“Tell me what it is, Liz.” His voice was soft and reassuring and he could feel her body start to relax the slightest little bit.
“It’s nothing really. Just something stupid that hurt my feelings.”
“It’s not ‘nothing’, Lizzie. And I want to know what happened.” He kept his eyes focused on her face, and he hoped that she didn’t sense the anger he felt welling up inside watching her obvious pain. He willed himself to calm down, all the while watching her intently. After a moment she relented.
“Well, you know that guy, Brett, I’ve been seeing?” Just the mention of the guy made red flash into his eyes.
“Did he hurt you? I swear, I’ll...”
“No! It’s nothing like that. At least… well, at least he didn’t hurt me physically.”
He placed his forefinger beneath her chin and raised her face up so he could look into her eyes. The tears that had stopped were starting again, and gently with his thumb, he smoothed away a lone tear that fell across her cheek.
“I can go kill him for you if that will make you feel better.” He forced himself to smile as if it were a joke. But the anger inside thinking about what that asshole could possibly have done to her made him think of violent solutions to her problem. Lizzie managed a weak laugh, but it wasn’t heartfelt he could tell.
“No. That’s alright. Thanks anyway, though.”
“Well, at least tell me what he said. I’d like to know.”
Lizzie nibbled her lower lip and considered if Payton really did want to know her troubles. But, it seemed like he’d been her protector in everything else in this town, so far, so why not this as well?
“Really?” She asked, a huge question mark almost visibly looming above her head.
“Really.”
She sniffed quietly and took a deep breath to calm herself. Payton watched her quietly, his big green eyes intent on her face, and for a moment she felt special. If only she weren’t cold, and unlovable, she heard her mind say, and she wished that at least once, this one time, she could truly be special to him. But if she wasn’t he was doing a pretty good job of showing her that she was.
She went on to tell him about Brett’s phone call and all that he had said. She could tell Payton was unhappy because of the way his jaw clenched and released, clenched and released, just like her daddy’s did, but he didn’t say a word until she was finished. He waited a full minute after she stopped talking to respond.
“So let me get this straight. You let some jack-ass from Valley View convince you that you’re cold and unlovable because you wouldn’t give him the physical action he wanted?”
“Well, I-“
He took her by the arm and hauled her up close to his body. “Listen to me, Lizzie. No one has the right to make you feel anything you don’t want to feel. You’re not cold or unlovable, and I really want to beat his face in for suggesting that to you.” He leaned back a little so he could look at her face. “You don’t honestly believe the trash that idiot told you is the truth, do you?”
She didn’t respond, and there was no doubt that he could read every emotion on her face. She believed every line that Brett had fed her, and Payton knew it. She could see the anger all over his face, could feel it pulsing in waves from his body. He watched her for a minute and she felt him calm after a while.
He stroked her shoulder and pushed a small strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m not full of great words, Liz, but I do know this: You couldn’t be cold and unlovable even if you were shipped to the North Pole for the rest of your life. Trust me, Liz, it just isn’t part of your nature. I can’t explain it to you, but somehow I just know.” He smiled at her. “Come on, I know what will help this out.” He stood and hauled her up with him.
“What’s that?” Lizzie asked shakily.
“We’re going by Grace’s house to pick her up then we’re headed to the Pharmacy to grab a milkshake.” Lizzie sniffled, and smiled for the first time all day.
Chapter Nineteen
Payton checked himself in the mirror one last time, brushed his fingers through his dark hair and grabbed his keys off his dresser. He couldn’t believe how fast the school year had gone, and now it was already time for the spring barn party again. He loved going to the barn party every year: all the excitement in the air, people going wild because it was getting closer to the end of the year.
Only this one and one more before they graduated, and Payton could hardly believe then it would be time for college. But tonight he didn’t want to the think about the future. Tonight was special, and he wanted to think about only each second as they came his way.
“Night, mom!” He yelled as he scurried down the stairs and out the door. “Don’t wait up,” He managed to shout out before the door closed behind him.
Julie Cartwright walked to the cut glass front door and watched her son, all grown up at last, as he climbed into his truck and pulled away, red brake lights shining in the distance. She remembered her husband, Rick, surprising Payton with that truck not more than a few months ago. It had been a special gift, from father to son, when Payton had led Dixie’s football team to the state Championships and they had won. Rick had been so ecstatic about the win that he’d surprised Payton with it the next week.
God, how she loved those two men in her life. Not a day went by that she didn’t thank her lucky stars for them. And here she stood watching one of them growing up in front of her eyes, off to pick up the newest girl in what she feared was quite a growing collection.
That was another thing Payton had inherited from his father. Along with those devastating good looks came the thrill of the chase. She could remember her girlfriends telling her long ago that she should watch herself with Rick. He liked to claim girls and then leave them as quick as they came. She had laughed so hard when they’d told her, then cried herself to sleep that night out of fear that she would lose him.
But Rick had stayed by her side, and the day he’d asked her to marry him, she said yes, and they’d married that afternoon. She had been afraid that if she let him out of her sight, he’d go home and think things over and then change his mind. Yet, twenty years later, here she stood, in his home, still sharing his bed, and they had built so many good memories together.
Julie smiled as she watched the tail lights of Payton’s truck fade away then turned to head back to the kitchen to finish up the evening meal’s dishes.
Payton pulled the big black truck to a stop in front of Lizzie’s front door and took a deep breath before he opened his door and climbed out. It was the first time he had ever shown up at her house with the intention of picking her and her alone, up to go somewhere. Sure, he’d been there plenty of times just to drop by and say hello, or to pick up Lizzie and MC and Grace to go somewhere together. But he had never been here when it was specifically to see her.
Payton thought back on the day last week when he’d finally gotten up the nerve to ask her to go with him to the barn party. It was funny because most people had Payton figured as a guy with nerves of steel. Never flinched when a big linebacker came his way, never had trouble asking girls out on dates. But beneath it all, he had feelings and a case of nerves that flared up on him occasionally, just like it had that day.
He’d watched her as she got her food from the lunch line and made it over to the table where she and he and all their friends ate for lunch every day. That darned piece of ham sandwich had gotten lodged in his dry throat as he watched her silky legs and hips sway back and forth as she came closer his way. He’d nearly coughed up a lung, but managed to get himself under control with a swig of water, and only looked mildly handicapped in the process.
She’d smiled at him, and asked, “Are you okay?”
He’d waited until he caught his breath and added, “Yeah, but I’d be better if you let me take you to the barn party next Friday night.” He would never forget the shock that had registered on her face.
Later, she’d found him at his locker. “Payton?”
“Yeah
?” He got that same electric jolt he always did when he turned and held her gaze.
“Do you mean… uh… when you asked me earlier… did you mean, well, you and me. Alone?”
He smiled at her, and watched her face begin to turn red in a blush. “That was the general idea. Of course, if you don’t want to we can always-“
“No! I mean… no, that’s fine. I just wanted to make sure that’s what you meant.” She’d smiled, bigger than he could remember her smiling in a long, long time and had walked away humming. He’d never forget that exact moment, that exact thrill for as long as he lived.
Her father answered the door, his usual grin plastered to his face, and shook Payton’s hand like he always had. Only tonight, Payton felt like he had the scrutiny of a thousand fathers watching him. It was the first time in his life he had been nervous around one of his friend’s fathers. Maybe because it was the first time in his life that he actually cared what they thought.
Just then Lizzie walked around the corner from where she’d been sitting in the den with her sister. He could feel his pulse spike and he forced his brain not to even think about how great she looked. She wore a pair of blue jeans that somehow molded just perfectly to her legs along with a black, sleeveless scoop neck top that just barely showed a hint of that luscious cleavage beneath. Her black felt cowboy hat and black cowboy boots made him smile, and he gave her a quick wink before he turned back to her father.
“Thanks for letting Lizzie come with me tonight, Mr. Benford.” He gave her father his best gentleman smile, hoping her dad didn’t give them too hard a time.
“Don’t mention it, Payton. You two have a good time tonight.”
“Okay, dad, we will.” Lizzie reached up on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on her father’s cheek. “See you later.” She waved as they walked out the door to his truck.
“Oh, by the way,” Payton turned and looked back as her father called. “Try not to have her home too late.”
Payton grinned, “Yes, sir.”
He waited until they were almost at the party to tell her how incredible she looked, and he noticed for the first time how cute she was when she blushed. It was a little odd, this feeling he had, now that he had her alone in the truck with him. It felt good, but not like the way it did when it was just the two of them down by Granny’s pond.
She was uncomfortable; he could tell by the way she kept fidgeting with the hat in her hands. He could understand why. He was the first guy she had let get close to her since she and Brett had broken up, and she was still nervous that somehow all men were as mean as him. He had other plans, though, and if he had anything to say about it, before the night was over, she’d forget everything she had ever known about men until him.
He turned off the engine when they reached the party, but he grabbed hold of her hand before she could make her way out of the truck. He studied her there in the moonlight, thinking how glad he was that he was right here, sitting in this truck with her, more than any other place on earth right now.
“Liz.” He could see her watching him with those brilliant green eyes. “Don’t be nervous, okay?”
She smiled but didn’t say anything.
“I’m the same Payton I always have been. I’ve always kept you safe before, haven’t I?” She nodded, keeping her gaze fixed on him. “Then trust me to do the same tonight.”
“I trust you, Payton. I always have.”
That one statement alone had his nerves tingling and groin tightening, but he reigned himself in enough to open the door for her to lead her towards the party. They both pulled a drink from the cooler, and found the rest of the gang, dancing like crazed fools on the makeshift dance floor in front of the band.
Bales of hay had been set up around the dance area so people could sit and watch, but Payton pulled her out onto the grassy floor as soon as the band struck up the next tune, and he pulled her in close to his body. Grace and Colin, Jade and Bud, moved closer to them on the dance floor and smiled in their direction.
“Having fun?” Grace whispered to her friend. Lizzie smiled, a half dazed dream like look on her face at the moment. “Hope you know that half the county is talking about the big date tonight. You know, you and Payton- the big date,” she added when Lizzie looked confused.
Lizzie smiled and leaned her head against Payton’s shoulder and half closed her eyes, enjoying the slow rhythm of the song and the way she fit so perfectly next to his body. She could have cared less if the entire world was talking about them right now. Let them talk. Not even wild horses could have pulled her out of his arms just then.
The song was over before she knew it, and she felt Payton pulling her back a few inches, but only far enough so he could look down into her eyes. He was so close to her, his lips close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her skin, his green eyes close enough that she felt like she was swimming in them.
“Having fun, yet?” He asked with a smile that tugged at the edges of his lips.
“Yes,” She managed to get out, even though the whole time she found herself mesmerized, staring helplessly into his eyes. When he broke their gaze and she realized he was staring intently at her lips, she felt her body shudder. She wanted him to kiss her so badly her body ached with just the thought of it. Instead, though, he took her hand and pulled her off the dance area to a more secluded spot to the side.
“Grab your drink, Liz, and let’s go find some place to sit down.”
“All right.” She followed him as he led her by the hand to the back of his pickup truck. Summer and Sellars, Hank, Bud and several other people were already there, enjoying the night air, and laughing about something stupid Bud had done in history class the other day.
“Hey!” They all called out as Payton and Lizzie hopped onto the truck bed and joined the group. “Have a nice dance? You two were dancing awfully close,” Hank called out and laughed when Payton playfully punched him in the ribs.
“As I recall, you were getting pretty close and personal yourself with Sarah a little while ago.” They all laughed as Payton called Hank out. Hank’s scowl only made the group laugh harder.
They talked a while about nothing in particular, just talked about life and the interesting things that made it up. Yet Lizzie couldn’t remember a conversation in her life that was more fun to partake in. She couldn’t have said exactly why if asked. It just was. Maybe it was the group of people that had come to mean so much in her life. Or perhaps it was the swirl and buzz of music and people all around them in that hayfield.
Mainly though, she thought it had something to do with Payton sitting next to her, closer than she could ever recall him sitting to her before, with his hand linked in hers just like it was something they did everyday. And she couldn’t help but notice that every few minutes he’d turn her way and smile, bright teeth flashing, his adorable dimple popping out. A smile meant only for her.
Lizzie couldn’t tell how long the group had been sitting on Payton’s truck talking, but eventually everyone except for him and her had wandered off somewhere else in the party, leaving just the two of them sitting there on the bed of his truck. He shifted next to her, settling down until he was fully laid back, and she watched him as he turned his eyes up toward the night sky. In turn, Lizzie shifted her focus to the sky and wondered exactly what it was he was looking for.
“Do you ever sit outside at night and look at the stars?” He asked eventually, breaking the calm silence that had settled between them.
“Sometimes. I look at them a lot more than I used to back in Chicago, that’s for sure. The sky is a lot clearer here, not as much smog to cover over their brightness.”
He glanced at her lying beside him then flicked his gaze back up to the stars. “Do you miss it?”
“I used to. When we first moved here I used to plot ways to run away and hitch-hike back. I figured I could live at my best friend’s house. But…I don’t know, somehow this place grew on me after a while. I started to see the things that made Edenvi
lle special.” She turned to look at him. “The people… the lifestyle, just everything about how this town works- I love it all.”
Payton had lost himself in her voice as she spoke, and when she turned her focus so those lazy green eyes settled on him, he couldn’t help but imagine exactly how magnificent her lips would feel under his.
He hadn’t planned it. The last thing he had pictured himself doing that night was kissing her there at the party. Yet something drew him to her, and he found himself leaning in, closing the small gap that existed between them.
Payton could hear her short, indrawn gasp of air just before his lips touched hers. Later he would think back on the look of shock he had seen in her eyes. At the time, though, all he could think about was how perfect everything felt at that exact moment.
Lizzie’s emerald eyes never left his face as she watched him lean in, closer and closer to her body. He wasn’t more than inch away when she realized, with a gasp, that he was about to kiss her. She shouldn’t have been shocked, but she was. The last thing in the world she had imagined the two of them doing that night was lying in the bed of his truck kissing.
But there they were. Payton lying next to her propped up on one of his arms, leaning over her, his breath warm and intoxicating against her body. And then, before she had time to think further, his lips were touching hers. It was just a quick caress. A playful nip, really.
A short meeting of his lips to hers before he drew back to look deep into her eyes.
They were still wide with shock, but he could see she wasn’t afraid, and that made his heart trip into double time. When his lips touched hers again, Lizzie could feel the world fall out from underneath her. Payton shifted so one of his hands cradled her head, and his lips settled over hers just as if they had been created for that sole purpose.
The Heart Will Lead You Home Page 18
