by Marlie May
Said like there was a future for us. Sadness hunched my shoulders because I knew it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. I wasn’t going to have anything to do with Dag.
Oh. When did I start liking him? Staring into his eyes, the realization that I wanted to kiss him coasted through me in a dreamy wave. Laughing with him made me wish I could trust a man again, but I’d be foolish to let my guard down with someone like Dag.
I mentally ticked off my dating requirements and added up his score.
Gainful employment, not quite.
Credit card status, unknown.
No cape hung from his back, and he had no sword, so it was doubtful he was a hero.
Zero out of three.
“Have you ever considered giving a DNA sample?” I asked.
Hell, no. Had I really just asked him that?
Dag
I shook my head. “DNA…?”
“Forget I said that.” Her words came out pinched. “Please?”
“No problem.” Against my better judgment, I was enjoying spending time with Lark. It could be her smile. Or her sweeter-than-honey scent. Or the way she made me laugh. “What do you plan to do with your business degree?”
“I’ve got an interview for a managerial position in a week with the indie bookstore near the mall. The one with the café.”
“Oh, the Book Emporium.” Lark must mean my cousin’s business.
“I’m really nervous about it.” She nibbled on a fingernail. “Afraid I’ll forget how to talk or say something stupid.”
“I bet you’ll do great.” It bugged me to see Lark worried. For whatever reason, I wanted to see her happy.
“I’d kill for full-time hours and a decent paycheck.”
“Where do you work now?”
“I waitress at a diner in Farland.”
Serving food was a tough job. “Be yourself, and you’ll ace the interview. I know it.”
She shrugged. “I hope so.”
“Tell you what. Let’s practice.” I drank from my beer and then popped a pretzel in my mouth, chewing. “I’ll feed you interview questions, and you can give me answers.”
Her brow furrowed. “Answers to what kind of questions?”
“Oh, simple stuff.” Yeah, right. I couldn’t hold her gaze.
“Interview questions?” Tension filled her voice.
I plastered innocence on my face. “Would I ask you anything other than that?”
“Hard to say. I don’t believe I know you well enough y…” She trailed off.
“Yet,” I crowed. “You were going to say yet, weren’t you?”
She pursed her lips. “Was not.”
“Was too.” I had a crazy urge to kiss away her sulky pout. “We’re going to correct the not knowing me part soon, though. Am I right?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You’re slaying me,” I said, pressing my palm to my chest. “Why don’t you want to get to know me better? I’m a nice guy. I don’t swear. Much. I shave every now and then. And.” Unable to hold back my grin, I added, “I’m cute.” The last was a big stretch, thrown out there because, when she gazed up at me through her lashes, it was a challenge to think.
“You are cute.” No mistaking the hesitancy in her voice. “But I’ve come to a big decision recently. I guess you ought to know about it.”
“And that is?”
“I’m taking a dating hiatus.”
Blinking, I pressed my back against the bar stool. “Forever?”
She heaved a sigh. “Not forever, but for a very long time.”
That certainly clarified things.
“Sounds permanent,” I said. “You sure about that?”
Her chin lifted. “One-hundred-percent sure.”
An asshole ex? A big assumption on my part, but that had to be it. “Anything I can say to talk you out of that idea?”
“Nope.”
As a woman who knew her own mind, Lark held all my respect. But there was no reason I couldn’t work on swaying her in another direction. “How about we forget that for now and focus on your interview? We can start with simple questions.”
“Like what?” If she kept pressing her teeth into her lower lip like that, I was going to explode. There was something about her mouth I couldn’t resist.
I hauled my eyes up to hers. “My name is Dag Ross.” I held out my hand, pretending this was the first time we were meeting. But really, I was glad for a reason to touch her. I raised my voice, making it high-pitched. “I’m the owner of this delightful establishment. And who might you be?”
Lark’s lips twitched. “Lark Harpswell.”
Where to begin? I had a ton of questions. Like, who was the shithead who hurt you? And, can I track him down and punch him for you? The thought of someone causing Lark pain brought out all my caveman instincts. My irritation with whoever made her afraid of guys took over. “Recent boyfriend?”
“You can’t ask me that. It’s against the law,” Lark said pertly. “Besides, my sister already said we’re single.”
“What’s your favorite thing to do when you go out with someone, then?”
“You can’t ask that question, either.” Her brow narrowed, and her cheeks grew pink. “You’re not doing this right.”
Sighing, I raked my hair. “Okay. I’m sorry.” What was wrong with me? I’d seen this interview thing as a chance to flirt, but it was obvious my game upset her. I needed to redirect the conversation, or she’d bail. Straightening in my seat, I projected corporate executive. “Ms. Harpswell, could you please tell me about your prior work experience?”
Her shy smile was my reward. “I’ve been a waitress for nine years.”
“Since you graduated from high school?”
“Yes.” Her throat shifted. “I went to school part-time because my sister was sick, and we needed money for bills. But I’ve worked nine years at the diner. Serving at a restaurant teaches you to build a rapport with strangers in seconds. This skill would be helpful in a managerial position.”
Nine years. Going to school part-time because she couldn’t afford to go full-time. All while helping Paisley. I admired that in Lark. “Where do you feel you’ll need more training?”
Lark leaned close to me. “I need to be upfront about this. You offer baked goods for sale. Sandwiches. Soups.” She cringed. “While I imagine you’ll need a manager who can work the kitchen sometimes, I can’t cook.”
I huffed. “You can’t cook?”
“That sounds like an accusation.”
“It’s not. Well, okay, maybe it is.”
“Just maybe?”
“You can’t cook,” I grumbled, pretending this was the worst thing I’d heard in my life, but I ran a mean barbeque. I’d invite Lark out to my place for dinner sometime. After I talked her into reconsidering dating.
“Anything else I need to know before we conclude our interview?” I asked.
“I believe that’s enough, don’t you?” Her expression grew mischievous. “So, now you’ve pried out all my secrets.”
Woman, we’ve barely begun.
She continued, “Tell me more about you. What else do you do besides buy calzones at the Corner Mart and work as a handyman?” A thread of seriousness edged into her words.
“It’s not just about the calzones. Don’t forget the burritos.”
“As if I could.”
“And I don’t just work as a handyman.”
“Oh, yes. We also can’t forget how handy you are in other ways, now, can we?” She directed her gaze down, where she traced a seam on her jeans.
My throat had grown tight with the need to know her answer to my question. “Would it interest you if I wasn’t exactly handy around town? That Roan was just teasing?”
“Maybe.”
“Just maybe?”
Her head rose. “Let’s see where maybe takes us for now, okay?”
In other words, no pressure.
I was crazy to think I stood a chance with Lark. If I was w
ise, I’d say goodbye and get on with my life. Plenty of women out there who’d be glad to hang out with me.
Why couldn’t I put her aside like I had all the others?
A tentative smile curved her lips, capturing my attention. This woman could be my downfall. I just knew it. While I should get up and leave, all I wanted to do was keep talking to her.
I also had an overwhelming urge to kiss her.
Her tongue peeked out to trace her upper lip, and she gave a soft sigh.
I couldn’t help myself. Leaning forward, I captured her chin. “I’m going to kiss you, Lark. If you don’t want that, you need to tell me now.”
I waited for her to state that I should leave her alone. To remind me about her big decision. She did none of those things, only stared up at me.
When her lips parted, I captured them with mine.
Lark
I wrapped my arms around Dag and deepened our kiss. My head swam. Fire liquified my veins.
His groan rumbled in his chest, and he pulled me tight against him. Easing me off the stool, he backed me against the counter.
Our lips moved together, and I couldn’t get enough of him. The heat rushing through me told me we had to get closer. I gripped his wavy hair, twisted the slight curls around my fingers like I’d wanted to do the moment I met him. I moaned, not caring that the sound urged him on. Despite the fact that I should be embarrassed we were making out in public, I slipped my hands underneath his tee to map his skin with my fingertips. He felt wonderful. This felt wonderful.
He lifted his head, leaving me gasping.
“That no going out thing,” he said. “You open to reconsidering that idea?”
No going out thing.
What was I doing? Hadn’t I been scarred enough by the jerk I’d just ditched from my life? I needed to remember that whenever I trusted someone, I got burned.
I pulled my hands out from underneath his shirt and eased away from him. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.”
“Of all the things that have gone on tonight, that’s the one thing that had to happen.”
“Don’t say that.” Because his words implied fate, and I was done with letting anything like that control my actions.
Paisley and Roan arrived at the bar.
“I’m ready for another beer.” Roan clapped Dag on the back. “How about you?”
“Lark, you look flushed,” Paisley said. She couldn’t have missed the big make-out session.
I flexed my hands. “Can we go?” I hated asking Paisley to leave, but I had to get out of here. If I stayed longer, I was going to re-explore Dag’s lips. Find out if his muscular build extended to his abs. Throw my no-dating vow out onto the street with tonight’s trash.
“Now?” Paisley checked her phone, and her shoulders fell. “It’s only eleven.”
I clutched my purse to my chest. “You can stay. I’ll go home by myself.”
Paisley studied me for a long moment. “It’s okay. We can leave.” Turning to Roan, she spoke quietly. “It was nice meeting you. I wish you all the best with—”
Dag leaned near. “Can I get your number?”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“No going out with anyone, remember?”
“Reconsider.” He chuckled, proving he just didn’t get it. “What are you doing tomorrow or the day after that?”
“I’ve got plans.” I had a full workout lined up in the morning. A lawn to mow. A Highland Games meeting on Sunday. And a couple shifts at the diner in between. I’d be lucky to fit a meal in there somewhere, let alone get to bed before midnight.
Like a teenager who’d stumbled into the hottest boy in school, I blushed and raced for the door, calling over my shoulder to Paisley, “I’ll meet you outside.”
I shoved open the door and strode down the sidewalk, stopping to lean against the front wall of the hardware store. After raking my hair off my face, I secured it at my nape with an elastic.
Turning Dag down was for the best.
Then why did it feel like I was throwing away something with so much potential?
* * *
Heart like sludge, I walked slowly beside Paisley.
When Paisley and I first moved to Crescent Cove after I graduated from high school, Mom had bought a trailer on the west side of town. My fondest memories had taken place in the trailer park. Friday night bingo. Sunday afternoon public suppers. When it snowed, we hauled sleds to Mud Hill and flew down the side. After, we’d make a bonfire and hover around it, warming our fingers that had frozen as stiff as our toes.
Mom met my stepdad, Harlon, at the trailer park, when he brought over a welcome-to-the-neighborhood tater tot casserole. Last year, they married and moved to Florida to soak up the sunshine. Paisley and I had rented the trailer since.
“You okay?” Paisley asked.
I shrugged. My heels crunched on the breakdown lane, and my head cleared as I took in the crisp air. Forest grew on both sides of the road, and the light breeze shifted the branches together. With a kick, I sent a rock pinging into the woods.
“What was all that about back at the bar?” Paisley snuggled her hands inside her jacket pockets.
“You just witnessed me taking on the first challenge to my no dating rule.”
Paisley snorted. “Obviously, the rule doesn’t apply to kisses. But, then, you don’t need to date a guy to kiss him, I suppose.”
“Guess not.”
“You really plan to stick with it? Why not give Dag a chance?”
I wanted to but didn’t dare. “He doesn’t have a real job. I mean, come on. He’s a part-time handyman. For someone who’s about thirty, that’s totally lacking in ambition.”
“Work’s not easy to find. Maybe he didn’t go to college. With no skills, you take what you can get.”
“You’re serving advice to a waitress.” My face heated. Paisley was right to chastise me, but that wasn’t what I was trying to say. “I’m not mocking his job. But his idea of a good time is going to the Corner Mart for a calzone. Life’s one big joke for Dag. Sure, he’s nice.” Actually, he was more than nice. He was everything I craved to know better. “But I want things in life.”
“Like what?”
I flung my arms up in the air. “I don’t know. A car that runs when I need it to? A washer?”
“You want a guy who’ll give you a washer?”
Staring at the moon peeking through the clouds, I scrambled for the words to make Paisley understand. “The washer’s a symbol. I work, so I don’t need stuff handed to me. I’ll buy my own washer someday. If he was the right man, I’d give him the world. But I won’t settle for someone who won’t do the same for me.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I want someone who shares my hopes and dreams. Someone who’ll stand beside me while we accomplish those hopes and dreams together. Not someone who drags me back every time I take a step forward.”
“You’re talking about Ted.”
I growled. “This isn’t about Ted.”
“You sure about that?” Paisley moved ahead, her heels tapping on the asphalt. “You kicked him out. Paid off those charges he made on your credit card.”
“I’ve still got a few payments left.” More extra shifts at the diner. Time lost that I could’ve spent with family and friends. “I can’t seem to forget what he did. Or how he made me feel.” What if I took another chance and eventually slept with a guy, only to disappoint him, too? “I loved Ted.”
“If you can’t put him behind you, then he’s still in your life. He’s gone from here.” Paisley’s arm flung wide. Turning, she tapped my chest. “But he’s still stuck inside here. Until you kick him out of your heart, you’ll never take that step forward. Never share those hopes and dreams with someone.” Her lips rose. “Never get that washer.”
My sister was too perceptive. “I want to ditch him for good, but it’s hard.”
“One day at a time.” Linking her arm through min
e, Paisley thrust her leg forward, taking a Yellow Brick Road step for the two of us, pulling me along with her.
Chills prickled my spine. Not from the cold, but from the worries that kept me grounded. “I’m afraid.”
“If I was you, I’d feel the same,” Paisley said. “But you don’t want to spend the rest of your life alone, do you?”
“I won’t. You know me. Fall down and get back up on the camel. But I’m not ready yet.”
“A loser burned you, so we need to pull you off the grill for a while.” Paisley squinted toward the lights of the Piney Meadows Trailer Park gleaming ahead of us. “Can’t blame you for taking the time you need to heal.”
Stopping, I hugged Paisley. “I knew you’d understand.”
“When you’re ready to jump back into the dating oasis, the right camel will be waiting, ready to ride off with you into the desert.”
Leave it to Paisley to turn this into a joke. The tension in my shoulders eased. “You’re slick with the words tonight.”
Paisley shot her finger gun and blew off the pretend smoke. “All that college is paying off.”
Paisley was a senior, studying biochemistry. She wanted to get her masters, then her Ph.D., so she could become a researcher and find a cure for cancer.
“Well, howdy!” Jolene strolled toward us, walking her cat on a leash. In her late seventies, Jolene lived in the trailer a few doors down from ours. She paused beside us, and her gray Persian blinked toward the woods. Her smile flashed white in her dark face. “Out for a walk, like me and Minnow?”
“Coming back from the Brew House,” I said.
“A night on the town. Sounds delightful.”
I smiled. “How was bingo?” The elderly woman never missed a game.
“Awful. I missed out on the big prize tonight. An instapot.” Her chest drooped with her sigh. “I swear, Marge cheats.” Another neighbor. “But I did well at Hollywood Slots in Bangor last week.” She pressed a crinkled envelope into my hands.
“What’s this?” I asked, staring down at it.
“A share of my winnings.” Jolene fussed with her tight, silver hair, but the curls sprang back up a second after she smoothed them. “Will ten bucks help your cause?”
