so ashamed of you.”
“She knew I was unhappy and not just because we’d been watching her slip away for months. She told me to figure out what I needed to be happy. She told me I owed it to my family and to her.”
“Don’t you dare use your mother as an excuse for your behavior. She didn’t ask you to leave your family so you could find yourself.”
“I left so I could find my way back to them, Dad. Can’t you see that?”
“We needed you here,” Cal shouted. “Your mother was gone and then you just up and left.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you, but I lost her too and I couldn’t stay here after she died and go back to pretending everything was fine. I tried; for a long time I tried to be what you wanted me to be—for Mom, for Kerri Ann. It wouldn’t have worked between us; even if I’d stayed, we’d still be divorced. That wasn’t all my doing.”
“This is priceless, Jesse. Just priceless. First you blame your mother and now Kerri Ann. Who’s next? Ty? Did he ask you to leave too? Did he want you to go find yourself so you could come back and be a better dad?”
How had one little walk in the moonlight unleashed eight years of resentment? “I swear to God, you’re just pissed because I had to give up the scholarship offers. Your dream of me playing college ball died and you can’t forgive me for that, can you?”
Shoe Strings Page 15
