by Lea Hart
“Guess it’s possible.” He thought about the million dollars Uncle Sam poured into his training and the time he’d spent on the Teams. No doubt, he was one of the most lethal men on the planet and could hunt evil better than most. But did any of that mean a thing when it came to affairs of the heart?
He didn’t think so. Sure, he could attack any challenge with his hands, a gun, or just plain ingenuity with no problem. Put him in the worst combat situation with nothing more than his KA-BAR and he’d come out victorious. But a relationship with a woman? He had no fucking clue.
He tapped his finger against his bottle of beer and wondered if all the ingenuity he’d used in the last decade could be repurposed.
“Don’t doubt yourself, man. If you want to figure out how to make something that you’ll both be happy with, you damn well can.”
He wasn’t all that surprised that Jack had read his mind. “Appreciate it. But who says I don’t have my eye on someone less argumentative?” He set down his beer and folded his arms across his chest. “Maybe I want a sweet, agreeable woman who thinks I’m better than pecan pie.”
Jack snorted loud enough to turn several heads. “You’d be bored in a minute. Pretending like Em hasn’t owned your heart since the beginning of time is a waste of breath.” He pushed himself upright and then smoothed out his shirt. “Looks like the ladies are done.”
Rick slapped his friend on the back. “Godspeed, man.”
“Thanks. I’m going to grab a fresh round of drinks and then head over.”
He watched Jack flag down a waitress and then hooked his boot into a stool and dropped down, thinking about what it would take to get his girl interested.
“Hey, Rick, what are you doing sitting here all by your lonesome?”
Oh no. Flicking his eyes over, he gave Darlene a tight-lipped smile. “Just enjoying my evening.” Praying the town flirt didn’t consider him the next best option, he planted his foot on the scuffed wood floor and edged away. Not only because he didn’t want to encourage her, but because the cloying perfume she wore was burning his nostrils. “How’s that boyfriend of yours doing?”
“Hard to say, since we broke up.” Twirling a piece of hair, she leaned closer. “I’m single and ready to enjoy myself.”
Rick prayed God wasn’t too busy to create some kind of natural disaster that would interrupt the conversation. The last thing he wanted to do was insult the woman, but since he’d spent most of the last year with cows, he wasn’t sure how to avoid it. He pushed himself to his feet. “Well, good luck with that.”
“Where are you runnin’ off to?”
He hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “Need to talk to Em about one of my horses.”
Her mouth formed a pout. “Oh.”
He let out an internal sigh. “Yeah. See you, Darlene.” Before she could get in another word, he spun around and cut his way through the crowd. Hopefully he could camp at Em’s table for the rest of the night. He stepped up to the women’s table and grinned. “Hey, Stitches.”
Em turned away from Nessa and gave him a slow once-over. “Did you come over here to hide or harass?”
Liking the way her skirt rode up high on her thigh, he leaned forward, planting his hands on the table. “A little of both.”
Vanessa pushed her empty glass forward. “Get us another round of drinks and we’ll let you.”
“Jack is grabbing y’all another round and should be by any minute.”
“Well, I could use a fresh drink,” Emily said. “And if you’re about to plant your fanny here, then I might need two.”
Without breaking eye contact with Em, he blew a sharp whistle through his teeth. “Another round, please.”
“We could’ve done that,” Vanessa grumbled. “You were supposed to hustle your butt over to the bar and be a damn gentleman.”
“Doubt he knows how,” Emily said as she swung her boot back and forth.
“I look forward to watching you eat your words and offering me an apology before the evening ends.” Giving her a slow smile, he let his eyes run over her bare shoulders and wondered what kind of miracle they’d need to break their habit of bickering.
“I’m guessing it’s you that’ll be apologizing, since I’m a well-mannered lady.”
“We’ll see about that.” He moved to her side of the table and tapped her leg. “Scooch over, woman, and let me sit.”
“Sit with your cousin and leave me be.”
Vanessa slid out of the booth and pushed her skirt down. “I’m not spending my evening watching you two fight.”
“I’m not—”
Putting her hand up, she shook her head. “Save it, Rick.” She scooped the knives and forks off the table and gave them both a warning glare. “Try and pretend like you’re adults and quit wasting time on an old habit.”
“I won’t need to pretend,” Rick muttered, watching his cousin drop the confiscated cutlery on a busboy’s tray then stride toward the bar. “People don’t think much of our ability to control ourselves.”
“Speak for yourself.”
He slid in next to Emily and felt his nerves settle for the first time since walking into the place. Nothing he loved more than having his best cohort at his side. “You look real pretty tonight, Stitches.”
Emily quirked her head and then pressed a hand to his forehead. “You feelin’ okay?”
Capturing her hand, he leaned in. “Haven’t felt this good in a very long time.” He watched the corner of her mouth lift into a smile and did everything he could not to lean forward and press their mouths together. When she blinked several times, he knew that taking a beat was his best choice. Slow was smooth and smooth was fast, and coming in hot would no doubt net a negative outcome. “So…is it always this busy?”
She gave him a questioning look and then leaned forward, examining the dance floor. “This is a slow night, and the crowd is usually double.”
Shuddering, he sat back. “Don’t have any interest in seeing what that looks like.”
“Is this the first time you’ve been here since coming home?”
He knitted their fingers together, telling himself that enjoying the heat radiating off her skin wasn’t wrong. In fact, it was a whole lot right, and he filled his lungs with her perfume, letting it curl around him like a rope. Not able to recall the question, he turned so their faces were close. “Sorry…what did you ask me?”
“Have you—”
“How did you become more beautiful, Em?” he interrupted, tracing the line of her jaw with his forefinger. “You were pretty at seventeen, but now…you’re a total knockout.”
“Rick…”
“It’s true, and damn if I’m going to pretend otherwise.” The clip of boots against the hardwood floors alerted him they had incoming, so he glanced up and saw their waitress approach. When she set down their drinks, he gave her a smile. “Thanks, Holly.”
“Can’t believe you finally dragged your butt in here.”
Rick passed over Emily’s drink and then let out a snort. “Figured it was about time I see if I’m fit company for humans.”
“Any idea how you’re faring?” Holly asked.
“Considering I ran away from Darlene and her not so subtle offer, I’d say not so good.”
“But we’re not fussing at one another, so who knows what’s possible by the end of the evening?” Emily said before swirling the straw in her drink.
“That’s true,” Holly said as she looked around the bar. “But you should know that people are making bets on which one of you is going to end up in the ER tonight. I told most of them that y’all were too old to get up to your shenanigans, but not many of them bought it.”
“We’re not too old,” Emily said firmly. “If we had a mind to climb the ladder of the water tower and add food coloring, we sure as hell could.”
“Yeah,
” Rick added. “In fact, we wouldn’t even need to climb it, ’cause I’ve learned a few skills over the years that would eliminate the need.” He turned to Em and grinned. “What do you say, Stitches? Should we?”
“No,” Holly answered firmly. “I can’t have my vet put in jail for vandalism, since she’s all that stands between me and my cat’s incontinence.”
Emily dropped her arm over Rick’s shoulder and smiled. “I’d blame him and run like hell, so any charges should land on his shoulders.” She gave him a nod and then squeezed his arm. “Because I’m all but positive it’s his turn to take the heat.”
Holly slung her tray against her hip, pinching her lips together. “I couldn’t agree more. And think we should put him on the hook for whatever…comes to pass.”
He cut his eyes between the women and waited, not caring for the look they were sharing. What the hell? None of what they were saying was making sense. “I’m gonna need an explanation as to why it’s my turn.”
“The fact you can’t remember is very sad,” Holly said before walking off.
Turning so he and Em were face-to-face, he watched her frown before slipping the straw between her lips. “And what about you? Feel like enlightening me?”
“Nope.”
“Any chance I can feed you enough tequila to change your mind?”
“Darlin’, there isn’t enough in the great state for that to happen.”
He turned toward the dance floor and felt his gut churn. Pushing her wasn’t going to get her to spill, but waiting patiently until she felt ready wasn’t something he particularly wanted to do. Measuring possible options to extract the intel, he tapped his finger against the table. There was a solution for everything, and it was just a matter of time before he came up with one. Unfortunately, Darlene was heading their way. “Shit, we’ve got incoming.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Darlene is coming in hot.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the edge of the bench. “We’re dancing.”
“What?” she squawked. “Since when do we—”
“For all that is good and right in the world, I’m begging you not to argue.”
“I like you begging.”
He grinned, wondering if she was at all serious. “Then move that fine ass of yours and play along and you’ll get a heaping helping of it.”
Firming his grip, he tugged her up behind him. The incoming tango frowned as they passed, and he gave her a fake-ass smile. Once they were on the dance floor, he let out a breath and pulled Em into his arms. “Clear.”
“Since when do you run from anything or anyone?”
“I’m not running, I’m avoiding, since the last thing I want to do is fend Darlene off for the rest of the night.”
“Well, I promised Nash a dance, and based on the way he’s shooting daggers into your back, I’d say you gettin’ out of here without exchanging words again is dismal.”
Rick studied her. “What is it with you and Nash, anyway?”
“He’s a friend and has always been one.”
He pulled her closer, enjoying her flowery scent and warm skin. “The way he’s looking at you tells me he’d like to be a lot more than friends.”
“You’re talking nonsense.” But even as she said it, she didn’t look so sure.
He didn’t like that. Not at all.
Knowing that getting into a war of words wouldn’t do him any good, he kept his mouth shut and concentrated on how good it felt to finally have her in his arms. More than a decade had passed since their first and only dance at the Spring Fling in high school, and the woman she’d become blew away the hot seventeen-year-old she’d been. Something he never would’ve guessed was possible.
“People are lookin’ at us like we’re the best freak show at the circus,” she grumbled.
Pulling her tighter against his chest, he glanced around. “They’re just wonderin’ if there’s been a tear in the space-time continuum. No one has seen us been civil to one another since 2007, and they’re probably wondering what kind of dark force is at play.”
“Makes me want to do something…unexpected.”
He took a quick glance around and then gave Em a smile. “Any chance that unexpected thing could include a tongue-twisting kiss?”
Her mouth dropped open. “That is not at all what I was talking about, Rick Blakely. Have you lost your mind?”
“Might’ve, but figured knowing how committed you were to making a point would be a good idea.” Moving them around the dance floor, he gave confident smiles to whoever dared to meet his eye. Fuck public opinion. He’d never paid much attention to it and didn’t see any reason to start.
Hearing the band shift to a slower tempo, he listened to the first couple of verses of “In Case You Didn’t Know” and prayed all the control he’d mastered over the years didn’t disappear.
There were a lot of things he could withstand, but having his girl snugged up tight might not be one of them. As couples swirled around them, he bit the inside of his cheek and hoped it would be enough to distract him from the surge of blazing need rolling down his spine.
“You pull me any closer and we’ll be breathing the same air.”
“It’s called dancing, Em.”
“We’re plastered chest to knee and…”
“Nothing wrong with that, as far as I’m concerned.” Letting his eyes fall to hers, he was surprised to see heat in her gaze. Add to that her hand gripping his and he might very well have a miracle on his hands.
Was it possible she was ready to see him not as an enemy, but…a lover?
“Why are you looking at me like I’m T-bone steak?”
“Way to ruin the mood,” he said, moving his hand lower on her back.
“I wasn’t aware we had a mood.”
“Well, we do, and you sniping at me isn’t going to help things.” He lowered his head and kissed her cheek. “I can tell by the twist of your mouth that you’re about to spout off some lies and want you to know it’d be a waste of time, since your eyes already told me what’s possible.”
“That is not true, and I’ll have you know—”
Not able to take another second of her fake protests, he moved his mouth to hers and kissed her gently. When her hands dug into his shoulders and her hips canted, he took the go signal and kissed her like he’d done that spring.
A silent gunshot went off in his head, and he knew it was the doubt that she’d always be the love of his life blowing its head off.
The couples swirling around them ceased to exist, and the only thing he was aware of was how amazing her soft lips felt. It had been a lifetime since they’d been intimate, and his mind couldn’t quite square that he’d somehow made it home and might actually have a chance at loving her the way he wanted to.
Moving his hands to her face, he deepened the kiss and prayed the world would disappear so nothing and no one would break the perfect moment.
Unfortunately, the sound of a crashing chair told him that wasn’t going to be possible. He twisted his body in the direction of the ruckus, pulled Emily behind him, and mentally checked what weapons he had on his person. Which was exactly none, seeing as he was out of the military now.
When he saw who was trading punches, he shook his head. “Goddamn Hunter brothers started a brawl.”
“It’s a monthly occurrence,” Emily responded as she stepped away.
Taking her hand, he pulled her back into his arms. “We’re not done dancing.”
Pressing her fingers to her mouth, she looked from side to side and then wiggled out of his hold. “I just kissed you in front of half the town and need a shot of tequila so my brain doesn’t explode.”
“Any chance of letting me join you?”
She took a step back, shaking her head. “Nope.”
“All right, I’ll back off fo
r a minute, but know it’s only a temporary reprieve, ’cause I’ll be coming for you.”
“Why?”
“Because you and I have something worth pursuing.”
“But—”
“All I ask is that you keep an open mind.”
“You’ve lost your marbles, Rick.” Spinning on her heel, she marched toward the bar.
Crossing his arms, he watched her stride away and felt testosterone whip through his veins, making the possession in his gut impossible to ignore. He may have lost his marbles, good sense, and any real grasp on what was possible, but he didn’t care, because for the first time since coming home, he felt alive.
Chapter Four
Emily picked up her Whataburger and took a big bite, enjoying the tangy punch of her favorite sandwich. Her brothers were doing the same. She hoped their lunch invitation didn’t include a side of lecture to go with the meal, but she wasn’t holding out hope. The looks on their faces had been warning enough.
She watched her older brother, Levi, wipe his mouth and waited for the inevitable. Not that she wouldn’t try to stall first. “Have you heard from Mama and Daddy today?”
“Dad called at the butt-crack of dawn to get his usual Monday report on the garage but didn’t chat for too long ’cause Mama had itchy feet and wanted to be on time for their donkey ride.”
“It’s a mule ride,” Tim said between bites. “And they plan on going all the way to the bottom of the canyon.”
“I’d love to go to the Grand Canyon someday.”
Levi and Tim leveled her with identical looks of disapproval. “Seems you could go just about anywhere if the rumors I heard were true and you were kissing Rick in the middle of the town’s busiest honky-tonk. ’Cause Lord knows the man has enough money to take you to Paris, Disney World, or the Grand Canyon if he’s got a mind to!”
She sat back and glared at them. “I knew the two of you didn’t just want to see your favorite sister’s face. Y’all are about to give me your opinion and an unwarranted lecture.”
“I’m not,” Tim said. “If you want to get yourself tangled up with Rick and ruin your life, then be my guest.”
