“When wereckonit’s time to go or somevarmintparked a little too close…”
“Oh my gosh, you did not just utter the word ‘varmint’ – did you?”
“Then we open the door for a lady, no matter what side of the vehicle, cause it’s thepo-litething to do…” he dragged out, emphasizing ‘polite’ and mocking her. “And most folks will take a seat – andscoochon over toward the other side of the bench.”
“You could have started with that,” she pointed out, mumbling under her breath as she climbed in on the driver’s side – and ‘scooched’ over to the passenger side, beforedoing a double-take and turning to glare at him. “You’re not even parked close to the other car.”
“Naww,” he grinned, wagging his eyebrows. “But you sure scooch nicely, and now my entire seat has been blessed by that curvy backside of yours.”
“What?” she yelped before rolling her eyes. “Never mind – and don’t elaborate any further. Let’s just go.”
“Go eat?”
“Just go,” she sighed heavily, closing her eyes in surrender. “I cannot keep up with you, so if you want this to be something special, then you win…” After a few seconds, she cracked an eye, looking at him, and paused. He was sitting there in the driver’s seat, staring. “What?”
“I don’t want to win like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You gave up.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t ever give up on things you want. You don’t have a defeatist personality. You’re a survivor, so why would you let someone have the upper hand… when it’s your hand? You’re in control, remember?” She was speechless at his words and the fact that he was lecturing her. “This isn’t you. You aren't a quitter, so don’t give up the fight. There’s no fun in that.”
“I’m not defeated…” she muttered, turning away.
“Then don’t tell me I won,” he began, his eyes holding hers. “Tell me what you want, and it’s my job to make it happen.”
“It’s not your job…”
“You’re right,” he shot back, causing her to look sharply back at him again. There was something in his voice that caught her attention, almost like she’d pressed a button with him or a painful record scratch. His eyes were hot, intense,powerful… and she wasn’t sure what to say in that moment as he began to unload verbally at her like he was about to set her straight.
“It’s not ajob– it’s my pleasure, my honor, myeverything, to make sure that the woman with me knows there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. If you want dinner, then we’ll go eat. If you want to go shopping, then get ready, because I’m carrying the bags while you browse to your heart’s content. If you decide you want to stare up at the stars on a warm summer night, then I’ll lay out a blanket for us, and you can use my arm as your pillow… but this ismy right as a manwho knows how to take care ofhis woman,” he said passionately, staring her down, his voice terse and low – almost like she’d insulted him by giving up… and his words blew her mind. “And before you say that you’re not my woman – you’rehere, withme, so that currently makes it true. Now, what do you want to do?”
Heidi was speechless.
“What do you want to do?” he repeated, stressing the words slowly, softly, pointedly as he waited. “Name it and…”
“You mentioned getting a few things for your house,” she stammered, completely shocked by this powerful and masculine side to him. So far, he’d been the easygoing guy, the ‘nice’ guy, but in that moment, hearing his words, that changed things… and opened her eyes. While he might not have originally been her type of guy – he was a man, through and through.
“So?”
“So, I’m not hungry yet, and I’d like to see what you are getting,” she admitted, unsure how to take this new side of him. “And cool your jets, buddy. You’re making me nervous by acting all tough and pushy.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said simply, starting the truck, likenothing had happened between them - but for her, everything had. She was seeing him differently for the first time… and liked it.
Eight
JACK
Hours later,Jack was regretting his outburst.
Heidi was awfully quiet. She kept looking at him with an unreadable look written on her face. Maybe he lost his temper… he was certainly frustrated. He had never spoken to another woman like he addressed Heidi - passionately. She was just so appealing and infuriating at the same time. She pushed and pushed, trying to put distance between them – and he just wanted her to make up her mind, to put whatever had driven her into town behind her, and for her topick him– to choose a chance at something more.
Was he the right guy? – Who knows…
Was he going to give up or give in? – Never…
