Drive Me Wild

by Jeannette Winters

  Jody lifted her finger to his lips and he sucked the frosting off. If they were all going to be as sweet as this, he had no problem with it at all.

  Chapter 7

  Jody couldn’t believe how good things were going between her and Cole. Over the next few weeks they seemed to get much closer. They were spending just about every night together, and falling into a routine that she could get used to.

  Although it made no sense, a small part of her was scared of how fast things were progressing. Jody was a planner, and Cole didn’t fit into any of it. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to end it either.

  Jody couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this. They started spending more nights at home and she was doing more of the cooking. Although she didn’t attempt duck again, her cooking skills had greatly improved. Or maybe it was that their expectations weren’t as high. Their nights were more relaxed, quiet. It didn’t matter what they were doing, it only mattered that they were doing it together. It sounded corny, like something her mother would’ve said to her. And yet, here she was with no other way to explain it.

  There was no doubt in her mind that she was falling for Cole and hard. Who wouldn’t? Cole was the entire package. He was handsome, funny, sexy, a hard worker, and he knew how to make her laugh. The icing on the cake was how he could make her toes curl in the bedroom. But for all the talking she and Cole did, there was one topic he seemed to avoid: his feelings.

  Jody could tell he cared about her. He was thoughtful is so many ways, like drying the dishes even though he didn’t need to or carrying out her trash. They were all small things that added up to a nice relationship. But what exactly was their relationship? Where was it going? It was kind of early to bring it up, but then again, her mother was inviting her up to Maine again for the weekend. Jody could easily tell him she wouldn’t be around and go visit her parents herself. That would avoid all kinds of questions, the ones from her parents and the one she wanted to ask Cole too.

  The first thing was to determine what she felt for Cole. Was it worth the risk of bringing up a subject she wasn’t sure he was ready for? Would it be what scared him away, and the wonderful time they were having leaves with him? There was no indication that would happen, but she wasn’t ignorant to believe it couldn’t.

  So she thought about it and she was falling in love with him. If she wasn’t, then she wouldn’t be concerned at all about taking him to Maine or not, because she wouldn’t.

  But where did that leave Cole? It wasn’t as though he couldn’t say the big L word. Jody heard him say it all the time when he was speaking about Roxy. He loved the way she looked. He loved the way she handled on the road. He loved the way she sounded when her engine revved.

  Call her crazy, but there were a few times Jody found herself jealous of that car. He took that car out on all their dates. Sometimes Jody felt as though she was the third wheel, which was ludicrous but that hadn’t stopped her from calling a friend and asking.

  Jody had explained everything to Lynn and asked, “What do you think?”

  Lynn replied, “That you should dump him. And introduce him to me. Because he sounds amazing.”

  “Very funny Lynn. I mean it. How do I tell him I’m—”

  “Nuts? Simple, tell him you think he’s in love with a car. That should do it.”

  Frustrated at all the ribbing she was getting from Lynn, she tried again. “I’m serious. Not about him being in love with the car, which by the way, she has a name. Roxy.”

  “Cool name for a car.”

  “You’re not helping.”

  “But you’re making teasing you so easy Jody. What is really the problem? It’s not the car. It doesn’t seem to be Cole either. And from what you told me, everything is perfect. So why are you looking for something?”

  Lynn was right. That’s exactly what she was doing. “Because there has to be something.”

  “Okay, so he can’t be perfect. Does he snore?”

  “No.”

  “Leave his dirty clothes on the floor?”

  “No.”

  “Ah, I have it. Leave the toilet seat up after he uses it?” Lynn snorted out laughing.

  Jody chuckled. “Finally. I was beginning to worry he was too good for me. Thank God, he has poor bathroom etiquette.”

  “See, I knew it. There is the deal breaker. I say kick him to the curb, my curb.”

  “Lynn, I really miss having you closer.” Jody and Lynn grew up together and spent practically all waking hours joined at the hip. But Lynn decided to run off and become a model travelling all over the place and Jody…was starting to think more about settling down.

  “I know, but this thing called technology means I’m always only a phone call away. If you want to make it up to me, send me a picture of that sexy man you described. I mean, just so I have a face to put with the name.”

  “That’s not happening,” Jody said. “But there is one picture I can send you. It’s of Roxy.”

  “Oh God no!” It was too late, Jody texted her a picture of the front-page article. “Wait one minute. This is you.” Lynn sounded shocked.

  “I know can you believe it? My mother freaked out when she saw it.”

  “I’m just jealous as hell. What are you doing being an event planner? You should be running around the world as a model with me. This picture is amazing.”

  “Embarrassing. You know I don’t pose like that. I’m more of a private person.” A lady in the street, wild in the sheets. That was TMI, even for a best friend.

  “No wonder why Cole is smitten with you. Guess it’s been a while since we’ve talked. Let me know the next time you’re heading home and I’ll see if I can get some time off too. We need to catch up face-to-face.”

  “Agreed. And thanks for listening to me today.”

  “Are you kidding me, I needed this distraction. And Jody, don’t overthink it. I know you. You like everything in a neat little package, but love is not like that. You can’t control it, or hold on to it. All you can do is open your heart to it.”

  “I’ll try. Love you, Lynn,” Jody said.

  “Love you too. Bye.”

  This call had been exactly what she needed. What was really bothering her wasn’t Cole and definitely not Roxy either. She was afraid of being this happy. And she had made up her mind. She was going to tell Cole she was going up to Maine to see her parents for the weekend, and let him know he was welcome to join her if he wanted. It was that simple. No pressure. No expectations. Just a lot of hope.

  * * *

  Cole was glad that Larry was back to full duty. It meant that taking Jody up on the offer for a getaway to Maine wasn’t leaving them in a lurch. It had been an amazing week and he had some great news to share with Jody. What better time than on a six-hour road trip?

  He had to admit, he was a bit surprised when she asked if he could take the Jeep instead of the Chevy. Cole thought she liked riding around in it. Actually, the only time he was out in it was with her. Otherwise it sat in the garage where he could tinker with it.

  Funny how since meeting Jody, the nights weren’t spent in that garage anymore. Not that he was complaining, but how did one service call turn into all this? He might not be an event planner, but Cole had been set on the track of exactly what he had wanted. He never saw this coming.

  He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed deep in thought. “Is everything okay?”

  She turned to him and smiled. “Yes. It’s just been longer than I thought since I have been home. Time seems to have gotten away from me.”

  “How long has it been?” he asked.

  “I thought it had only been two months, now I realize it’s been six. No wonder why my mother has been hounding me to come.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have come, so you two could have had more time together.”

  She shook her head. “If you weren’t here, I’d be spending my entire weekend answering questions about you.”

  “Oh, so this little getaw
ay might be more like an—”

  “Inquisition? Maybe. But it will be short-lived. Once Mom talks to you, she’ll see you’re a halfway decent guy.”

  He cocked a brow. “Halfway?”

  “Well, I have been meaning to talk to you about something….” She teased and giggled. “I noticed you have a few flaws.”

  “Do tell.” He wanted to hear them. Since she said a few, he knew she was missing a hell of a lot of them.

  “First of all, you fluffed the pillow too much.”

  “Oh. Yes. Very serious. Less fluffing. What else?” Cole asked.

  Jody tapped her chin as though thinking before saying, “Secondly, you squeeze the toothpaste from the middle of the tube.”

  “Horrendous.” He shook his head. “And you’re willing to bring me to meet your parents? Are you crazy? What will they think?” he teased.

  “My mother will fall over when she looks into those amazing, sexy, dark eyes of yours. And my father, well, he likes lighthouses too, so you will have plenty to talk about. Seems like you have nothing to worry about.”

  Cole reached over and took her hand in his. “Although I hope your parents like me, it won’t change anything. I’m not here for the scenery, or to meet the family. I’m here because it’s where you were going to be this weekend.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you came. And I promise, we are not spending the entire time there.”

  He hoped not, but it was a few days, that’s all. His sisters were starting to ask what he’d been up to as well. Although he hadn’t mentioned Jody to them, it was about time he did so. It wasn’t that he wasn’t sure of how he felt, it was the boatload of questions they were going to ask. There really wasn’t any avoiding it. And a part of him didn’t want to. He cared a lot about Jody and for the first time in his life, he wanted people to know.

  Jody said, “You seemed extra chipper this morning when you picked me up. I don’t think it has anything to do with meeting my parents.”

  “No. I met with my boss Larry earlier this week. The company has been growing and we are looking at taking on some new employees.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Yeah. I’m thinking about pulling out of the field and working more in the office and quoting jobs.”

  “Like a promotion?” Jody asked.

  He shook his head. “Like a partner. I’m buying into the business and Larry and I will run it together.”

  He saw her eyes widen and her face light up. “Wow, that’s amazing news. I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thanks. It’s a big leap. Wasn’t sure I wanted it. Owning a business kind of ties me down to Rhode Island.”

  “That is your home. You seem to like it there,” Jody replied.

  “I do. But Maine is yours. Do you think about moving back up here?” Cole asked. He wasn’t ready for marriage or a family yet, but thoughts were starting to pop into his mind. If he did get married, what would it be like? He couldn’t picture it with anyone but Jody. They had time, plenty of it, but it was good to see if they were on the same page, as far as where this might be going.

  “I love Maine and I want to come back and visit more often. But live here? No. Most of my friends have moved away, and all I have here are my parents.”

  “And Rhode Island? How do you feel about that state?”

  She shrugged. “I moved here thinking that it would be temporary. But I’m starting to make a name for myself here. So far I have three clients who are letting me plan events for them. Hopefully it’s the start of something greater.”

  That’s exactly how he felt about them. It was time to lay it out on the line. Doing it while driving seemed to be easier than if they were face-to-face. He wasn’t jittery or anything, but this type of conversation wasn’t easy for him either.

  “What about us?”

  “Us?” she said softly. He nodded and she added, “It is one of the best parts of Rhode Island.”

  That was all. Nothing more. Did she know this was difficult for him? Could it be just as awkward for her? He prodded further. “I mean where do you see this going?”

  “Cole, you can’t ask a woman that while you’re driving sixty-five miles an hour.”

  “I can listen and drive at the same time,” Cole announced.

  Jody huffed. “You’re supposed to look me in the eyes and tell me how you’re feeling, not put me on the spot to tell you first.”

  He’d never understood the mind of a woman, and one like Jody, that was always going to keep him guessing. But he would’ve thought for sure she’d have blurted out that she loved him. Guess not.

  “Wait. There are rules to this?” Cole asked.

  “Of course there are,” Jody said. “I just made them up now.”

  Cole laughed and pulled onto the shoulder of the highway, putting on his hazard lights. “Okay, is this better?”

  “It’s a good start. Now, what did you want to tell me?” Jody asked.

  He shook his head. “I had asked you a question.”

  “Yes and I turned the tables around and tag, you’re it. If you want to talk about us, I’m all ears.”

  “Jody Flowers, you’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?” Cole asked.

  Smiling sweetly, she asked, “Was I supposed to?”

  He could kiss that wicked grin off her face. She was torturing him and enjoying every damn minute of it. But she was right. He should be able to tell her how he felt.

  Still holding her hand, he said, “Jody, you’re an amazing woman, and when I met you a month ago, well, let’s just say you left a lasting impression. I gave myself a dozen reasons why I shouldn’t see you again, but there were a million more reasons why I should.” He wasn’t about to list them. For now, those would remain his private thoughts only. But he could share a few. “I could’ve started hours ago when our trip began, and still not have come to the end. But let me sum it up for you.” Cole stroked her hand with his thumb and looked her in the eyes. She was more important to him than he ever imagined another person could be. “I’m falling in love with you, Jody.”

  She blinked and her eyes glistened. An idiot could tell she felt the same way, but all she said was one word. “Oh.”

  “I don’t know where this will lead, but I know I want to explore it together, as a couple.” It was all the commitment he could offer, and since they had only known each other a month, anything more seemed too quick.

  Jody said, “I’d like that a lot.” She reached up and touched his cheek and added, “By the way, I’m falling in love with you too.”

  His heart pounded hearing those words. Now he wished they weren’t on their way to see her parents. But then again, it made the question to come, so much easier to answer.

  “What do you say we get back on the highway before someone thinks we broke down?”

  She laughed. “See the problem with having a reliable vehicle? We can’t make out while waiting to be rescued.”

  He pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss. “Don’t make me get out of the Jeep and flatten all the tires,” he warned.

  Jody shook her head. “No. We have plenty of time for this later.”

  Cole looked over into her beautiful eyes and knew she was right. Nothing had to be rushed. They had time, and he wanted to enjoy every minute of it.

  Epilogue

  Jody couldn’t believe it. A year really could make a difference. She hadn’t given up her dream of being an event planner; she’d just found that her skills could be used elsewhere. Cole and Larry’s business didn’t just double, but tripled. It took a bit of advertising and someone actually running the office full time to make the difference. Never before had she pictured herself as an office manager.

  Maybe it was all the nights lying in Cole’s arms listening to him talk shop that helped her understand the terminology, but it was all making sense to her. Then again, she’d listen to Cole no matter what he was talking about. He humored her as well as she chatted away about the friends she
was giving a helping hand to. Although when Jody was talking to Lynn, she noticed Cole rolling his eyes. She told him everyone has a friend like that. Cole had agreed, and his was John. They voiced their opinions, as crazy as they were, and somehow, they also kept them rooted and on track.

  She wasn’t about to tell Cole that it was Lynn who had helped her see the light back then. If Jody hadn’t called Lynn, she might have panicked and done something stupid, like run from love.

  Jody turned to Cole and whispered, “Are you sure you want to do this? We don’t have to.”

  Cole looked down at her, tipped her chin up, and said, “There’s no other woman I’d want to do it with.”

  She looked around and noticed people were beginning to stare. But she didn’t want him to feel pressured. Her parents were there, as well as Lynn, who’d come all the way from Texas to help her get ready for this. Lynn did her hair and makeup and Jody felt…beautiful. And Cole had a huge amount of supporters too: his family and all the guys from Larry B’s. But this wasn’t about her, it was about Cole and what was best for him.

  “I still think you should reconsider.”

  “Sweetheart, everyone is here. There is no doubt in my mind that this is what I want.” Leaning over, he said in her ear, “By the way, you look amazing. Every woman here wishes they were you.”

  Jody laughed softly. “You’re just saying that.”

  “No Jody. I mean it. I love you, and there is no other woman I’d want here with me. But if you have changed your mind, I’ll understand.”

  She stood on her tippy toes and gave him a quick kiss. “I’m ready, if you’ll be so kind to give me a boost up.”

  Cole scooped her into his arms and carried her to the front of the car. As she had the first time, Jody posed on Roxy. Cole didn’t step away immediately and stayed while family and friends snapped their pictures. When he went to step away, Jody grabbed him one last time.