by Mia Carson
“Uh-huh, drinks,” the man repeated, and his wife sighed.
“Don’t mind him, dear,” she said. “He’s just old and senile.”
“Who are you calling old and senile, woman?” he asked sharply, but the woman waved for Edmund to go as the older couple argued back and forth loudly.
He laughed the whole way to the drugstore. “Morning, sir,” a balding man behind the counter said. “Can I help you find something?”
“Yes, books please.”
The man pointed towards the back of the store, and Edmund thanked him as he walked down the aisles of magazines and coloring books before he found the few shelves of novels. The selection was definitely small, but Edmund only needed a few to keep himself occupied during the long hours of the day. He picked up two mysteries that intrigued him and stacked a few romances on top, hoping the man behind the counter wouldn’t judge him too harshly. Usually, he bought them on his tablet, but he’d left that at home. He set the books on the counter, and the man cracked a smile but said nothing about his choices.
Not ready to go back to his room yet, he walked to the diner to hang out all day or until he got kicked out. Once he gave an order for waffles and coffee, he slipped the mystery book jacket onto the romance cover and settled in for a long morning of reading.
Fifty pages in, he realized reading romance was the worst thing he could’ve done. Instead of picturing two characters coming to life, he saw only himself and Kris as they struggled to find love in a time of war and backstabbing royals. His wanting grew worse when he reached the first erotic scene. Each descriptive verb sent his imagination spiraling off until he heard Kris moaning his name as the heroine did for the hero in the story. His jeans tight on his bulging erection, he tried to adjust himself without drawing too much attention and glanced up. Molly had spotted him from the doorway and waved enthusiastically. He set the book aside reluctantly.
“I was hoping you’d be here. Can I buy you lunch?” she asked and sat down before he offered.
With her around, the rest of the day would pass by quickly. Edmund welcomed her company, and they chatted the day away until she had to leave for her shift at the store.
“Oh, what time does the garage close?” he asked Molly as they exited the diner together.
“Kris’s garage? Round six,” she said. “Need to check on your car?”
“Yeah, something like that,” he said. “Thanks for the company again.”
Molly bobbed her head, but her smile faltered just a little. “You don’t have to keep entertaining me, you know.”
He smiled, confused. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
She sighed and patted his cheek with her hand. “I can be a bit overwhelming to some men, I know that, and from the way you keep darting glances at the garage, I don’t have a chance.” She stretched up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Just watch out for her brother. He just got out of prison this year. Tell Kris I said hi!”
“Prison?” Edmund asked, but Molly bounded down the sidewalk before his mind had a chance to catch up with what had just happened. Was he that transparent in his desire for Kris? Molly taking it so well was a breath of fresh air. He’d witnessed many a tantrum thrown by women of his class because a man they desired did not desire them in return. He glanced at his watch and groaned. “Two hours to kill.”
A shower would waste some time, and he could always read more of his book. When six o’clock finally rolled around, Edmund’s hands shook with his growing desire for Kris. He left the inn for the bar. He stepped inside the bar to find several pool tables set up on the right, a long L-shaped bar to the left, and dart boards all along the back wall next to a small stage for karaoke. Everyone turned to stare at him, and he brandished his politest smile as he stalked to the bar and ordered a whiskey, neat.
“Ed!” a familiar voice called out, and he turned to see Kris waving wildly at him.
He grabbed his drink and managed to squeeze through the already crowded space to Kris near the dartboards. “Playing already? I thought I’d beat you here.”
“Eh, I closed the shop early,” she said, a light in her eyes. “Ready to play some darts?”
He set his drink down next to her beer and let his eyes rake over her body. The denim skirt clung to her ass, and if she bent over, it’d be the end of him. The halter was just as tight, clinging to her skin in all the right places, and he could tell from that one glance she wasn’t wearing a bra. His throat thick with desire, he could only nod as she held up several darts to him. Her hair hung down over her shoulders in waves of shimmering red and brown with no trace of grease or oil to be found. He hadn’t pictured Kris ever dressing like this, but he sure as hell was glad she did.
“What’s the winner get?” he managed to ask after she threw her first one, embedding in the wall. He sniffed innocently when she shot him a glare.
“I’m not sure. What do you want to play for?”
He drank his whiskey as an idea popped into his head. “Well, if I win, I get to kiss the prettiest girl in the bar,” he whispered roughly.
Her breathing increased, and she licked her lips. “And if I win?”
“If you win… I’ll give you a kiss and tell you the long story,” he offered.
“Fair enough,” she said and stepped aside so he could throw his first dart. “Son-of-a-bitch,” she muttered when it hit dead center. “Cheater.”
“How can I possibly cheat at darts?” he asked, amused.
“You’re too charming,” she proclaimed as she lined up her next shot. He choked on his whiskey when it went wide again, and she nearly nailed a larger man in the hand.
“Kris, what did I tell you?” the man growled as he yanked the dart out of the wall and walked it over to her. “Have your friend here teach you to throw that thing before you put my eyeball out.”
“Sorry, Willy,” she mumbled through her laughter as he glanced heavenwards.
“You really do suck at this,” Edmund mused as he threw his second and it hit inside the second inner ring. “Want some help?” He tried to ask with a straight face, but when hers scrunched in annoyance, he couldn’t keep the laughter in.
An hour later, four drinks in each of them and at least ten rounds of darts, Kris cackled like a madwoman, leaning against Edmund as he showed her the proper way to hold the dart. His fingers curled around hers, and he was acutely aware of her curves pressed against his body. He rested his hand on her other hip to hold her steady, and they both sighed quietly at the touch. She turned her body just enough, and he barely maintained enough control not to grind his hips against her ass cradled perfectly against him.
“Like this?” she asked on a breath as she prepared to throw the dart.
“Just like that,” he agreed stiffly and let go of her hand. She let the dart fly, and it hit above the board. “You’re cursed. I’m calling it.”
She huffed and rested her hands on the table. “Alright, that’s it. I’m admitting defeat.”
“You sure you want to do that?”
Kris drained the rest of her beer and stepped closer, their breaths mingling together. “Damn sure.”
He swallowed hard and shot back the rest of his whiskey. He debated if he should kiss her here or somewhere else. Kris grabbed his shirtfront and dragged his mouth down to hers. Stunned, he simply let his lips rest against her supple ones until her tongue darted out and licked his bottom lip. With a groan, his hands found her hips and he returned the favor, slipping his tongue into the depths of her warm mouth and kissing her hotly. She caressed his neck with her hands and stood on her toes as the kiss continued, Edmund unable to pull away for fear he would never experience those soft, warm lips again.
“Damn, Kris, let the man breathe!” a man shouted, and Edmund immediately pulled back.
“Oh, shut up, Charlie!” she hollered back, her lips swollen from their kiss.
“Just saying, you don’t want to drown the man before you… you know,” he teased and gyrated his hips near the bar
.
Edmund’s hands tightened on Kris, ready to step in, but she laughed and picked up a dart. Everyone in the vicinity ducked or dove to the side, and Charlie yelped, falling flat to the floor as she threatened to throw it at him.
“That’s what I thought.” Kris laughed and dropped the dart to pick up Edmund’s hand. She dragged him to the door, and Charlie let out a catcall as they passed before the muggy night air hit them. “Wow, this has been quite the night.”
“That guy a friend of yours?” Edmund asked, realizing as they walked that she still held his hand.
“Yeah, we dated a while back, but we’re better friends. He works with me at the garage.”
“So I don’t have to worry about a jealous ex coming at me?” He paused when Kris grimaced. “Charlie’s the jealous type?”
“No, but you have to understand, this is a very, very small town and… Well, there’s not a lot of options, so you kind of date everyone at one point or another.”
He blew out a breath. “How many exes do you have?”
She chewed her tongue in the way that drove him wild and counted off on her fingers until she ran out. “Enough. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“Great, so if I randomly get decked in the face, I’ll have you to thank for it,” he teased and draped his arm over her shoulders. When she leaned into his side, he grinned at the warmth spreading over his body, and it wasn’t from the weather. “At least I don’t have to worry about any crazy women getting jealous, like Molly.”
Kris stopped so suddenly she stumbled. “Molly! Oh God, she’s going to kill me if she hears about that kiss.”
Edmund chuckled and tugged her along. “Nah, you’re safe.”
“And you know this how?”
“She told me after our lunch,” he said. “Apparently, it’s very clear I only want to be involved with one woman in this town.”
Kris relaxed against his side as she laughed quietly. “Welcome to Green Valley, where everyone knows your business before you know it. God, I’m sorry. You’re going to be talked about for a long while.”
“You’re worth it,” he whispered in her ear and kissed the top of her head. The walk around town ended when they reached the inn. “Want to come inside for a bit?” he suggested.
“As much as I’d love to, I have some parts coming in an early delivery tomorrow morning. Rain check?”
His heart sank, thinking she was letting him down easy, but she reached an arm around his neck and kissed him again, their lips gliding in an easy dance as their tongues mingled together. When they both struggled to breathe, she stepped back and wiped a hand over her mouth, smiling coyly at him.
“Rain check,” he repeated roughly. “Dinner tomorrow night, then?”
“Yeah, let’s do that,” she said, and with a wave, she walked down the sidewalk.
Edmund watched her go until she turned a corner and he scratched the back of his neck. “Shit,” he whispered as he finally walked to his room and fell onto the bed once inside. “That woman is going to drive me insane.”
And I’ve never been more alright with that, he thought as he settled in for a night of dreaming about those pink lips.
Chapter 7
Kris rested her head on her arms at the worktable, lulled to sleep by the tinkering sounds of Charlie and Frank working. She’d been at the shop since five that morning, and lack of sleep from dreaming of Edmund caught up with her. She yawned again, scrunching her eyes shut, and attempted to catch a short cat nap. They were having dinner tonight, and she was beyond excited after the success of last night.
For dinner in Green Valley, there was either the bar, the diner, or driving about an hour away, so she’d decided to cook him some of her Grams’s famous chili and corn bread. She even made a pie for dessert at three in the morning when she’d given up on sleeping.
A quiet thud in front of her startled her awake. She lifted her head and stared into Edmund’s shining eyes. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up from your nap. Coffee?”
She breathed deeply, and the strong smell wafted over her. “Lifesaver,” she mumbled and picked up the warm paper cup to cradle in her hands. No matter how hot outside it was, coffee was coffee. She sipped on it and smiled in thanks. As she sat on her stool, she let her eyes roam over his face and his dripping wet hair. “Did you run out of the shower or something?”
“For you, I might,” he flirted. “You were right about that storm. It started raining as soon as I left the diner.”
Kris stood and walked to the garage door as the rain trickled down, barely a drizzle, but the dark clouds on the horizon promised one hell of a storm. “Should be a good one,” she announced. “I love the rain.” She closed her eyes as the raindrops thrummed on the roof of the shop, washing the heat of the day away. “Tonight, for dinner, we might have some company.”
“Where are we going?”
“Surprise,” she said, “but I promise you’ll love the food. The company might be a bit rough, but I think you can handle yourself.”
“Not Grams, is it?” he asked hesitantly. “I’m pretty sure she’s still miffed at me.”
“She does tend to hold grudges, but she won’t do anything at dinner,” she told him then clamped her lips shut and tilted her head. “She won’t do anything terrible.”
He grinned, and the scar on his cheek appeared with his dimples. She reached out a hand, three fingers already bandaged from her morning work, and brushed them along this cheek. He stilled, the muscles in his neck straining, and his eyes fell to her curious gaze.
“What happened there?” she asked softly as her hand fell away. He caught it for a moment and let it go, swallowing hard.
“An accident with a horse,” he said. “I was ten. The horse freaked and threw me off, and I haven’t been on a horse since.”
“Don’t you work with horses?”
“I work in the business of them, but no, I don’t go to the stables and I don’t ride.”
“We’re going to have to change that.” She nodded as she drank her coffee, and he shook his head. “Oh, come on, you can’t be afraid to ride for the rest of your life.”
He picked at his coffee cup as he mumbled, “I never said I was afraid to ride.”
“Thursday, you’re coming with me to work on Mr. Fitz’s tractor.”
“What does that have to do with horses?” he asked through a laugh.
“He has a stable for retired horses,” she explained as the first flash of lightning split the sky and thunder rumbled the ground beneath their feet. “He encourages people to come out and ride them, give them attention now and again. They’ll be gentle,” she promised and squeezed his arm. “Thanks for the coffee, but I have to get back to work.”
He placed his hand over hers on his arm. “No problem. Where do you want me to meet you for dinner later?”
“I’ll pick you up,” she said. “There’s an umbrella over there if you want to borrow it.”
He tossed his empty coffee cup in the trash, and when he leaned back, he planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. “I like the rain, too,” he whispered and walked out into the storm. She laughed as he jogged through the downpour and reached the inn doorway, waving over his head before he walked inside.
“Be still, my beating heart,” Charlie whined in a high-pitched voice behind her.
Kris only sighed before she walked back to the old truck she’d been working on for the past week. “You think he’s alright?” she asked after a while.
“What do you mean?” Charlie asked.
“I mean, he… There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the guy? You don’t get any bad vibes from him?”
“Well, I’m not the one who sucked face in front of the whole town,” Charlie said and ducked when she chucked a rag at his face. “No, I don’t get any vibes. Should I?”
She tightened another bolt before she answered. “He was stood up at his wedding.”
Charlie shrugged. “That sucks, but he seems like a good guy. Somet
imes, things just don’t work out. Did he tell you why she left him at the altar?”
“No, I lost our bet last night,” she grumbled. “He just said it was a long story.”
“Then tonight, ask him to tell you the truth. If he doesn’t, I might worry something was wrong,” Charlie suggested. “Until then, enjoy the ride.”
Kris chewed her tongue as she dug into the truck’s engine and worked on it the rest or the day, her mind wondering over the various reasons why a woman would choose not to marry someone like Edmund. He was a gentleman and a damn good kisser.
When Charlie and Frank punched out for the day several hours later, Kris set her tools down and cleaned herself up in the bathroom in the garage, washing off the oil and grime from the day. She tugged off her jumpsuit and hung it up on the hook as she changed out of her shorts and tank into snug-fitting jeans, her boots—since the rain had yet to let up–and a strapless top beaded across the bottom. She fluffed her hair the best she could and worked on her makeup—just a light touch to emphasize her soft cheeks and hazel eyes. Once she was ready, she blew out a shuddering breath, worried about Dennis and Grams behaving themselves tonight.
Rain pounded against the roof as she picked up the tow truck keys, the only vehicle she owned besides the Judge, and texted Edmund to be ready to jump in when she pulled up. The truck barreled across the road and parked in front of the inn. Edmund ran out into the rain and yanked the door open, dripping wet.
“Hell of a night,” he said as he wiped water from his face.
“Hope you’re ready for some homemade chili,” she said excitedly and drove down the two-lane road until she turned onto the gravel drive leading to the scattered row of small houses.
“Sounds great. I didn’t know you cooked.”
“I attempt it,” she admitted with a laugh. “I only make a few things well, and chili is one of them. And pie. I make a fantastic chocolate bourbon pecan pie. I hope you’re hungry.”
She pulled up in front of the tiny house she shared with Dennis, and when the headlights hit a familiar beat-up truck, she slammed on the brakes and threw the tow in park. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the wheel tightly and ground her teeth in an effort to keep her anger under control.
