by Amy Harmon
“Sure you are.”
“Luke, I…” She searched for the right words. “Believe it or not, I like my life. The slowness of it all. The easiness of it. With the exception of the past couple of weeks, I’ve been comfortable and happy. I really don’t need any more than I already have.” But as she looked around, Taycee knew she wanted more. She wanted this. But was she even capable of competing at this level?
When Luke didn’t say anything right away, she turned and found him watching her with an unreadable expression. “I don’t believe you, Taycee Lynne. And neither do you. I saw the look in your eyes when you first told me you were interested in doing weddings. And I saw your mind working with ideas while you looked at those arrangements back there.” He paused. “I get that you like the slowness of your life—it’s one of the reasons I decided to move back. But you should never stop setting goals and trying to achieve them regardless of where you live. You’ll only be hurting yourself if you do.”
Taycee glanced down at the catalog in her hands. It suddenly felt heavy so she dropped it on the table with a thunk. Was Luke right? Had her life in Shelter become too comfortable and easy? Had she been holding herself back in a way? Would she be standing behind one of these booths right now if it wasn’t for her fear of change and the unknown?
Taycee looked around once again, feeling claustrophobic. There were too many people. Too much noise. The excitement and energy from earlier faded instantly, leaving behind a feeling of dissatisfaction. As though she didn’t deserve to be in a room with people who didn’t shy away from change the way she did.
“I think I’ve seen enough,” Taycee said. “Ready to go?”
“You sure?” Luke craned his neck, looking over the heads of the people milling through the aisles. “There’s another florist over that way.”
“I’m sure.”
Luke followed her out. He slid the key into the ignition, started the engine, and then glanced at Taycee.
“Did I say something wrong in there?” he asked.
“No. But sometimes the truth hurts, and you were right. In a way, I’ve been a bit of a coward.”
His eyebrows drew together in confusion. “I never said that.”
A small laugh escaped from Taycee’s mouth as she shook her head. “You didn’t have to. It was more of a revelation for me. My entire life I’ve resisted change, and any time something happened to threaten my happy little comfort zone—like this bachelorette thing or you moving back to town—I balked, just like I balked when you and Caleb and my parents moved away. Instead of embracing change and seeing how far it could help me fly, I let fear keep me grounded. The only reason I’ve grown at all over the past few years is because of circumstances I had no control over.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m actually really glad you stayed in Shelter.” Luke’s warm fingers closed over hers. “And you are not a coward, Taycee Lynne. Not even close. You did what you wanted with your life, including moving back to a place you loved, despite the fact that all your family left. You even opened your own business—a successful one at that.”
He nodded toward the building. “I brought you here because I know you have a goal of doing more with your business, and I wanted to help with that goal. I honestly didn’t mean to make you feel like you were anything less than the amazing person you are.”
Taycee gnawed on her lower lip as she stared straight ahead. It was funny how two people could look at the exact same thing and see two very different perspectives. Was this the half-full, half-empty metaphor where Luke was the optimist and she the pessimist? Maybe. Or maybe Luke didn’t really know her as well as he thought he did.
Regardless, his words made Taycee want to become what he thought of her. To crawl out of her cozy little hole and make some actual plans. Goals. Really see what she could achieve with her life. She leaned over and kissed his clean-shaven cheek. “Thanks for seeing me that way, Luke.”
His hand cupped the back of her neck, keeping her close, while his thumb traced a line down her neck. “What I don’t get is how I didn’t see you before.”
Taycee’s heartbeat throbbed like a subwoofer, vibrating through the cab. Luke brought his other hand to her face, caressing her cheek and sending the most amazing sensations through her body. His eyes rested on her lips as he inched forward, closing the gap between them until his lips brushed across hers. The kiss was light and tentative, as if he didn’t know whether he should be doing it or not.
Taycee sat, almost frozen. She wanted to throw her arms around him and deepen the kiss, but something held her back. Fear. Shock. Whatever it was, it kept her rigid, as if any movement on her part would make him come to his senses.
His forehead rested against hers while his lips lingered, feathery light against her own. They remained that way for a moment, their breaths colliding together and warming the air between them until Luke slowly backed away. The usual teasing glint was gone, and in its place was an intensity Taycee completely understood. Something was happening between them. Something real and scary and… incredible.
Without a word, Luke turned his attention to the road and threw his truck into gear. He drove to a nearby strip mall and pulled to a stop at the curb.
“Be right back,” he said. And then he was gone. Out of the truck and through the doors of a small little eatery with a blinking pink neon “Open” sign affixed to the door.
Taycee stared at the sign, watching it blink on and off. On and off. Her thoughts were muddled and obscure. People walked by on the sidewalk, their shoes clopping by with dull thuds. But still Taycee stared at the sign, letting the people pass between them like a blurred image.
Luke had kissed her.
Really kissed her.
Her lips still burned, aching for more. She touched them with a hesitant fingertip, not wanting to disturb the tingling, but needing to feel it. Nothing would ever be the same now. How could it? If Luke had ruined other guys for her before, now they were destroyed. Obliterated.
Just like her heart would be if he decided to walk out of her life again.
Chapter Thirty-one
“I think this is a very bad idea,” Taycee said as she tried to stand. The afternoon sun beat down on her as the wheels of her rented rollerblades spun. Her arms jerked frantically in the air before she lost her balance and landed with a jolt on the hard concrete. She peered up at Luke. “Told you.”
Luke braced one roller blade against the other to keep from rolling. He held out a hand. “The Taycee Lynne I know isn’t a quitter. Up you go.”
She eyed his outstretched hand, and then grudgingly rested her fingers on his. “Okay, but if I break something, I’m holding you responsible. I haven’t tried rollerblading since you and Caleb left.” Which wasn’t one hundred percent true. She’d gone with a group of friends in high school once. They’d taken her to a skate park, where she’d promptly fallen and sprained her wrist. After that, Taycee had never been invited along again—not that she would have gone. Wheeled shoes didn’t belong on her feet.
In a fluid movement, Luke pulled her to her feet, keeping a firm grasp on her hand. “Seriously, who doesn’t know how to rollerblade?”
He’d pretty much said that same thing ten years earlier, the summer before he left for college when he offered to teach her. They fit in three lessons before he left, which obviously hadn’t done much good.
“No one else had the patience to teach me,” Taycee said. Her skates started to move again, and her other hand latched on to Luke’s solid bicep.
He steadied her. “Good thing I came back then. No way can you go through life not knowing how to rollerblade. That’s so… un-American.”
Her feet started to roll backwards again, so she gripped Luke with both hands. “So that’s what’s been missing in my life all these years.”
“Yeah,” he said. “And me.”
“I never said anything about you.”
His finger tapped her nose as he grinned. “But you were thinking it.”
Okay, so maybe not such a stupid move.
His voice was husky and his breath warm and minty as he murmured in her ear. “I’m glad no one else wanted to teach you. I’m kind of liking this.”
“Only kind of?”
He laughed. Gently, the pressure of his hands at her waist eased up as he slowly spun her around. “Just put one foot in front of the other,” he said. “It’s that easy.”
“Maybe for you,” she muttered, although he was making it difficult for her to want to learn to rollerblade. She liked holding on to him for support way too much.
His hands slipped from her waist as he moved to her side, grabbing her hand. “Glide for a second like this, and then turn the other foot at an angle and give yourself a push to keep going.”
Not wanting another sprained wrist, Taycee gripped his hand hard as she pushed her feet forward, trying to copy his movements. She managed it for a few strokes, but when Luke tried to pick up the speed, Taycee pitched forward.
“Easy there, killer,” Luke said, raising his arm to steady her. “I guess we’ll just take it slow.”
“Or I can take them off and jog along beside you.”
“Not a chance. You are going to learn to rollerblade whether you want to or not.”
“Fine.”
An hour later, Taycee was finally able to skate slowly on her own, but her legs burned from the strain of constantly tightened muscles. As she came around a turn, a large maple tree beckoned her with its shade, so she rolled off the sidewalk and trudged across the grass, sinking down beneath the tree. Minutes later, she tossed the rollerblades aside and wriggled her toes in her socks. It felt good to be free.
Luke chuckled as he dropped down beside her and removed his rollerblades. “Not bad for a rusty beginner.”
Her eyebrows raised in an I-don’t-believe-you look.
He shrugged. “Okay, so you stink.”
Taycee’s fingers closed around a fistful of grass, and she yanked it from the ground. Then she leaned over and stuffed it down the back of his shirt before he could stop her.
“You’re so going to regret doing that.” Luke lunged for her arm, but she rolled to the side and leapt to her feet, sprinting away from him. It didn’t take long for him to catch up. She soon found herself locked in his arms as he dragged her toward a drinking fountain.
“But I’m not thirsty,” she said through giggles as she fought to break free.
“I wasn’t planning on giving you a drink. More like a shower.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Actually, I would.”
They arrived at the drinking fountain at the same time as a teenage boy. He had a ring through his nose and carried a skateboard under one arm.
“Hey, you wouldn’t mind holding that on for me would you?” Luke asked him.
“Luke! Stop it!” Taycee laughed. The poor kid looked uncomfortable and probably regretted ever coming near them. “Don’t let him turn you into the bad guy,” she said to the teenager.
“I’ll give you five bucks if you do,” Luke countered.
The kid shrugged and twisted the knob on the fountain, stepping aside.
Taycee glared. “And you looked like such a nice person.”
Another shrug. “I could be nice for ten.”
“You’re on the path to juvenile detention,” Taycee said. “You know that right?”
“Don’t listen to her.” Luke brought Taycee’s face within an inch of the water. “Now, I’ll let you stay dry if you repeat after me: I, Taycee Lynne…”
She rolled her eyes. “I, Taycee Lynne…”
“Love Hercules.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The spray of water hit her forehead. “Say it.”
“Okay, okay. I, Taycee Lynne, love Hercules.”
Luke grinned and pulled her up, looking at the kid. “Don’t ask.”
“Wasn’t gonna.” He took a drink, and then held out his palm expectantly.
Luke withdrew the money from his wallet and handed it over. The kid smirked and stuffed it into his pocket, and then stalked away with a tug on his skinny jeans.
“Wow,” Taycee said, watching him leave. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“There’s a first.” He started laughing.
Taycee stuck out her tongue, and then bit back a smile as she spun on her heel to collect the rollerblades.
* * *
The amphitheater at Red Rocks reminded Taycee of some Indian ruins she’d seen once—the kind that had been carved out of the mountain and appeared almost like they’d formed naturally over time. Rows and rows of bench-style seating sloped up and away from a stage centered below, blending into the red rock background of the Rocky Mountains. How did she not know a place like this existed only fifteen minutes east of Denver?
“Pretty cool, isn’t it?” Luke said, his hand resting on the small of her back as he guided her to their seats.
“It’s amazing. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”
“I hope you like Bluegrass.”
“Love it.” It really didn’t matter what band performed or what type of music they played. With Luke’s arm around her, Taycee would love anything. In fact, her mouth hurt from all the grinning and laughing she’d done that day. That’s how happy Luke made her.
When they found their seats, he shook out a blanket he’d been carrying—the same one they’d shared stargazing. The night air began to chill, so he wrapped it around them both and pulled Taycee tight against him as they sat down. It felt so good, so natural, so warm. Here, right now, all that existed was him and her, tucked into a warm cocoon with the beauty of the mountains surrounding them.
The concert was incredible, a perfect accompaniment to cuddling with Luke. The strains of music echoed off the rock walls and seemed to come alive, swirling around everyone in a soothing, relaxing way. People sang, clapped, danced, and swayed along with the music. Taycee stayed snuggled next to Luke, content to feel the vibrations of the music through his body.
All too soon, it ended. Luke continued to hold her close until the worst of the crowds dispersed, and then he led her back to his truck. He drove down a dark windy road, eventually pulling off to the side.
“C’mon, you’ve got to see this view before we head back.” He jumped out and came around, reaching for her hand.
“View?” Taycee squinted through the darkness. All she could make out were rock formations and desert shrubs. Still, she slid from the truck and allowed Luke to lead her to the other side of a large boulder. It felt like they’d walked through a magic door that opened up into a completely new world. Denver’s lights glowed in the distance, beneath a canopy of sparkling stars.
“Oh. That view,” Taycee breathed.
Luke’s arms circled her from behind, and his chin rested on her head. “The owners of the restaurant we ate at this morning told me about this place. Said if we were coming to the amphitheater, we couldn’t leave until we stopped here.”
“I’m glad you listened.” Taycee inhaled the cool night air, feeling like her heart had never felt so whole, so complete, so alive.
Before Luke came back, she’d been comfortable. Even happy. But standing with him now, it were as if all of her hopes and dreams collided and erupted into something bigger and scarier than she’d ever thought possible. A feeling of rightness mixed with a very real fear that this could all be taken away.
The fear won out and a sudden chill shot through her, making her body stiffen.
“Cold?” Luke asked, tightening his hold on her.
&nbs
p; Taycee twisted around, her arms circling his waist as she looked up at him. “Today has been…” She searched for the right description.
“Fun?”
“Perfect.”
“Hmm… even better than I’d hoped.” His words came out low and hushed, melting into the night.
Taycee swallowed, her gaze dropping to his chest. Her fingers smoothed over the soft fabric of his shirt, feeling his muscles beneath it. “As perfect as today has been, I have to know what it means—to you, I mean.” Taycee clamped her mouth shut, hating herself for sounding so insecure.
“What today means to me,” Luke said slowly. His hands rubbed circles up and down her back before he finally said, “When I first decided to move back here, I hoped you and Caleb would still be around because I wanted a taste of my old life back. But in my mind you were still that little fourteen-year-old kid with braces. So it caught me off guard when I first saw you at the diner—all grown up and gorgeous.”
His hand moved to her jaw, and his thumb caressed her cheekbone. “When I found out you were the bachelorette, I tried to tell myself that I wanted to stay on the show just to make you uncomfortable, but the real reason was that I wanted to get to know the grown up version of Taycee Lynne. But then I got voted off, which sucked. So I figured I’d lay low until it was all over.” He grinned. “I guess I’m not a very patient person.”
Luke lifted Taycee’s chin, forcing her to look at him. “As far as what that means, I’m not one hundred percent sure yet. You’re stubborn, crazy, and more confusing than any girl I’ve ever met, but I can’t get you out of my mind.”
Taycee’s heartbeat surged, feeling ready to burst. “So, this isn’t another one of your practical jokes? You know, make me fall for you, and then walk away laughing?”
