One Hundred Promises

by Kelly Collins

  She wasn’t unaffected, if the increased rate of her breathing was any sign. When he pulled the popcorn from the stovetop and broke open the tinfoil tent, she breathed in deeply, but he was positive it wasn’t the scent of the popcorn she inhaled since her nose was in the crook of his neck.

  When she pulled back, he watched her wet her lips. She leaned in as if she’d steal a kiss and that was when he helped her down. He loved the sigh she released as she followed him into the living room and took her end of the couch.

  He sat at the opposite end with the popcorn in his lap.

  “Are you going to share any of that?” She picked up the remote and pressed play.

  “Slide closer and you can have all that you want.” He patted the leather cushion next to him.

  She inched over and dipped her fingers inside for a hot buttery bite.

  The hum of satisfaction made him hard, so he set the container on top of his length to hide his arousal. She moved closer and closer until her head leaned against his arm. This is perfect.

  Thirty minutes from the end of the movie, Sarge growled low, deep and sinister. He inched like a ninja to the front door. When someone knocked, the growl turned into a succession of sharp barks. The kind that happen just before a dog rips a limb from someone’s socket

  Wes wanted to kill whoever was at the door. They were ruining one of the best moments of his year.

  “This better be good, or I’m letting the dog eat you,” he said as he swung the door open to find Cannon holding up a drunk Courtney.

  “You said you didn’t want her to drink and drive. I didn’t know where to bring her. It was one of Sheriff Cooper’s cells or your house.”

  “Hey, lover.” Courtney stumbled into the house. “I’m home.” She moved toward Wes but Sarge lunged in front of her with teeth bared. She stumbled sideways and leaned against the wall. “I hate that dog.”

  “Feeling looks mutual,” Lydia said from behind Wes.

  Now it was Wes’s turn to growl. What the hell was he supposed to do with Courtney? He didn’t have much choice but to let her stay. “Come on in.”

  Cannon looked between the two women. “Good luck.” He disappeared before Wes could reply.

  Ten years ago he would have killed to be the meat in the middle of two women.

  Lydia went to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water and the bottle of painkillers. “Take two and drink all the water or you’ll hate yourself tomorrow.”

  She walked back to the couch where she took up a seat in the corner and pressed Play for the movie to continue.

  “Lydia and I are watching a movie, you’re welcome to join us.” Wes pointed to the chair next to the couch before he returned to his seat too far from Lydia. He hated the space between them.

  Instead of sitting where he pointed, Courtney plopped down on the cushion next to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

  Sarge’s gravelly growl increased in pitch. Wes could have told him to stop, but the dog was showing the same discontent as he was with Courtney’s presence.

  “Move over, Courtney, I’m not your leaning post.” When she didn’t, he stood. “I’m going to bed.”

  Courtney popped up. “Me too then.”

  Wes shook his head. “Your bed is here.” He pointed to the couch and tossed her the throw blanket that draped over the chair. “You’ll have to wait until Lydia finishes her movie.”

  Courtney’s lower lip popped out, but it wasn’t cute like Lydia’s pout.

  “Why can’t I sleep with you? We used to sleep together all the time.” Her words slurred. She looked at Lydia and laughed. “We didn’t get much sleep, but we shared a bed.”

  “Courtney, that’s enough. It’s the couch, or I’ll call the sheriff and he’ll be happy to give you a cot in his office.”

  “When did you get all grumpy?” She yanked the blanket and sank onto the end of the couch.

  “That’s my cue to leave.” Lydia said. “Come on, Sarge.” She stood and headed upstairs.

  Wes turned back to Courtney. “When will you stop acting entitled?” He knew the answer before the question was complete. He enabled her to behave this way because he took care of her. For all intents and purposes he played the part of a husband without the benefits of the bed. “When you’re sober, we need to talk.”

  “Wes, you don’t want to talk.” She stood up and pressed her body to his. “Let’s do what we do best.”

  “That ship has sailed.”

  “It’s back in port.”

  He glanced to the stairs. “Not interested.”

  “Is it the doctor? You want her?”

  Wasn’t it time he was honest with everyone, including himself?

  “Yes. She’s exactly who I want.”

  He left Courtney in the living room to fend for herself while he went upstairs, hoping to catch Lydia before she went to bed. But when he got to her door, it was closed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Another restless night, but this one had nothing to do with the stress of not being where she wanted to be and everything to do with the man in the room next to hers. How could a single kiss change everything? She’d gone from a slobbering, weeping mess on the floor to a drunk kissed fool. Once again she’d picked the wrong guy. But at least Wes was honest about his intentions. He wanted forever, but maybe she could convince him that a moment was good enough.

  Sarge lifted his head when she rolled out of bed but made no attempt to follow her. Lydia pressed her ear to the bathroom door hoping she didn’t hear water running. Maybe hoping she did. There were worse things than seeing Wes naked. She couldn’t think of anything better actually, but her poor luck held steady when silence greeted her.

  She cracked it open to darkness and flipped the switch. Ahead, the door to Wes’s room was closed. Part of her wanted to open it and see him still in bed. Was he the kind of man who slept in shorts or did he like the feel of bare skin and sheets? Did he sleep on his side, his stomach, his back? Would he have a freight-train snore or did his breath escape in silence?

  She palmed the knob and turned it only to find it locked from her side. Surely that wasn’t to keep her out, since she could easily turn the button. No, it was to keep him out. Something about that pleased her. Wes had locked himself out of the bathroom, which meant he didn’t trust himself to stay away. Maybe there was a chance for something short-lived after all.

  Feeling lifted, she reached into the shower and turned on the jets. When the steam fogged the glass, she dropped her pajamas and stepped inside. It still smelled like citrus and Wes. The massaging jets hit every muscle on her body. They were like a lover’s hands kneading her flesh.

  She closed her eyes and imagined Wes’s hands on her body, his fingers skimming across her skin. The heat of the shower with the heat of her fantasy had her throbbing with need.

  She’d considered adjusting one of the pulsing jets to relieve the tension in her body when a gust of chilly air rushed over her skin.

  “Change your mind?”

  There was no reply, so she shut off the water. “I thought you weren’t interested?”

  “I’m not.”

  The high-pitched female voice surprised her. Courtney came into view.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?” Lydia stepped out of the shower. The towel rack was just out of reach. She’d have to brush her body against Courtney to get to one.

  “I had to pee, and this is the only working bathroom in the house.” Courtney didn’t move. She stood there and stared at Lydia like she was studying for an exam. “You’re curvier than I would have imagined. Although you have little in the boob department.” Her eyes focused on Lydia’s chest. “I have a good plastic surgeon.” Courtney pulled her top up to show a perfect pair of C cups. “I can give you his name.”

  “I’ll pass. If you’re finished, you can leave.” Lydia moved from side to side trying to figure out how to get to a towel without touching Courtney.

  “Did you think I was Wes? You know
…he wants you.”

  “Not true.”

  “Hard for me to believe too. I may have been drunk last night, but he made it clear that he wanted you.” Courtney leaned toward the mirror giving Lydia enough room to reach the hand towel. It wasn’t enough to cover her whole body, but it would cover something.

  “I’m sure you misinterpreted.”

  “Honey, there is one thing I’m rarely wrong about and that’s men and their intentions. I’ve got eyes for guys. I’ll tell you this. You won’t regret one inch of him.” She stepped to the door and opened it only to be stopped by Sarge. Teeth bared, he blocked her exit.

  Courtney screamed and tried to slam the door, but Sarge pushed his way inside and cornered her by the towels.

  If Lydia didn’t know the dog to be sweet and docile, she would have feared for Courtney’s life. By the way the woman screamed, it sounded like Sarge was ripping her to pieces when all he did was pin her in place with his presence.

  Minutes later, the sound of boots stomped up the steps, and a shadow blocked the door between the bathroom and her room.

  Standing in the center of the bathroom with nothing more than a hand towel to cover her was Lydia. She lifted the towel to cover her breasts, and when Wes’s eyes went toward her lady bits she lowered the towel there. It was a game of either or in which she moved the towel to the spot his eyes focused on.

  “Is someone going to get this dog off me?”

  Wes gave Lydia a long appreciative look before he took Sarge by the collar and pulled him out of the room. He returned a moment later for Courtney. As he passed by the towel bar, he pulled a bath sheet free and handed it to Lydia.

  “Not that I’m not enjoying the view. I am, but you look cold.” His eyes rested on her pebbled nipples. “Are you up for some fun today?” He nudged Courtney out the door and closed it behind her. Once again Sarge showed his dislike with a growl.

  Lydia wrapped the towel around her body. “I like fun.”

  When she was covered, Wes frowned. “Great. Get dressed. Put on a swimsuit under your clothes. I’m going to take you somewhere you’ll love.” He gave her a final once-over. “Breakfast is downstairs.” He pulled the door closed after him.

  Lydia leaned against the wall and let the towel drop. She’d air dried, anyway.

  In the distance, she heard Wes and Courtney argue. He told her to get her stuff together and meet him in the kitchen.

  Everyone loved to watch a train wreck. While Lydia didn’t want to get in the middle of anything, she had a strong desire to see agitated Wes in action. So far he’d been kind and considerate, but everyone had their threshold, and it seemed Wes had hit his with Courtney.

  While she brushed her teeth and hair and applied a little makeup, she wondered what she would have done if Adam had shown up unannounced. Would she have given him a place to stay?

  Laughter bubbled inside her. He could have had the porch swing and a blanket.

  After rummaging in her bags for five minutes she found her bathing suit, which was little more than a string and three patches of fabric. Dressed in what could only be described as floss and Band-Aids, she looked in the mirror. Maybe that case of peanut-butter cups hadn’t been the best way to ease heartache. She looked over her shoulder at her butt and confirmed that thought. With a tug on her bottoms she covered her tattoo and got dressed.

  Downstairs, Wes leaned against the counter until he saw Lydia approach. By the time she entered the kitchen, he’d poured her a cup of coffee and plated up a banana nut muffin.

  Courtney sat at the table with a just-ate-pickles look on her face. “You didn’t get me a muffin.”

  “You’re not my guest. Besides, you don’t eat breakfast.”

  She didn’t argue.

  Lydia looked at Wes’s ex-wife and couldn’t see the attraction. She was pretty enough, but the minute Courtney opened her mouth, her beauty disappeared. Wes was gorgeous inside and out.

  “Are you going to drive me to my car?” Courtney asked him.

  He shook his head. “You’re a big girl. You got yourself here, you’ll get yourself there.”

  “I can take her.” Lydia sipped her coffee and took a bite of her muffin. They were so good but what made them better was that Wes had left the house this morning and picked them up.

  “Nope. We’re leaving.” He took Lydia’s cup and transferred it to a to-go mug and wrapped her partially eaten muffin in a paper towel.

  “You’re leaving me here alone with the dog?”

  Wes wrapped his arm around Lydia’s shoulder and walked her toward the door. “You’ll be okay,” he said over his shoulder toward Courtney. “He ate and won’t be hungry for a few hours. Besides, you’re leaving.”

  He closed the door on her reply.

  “We can’t take Sarge with us?”

  “Afraid for his safety?”

  “Kind of.”

  “He can handle himself. Besides, this isn’t a dog activity. It’s a high-octane human endeavor.” They rounded the truck.

  “Dangerous?” She knew there was a glint of excitement in her eyes. There was something that happened to Wes when her emotions hit her eyes. He ate it up and smiled.

  “Could be.”

  “Wait a second then.” She raced to her car and pulled her first aid bag from the back seat. She went nowhere without it. “Better safe than sorry.”

  “I’ll take care of you. You’re safe with me.”

  For the first time in a long time she did feel safe. Not that she couldn’t take care of herself. A part of her had had to grow up too fast. That was the part that still craved the love and care of another.

  “Who will take care of you?”

  Wes opened the door and helped her inside. “I thought maybe you could try it for the day.”

  Her heart thumped wildly. He was contradicting himself, which could only mean one thing. Wes had changed his mind about forever.

  He climbed into the truck and backed out of the driveway. “Are you afraid of heights?”

  “No.”

  “Can you swim?”

  Lydia lifted her chin. “Butterfly champion at my school. Sage and I worked as lifeguards at the community pool when we were teenagers. I loved the high dive.”

  “You really are an adrenaline junkie.”

  Lydia settled in and watched the town fade from view. They turned onto the wooded county road that circled the big lake Aspen Cove was named after. She sat and finished her muffin and gazed at the still blue water. In the distance kayaks and small boats dotted the surface.

  “Was it weird to have your ex-wife show up out of the blue?” She shifted her body so she leaned against the door and faced him. Positioned to see Wes, she took in his features all the way from his sandy blond hair to the T-shirt that hugged his chest on down to the shorts that left too much room for her imagination.

  “It was more annoying than weird. She calls or shows up when she needs something.”

  “Hmm. That’s not very nice.”

  He shrugged. “She has her moments, but the longer I know her the more I realize how rare the good moments are.”

  Lydia wondered if she should ask Wes about where this thing with them was headed. She liked her life nice and tidy. After her parents died all she thought about was life by design. If she could plan everything out and check off the boxes, then nothing could go wrong. Her premise was faulty. The last fight she and Adam had was over her concept of a tidy life. He’d told her, “Tidy was boring.” What that really said was she was boring.

  No risk, no reward. She heard her father’s voice in her head.

  “In the bathroom this morning, Courtney told me something.” How could she ask him if he wanted her without sounding ridiculous?

  “Disregard anything she said. She’s finishing up college to be a lawyer, and the first thing they teach their students is how to lie. She had that mastered before she entered law school.”

  Oh Lord. She turned to the window and watched the pine trees rush past.
Back to square one with Wes.

  Chapter Sixteen

  He pulled onto the soft shoulder of the highway. “We’re here.”

  Lydia looked around her. “Where’s here?”

  “Prospect Falls.” He climbed out of the truck and rushed to her side. When he opened the door, she slid from the seat. Her head bumped into his chest and settled there with her cheek pressed to his heart. He didn’t give her much room to move. He wanted this moment to last a second longer because after he told her what they would do, she might not want to be near him again. Few women would jump off a cliff into a pool of ice-cold water.

  “Okay, are we hiking?”

  He stepped back and threaded his fingers through hers. “Something like that.” He led her to the bed of the truck and opened the tailgate. Seconds later he lifted her up. “Hear me out. You said you were an adrenaline junkie. I’m giving you your fix.” He slipped off her sandals and shoved them into a netted bag. Next went her shirt. He was struck mute when he saw her suit. “You’re almost naked.”

  “Nothing you haven’t already seen.” She adjusted the small cups of her top. The move made her firm breasts nearly fall out.

  “Not true, that tiny towel you used today was like a retractable awning. I couldn’t focus on anything.”

  “Right. Like I didn’t see you staring at me.” She reached out for the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head. She tossed it on top of hers.

  “Guilty as charged, but it went by too fast.”

  “Three’s a crowd.”

  “Agreed.” He unlocked the toolbox welded to the truck bed and pulled out sunscreen, a bag with sandwiches and bottles of water. “Now where’s that EpiPen of yours? Bees have no address.” There was no way he’d put her in a position where her life was in danger.

  “Doc told me the same thing last week.” She opened her purse and handed him her EpiPen.

  “I told you he’s a smart man.” Wes wrapped her EpiPen inside a towel and shoved it into the net bag. “Wait here.” He walked to the rocky edge that dropped off to a cool blue pool of water. He tossed the bag toward the clear shoreline on the right.