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Throwing her head back, Minnie turned and told us to follow her. Following her into the house, I was stunned when Dodge took my hand again. Why is he doing this? One minute I’m his very good friend and the next he’s holding my hand and kissing me breathless. The man was confusing as hell. He was the most confusing man in the world. Like the Dos Equis man . . . instead of being the most interesting man in the world, he was the most confusing. He should make his own beer and sell it. He’d make a fortune.
“What are you so deep in thought about?” Dodge whispered against my ear. My stomach flipped as I felt his hot breath against my neck.
Shaking my head, I whispered, “Nothing.”
Dodge tilted his head and gave me a disbelieving look. “If you say so.”
Following Minnie into her kitchen, I took a look around at her modest, yet beautiful home. Pictures were everywhere. Smiling, I walked up to a picture of Dodge and a very young Emily on a fishing dock. Dodge was holding up a fish he must have just caught as Emily looked at Dodge like he was the most amazing person ever. Another picture looked more recent; it was Dodge and Em standing on the beach.
“Must have had a feeling you’d be stopping by. I made shrimp enchiladas this morning. I was just about to take them out the oven.
My mouth dropped open. Shrimp. Oh fuck.
Dodge grabbed my hand and pulled me into the kitchen and motioned for me to sit at the bar. “Trust me, you will not want to miss these. I promise it’s safe.”
Giving Dodge a weak smile, I nodded my head and tried to push the image of the shrimp head being ripped off before my very eyes. Shuddering, I closed my eyes and thought of something else.
Then it hit me. The most amazing smell penetrated my nostrils. Oh lord. That smells heavenly.
Opening my eyes, Minnie was serving plates of enchiladas. “That smells heavenly!” I said as I looked at Minnie plopping on a scoop of sour cream. Good thing I liked sour cream.
Setting the plates in front of us, I picked up my fork and was about to take a bite when I noticed both Minnie and Dodge staring at me. “What?” I asked.
Smiling, Minnie motioned for me to take a bite. “Um . . . I guess I’m taking the first bite?”
They both nodded their heads. I’m going to kill Dodge if this makes me sick and I puke all over his beloved Minnie. Taking in a bite, the taste of heaven hit the back of my mouth.
Closing my eyes, I let out a moan. “Oh. My. Goodness. I might break out into a food orgasm right this second!”
Laughing, Dodge took a huge bite. “Damn, Minnie. So damn good.”
Minnie beamed with pride as she ate.
After we finished eating, I helped Minnie clean up as Dodge headed outside to take a look at her car. As soon as Minnie mentioned it was having a problem starting, Dodge was out the door.
“How long have you known my Aaron?”
Smiling, I said, “Not too terribly long. About eight months or so? He was friends with a good friend of mine, Ryn.”
Nodding her head, she smiled and winked at me. “Let’s sit on the back porch while Aaron takes a look at my car.”
“Okay,” I said as I grabbed my iced tea.
Sitting down in a rocking chair, I let out a sigh. Oh how I loved being at the beach. Something about the salt air calmed me. Lifting my tea to my lips to take a drink, Minnie started talking.
“You must make him very happy. I’ve never seen Aaron in love.”
I instantly began choking on the tea. Minnie looked at me and smiled. “Are you okay, darling?”
Lifting my hand up and trying to find air to breathe, I nodded my head. “Yep! Totally fine.”
After coughing a few more seconds, I looked at Minnie. “Um . . . I think you misread something. Dodge . . . um . . . I mean, Aaron and I are only friends. He’s actually my lawyer for my divorce hearing.”
Lifting her eyes in surprise, Minnie gave me a wink. “Is that so?”
“Yes! Totally friends.”
“Hmm . . . that kiss he planted on you didn’t look like a just a friend kiss from where I was standing.”
Lifting my fingers to my lips, I smiled. They still felt as if they tingled from Dodge’s lips. “Yeah . . . that kiss,” I said as I thought back to Dodge’s tongue dancing with mine. Placing my hand on my stomach, I dragged in a breath.
“Aaron has never brought a girl here. Ever,” Minnie said as she took a sip of her tea.
My lips parted open as I thought of some sort of response. What was I supposed to say to that?
“Ahh . . .”
Yeah, not such a great response, Sierra. Stupid!
“Sometimes there is something plain as day in front of us; all we have to do is open up our eyes . . . and our hearts . . . to see it.”
Chewing on my bottom lip, I nodded. “What if you’re wrong about it?”
Glancing at me, Minnie asked, “Wrong about what?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “I mean . . . what if what’s in front of you is something you want so badly, but you’re afraid to open your heart up to it because it might not be . . . reciprocated. Maybe you’re not meant to have it.”
“The only way to find out is to go after it,” Minnie said with a wink. “If you don’t, you’ll never know.”
“Maybe,” I whispered.
Minnie let out a chuckle. “I’ve known that boy his entire life. I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you, Sierra. It’s time for you both to open your eyes.”
My heart began beating harder in my chest. Did Dodge feel something for me? Something more than friendship?
The back door opened and Dodge walked out onto the deck. “Just needed your battery cables cleaned, Minnie. Car starts up like a charm.”
Smiling, Minnie stood up and kissed Dodge on the check. “Thank you, my boy.”
Dodge’s phone beeped. Pulling it out, he frowned and looked over to me. “Um . . . we need to go, Minnie. Benefit ball at country club tonight. Mom wants to make sure Sierra has everything she needs.”
Swallowing hard, I tried to push the look Dodge just gave me out of my mind. Was he frowning because we had to leave? I was hoping that was the case and it wasn’t for another reason.
I stood up and walked over to Minnie. “Thank you so much for lunch and the amazing company this afternoon.”
Minnie pulled me in for a hug and whispered in my ear. “Wipe that look of fear off your face. Enjoy this evening and dress sexy.”
Letting out a cough, I pulled back and looked at the sweet old lady standing in front of me. “I hope to see you
again, Minnie.”
Giving me a wink, Minnie said, “Oh, you will.”
Dodge kissed Minnie good-bye on the cheek and hugged her. “I’ll stop back by before we leave. Love you, Minnie.”
Placing his hand on my lower back, Dodge led me away from Minnie. For some reason I was sad. I was comfortable with her. Glancing over my shoulder, Minnie waved as I smiled back weakly. If only I believed the same thing she did.
SITTING ON MY BED, I stared straight ahead at the door that separated Sierra’s room from mine. Ever since our kiss, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. The way her tongued moved against mine. Then she wrapped her arms around me and deepened it and I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
The knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. Getting up, I opened it up to see Sierra standing there, in a robe, looking panicked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Worrying her bottom lip, Sierra looked up and down the hallway and then placed her hands on my chest and pushed me into my room.
Hell, yes! This is what I’m talking about.
Shutting the door, Sierra spun around and looked at me. “I have a problem.”
Wiggling my eyebrows, I asked, “Ah, baby. And you thought I could ease it for you?”
Sierra looked at me like I had lost my mind. “What?” Shaking her head, Sierra let out a frustrated sigh. “Dodge, I’m serious. I can’t get the zipper down on my dress. I asked your mother which dress I should wear and she said the long formal. I can’t get it on! What am I going to do? I don’t want to disappoint your mother. I really like her.”
Laughing, I said, “Just slip it over your head.”
Sierra glared at me and my heart fell even more for her.
“It doesn’t just slip over your head, Dodge. It’s not a sweater. It’s a gown!” Grabbing me, she turned and opened the door and peeked out.
“You know, there is a door that separates our two rooms,” I said as Sierra looked back at me with a gaped open mouth.
“There is?”
“Sierra, did you not notice the door in your room?”
Frowning, she shook her head. Taking her hand in mine, I led her over to the door. Grabbing the key off the holder next to the door, I unlocked and opened the door up and pushed Sierra into her room.
