Page 79 of A Whim and a Prayer

Abby bolted up from the bed to grasp Winnie by the arms. “I’d rather wish you some common sense, Dennehy, so I’m begging you one last time—don’t do this, please!”

Saltwater burned at the back of Winnie’s lids, hating to cause her cousin one iota of worry or pain, but if she didn’t, she’d cause both Abby and herself a world of pain if Beck was no longer part of their lives.

And Winnie had no doubt that would be the case because she was convinced she was textbook damaged goods when it came to the kind of love where you gave your all. An imperceptible shiver chilled her skin. Which was the kind of love Beck wanted from her. But she wasn’t capable no matter how much Beck tried to convince her.

“You have an orphan’s heart, Winnie,” he’d once claimed, “a lie from your past that you aren’t worthy of love,” but she’d always dismissed it because she knew the truth. Orphan’s heart or no, she was not capable of truly loving someone the way they deserved, and she could never risk that with Beck.

A stray tear escaped as she clutched Abby close, squeezing both her eyes and her cousin with all of her might. “I have to, Abs,” she whispered, “but I’ll only be a few hours, I promise. You’ll never even know I was gone.”

She pulled back, gaze darting to the clock and back. “By two o’clock, I’ll be back in Laney’s bed, all snug and safe, okay?” With a final hug, she headed toward the window, so grateful for the large, sturdy oak tree just outside Abby’s room. She and her cousins had been climbing it for years, sometimes even sneaking out for nighttime games of sardine’s ghost and flashlight tag.

Abby followed Winnie to the window in a sulk. “No, it’s not ‘okay,’ but obviously I don’t have any say. But so help me, Winnie—if you’re not back by two o’clock—”

“I will be, I promise,” Winnie insisted, determined to keep Abby’s trust no matter what. Lifting the sash, she turned to give her one final hug. “Love you, Abs, and thanks for covering for me.”

“Yeah, yeah. But if Brayden isn’t outside waiting for you, you come right back up, you hear?”

“Yes, Mother.” Winnie blew her a kiss and began her descent, the thrill of adventure warming her blood despite the icy chill stinging her face. Dropping to the ground, she tiptoed behind the neighbor’s bushes to the street, where true to his word, Brayden waited in his jalopy several houses down. Both she and her pulse were sprinting hard as she crossed the street to where he was parked, and the moment he saw her, he got out and rounded the car.

“Right on time, doll—I like that,” he said with a chuckle as he opened her door for her, closing it with a wink after she got in. Getting in on the other side, he cast an approving look her way, then leaned close. “Mmm … you smell as good as you look, Winnie.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, her stomach doing cartwheels when his arm hooked her close. He started the car with a Groucho Marx waggle of brows. “And … alone at last, eh?”

Oh my, yes! she thought as the scent of his cologne did funny things to her insides, the very thought of being alone with the man of her dreams tingling her skin. She swallowed hard, suddenly grateful they would be at a party with other people. She chewed the edge of her lip as she peeked up out of the corner of her eyes with a nervous smile. “But only for a little while because like I told you when you asked, Brayden—I have to be home by two, remember?”

“Ah, yes—the stroke of two for the forbidden date!” He slid her a half-lidded look that shimmered her skin with heat. “They say ‘forbidden fruit is the sweetest,’ doll, so tonight I guess we’ll have to make it short and sweet, eh?”

“Yes,” Winnie said with a smile as she battled a gulp, the hypnotic stroke of Brayden’s thumb against her waist creating a ball of fire at the base of her belly. She let the gulp go in a hard swallow. If possible …

Chapter Fifty-Three

“I had a great time tonight, Beck.” Cari Lee Barton smiled at Beck as he parked his car in front of her house.

“Me too, Cari Lee.” Putting the car in gear, he slid her an affectionate smile as he killed the ignition, thinking she was his favorite of the handful of women he’d asked out over the last month. Of course it helped that she worked at The Herald and flirted with him outrageously whenever she saw him, making it perfectly clear she was interested. His smile suddenly dimmed as he thought of Winnie, a trace of guilt tainting his mind.

Nope. Not going there. Not now. Not until Winnie made up her mind, which was dubious at best. Besides, he’d promised her he’d not only “seriously date,” but that he would truly “give it his all, honestly focusing on each girl as a prospective love interest.” His mouth cemented as both frustration and irritation roiled in his gut. And that’s what he intended to do.

Turning to face Cari Lee, he reached for her hand, determined to prepare her for whatever might happen. “Cari Lee, I told you from the beginning that my old girlfriend wanted time apart till Christmas to determine whether we’d remain friends or more.”

Cari Lee’s smile faded a hair as she gave a slow nod, body still as if holding her breath.

His gaze wandered out the dash window in a hollow stare. “And that we would both date others in the meantime, which to be honest, was not something I wanted to do.” He slipped her a sheepish grin. “I guess I didn’t expect to like it”—he paused to give her hand a light press—“or more specifically, like you—as much.”

He grinned when a slow, wavering breath parted from her lips, as if she’d been holding it since he’d started speaking. She inched closer to him on the seat with a shaky smile. “I sure wish that made you as happy as it makes me because after four dates, Beck, I have to admit—I like you an awful lot.”

He scratched the back of his neck with a crooked smile. “And I like you, Cari Lee, more than I expected, which muddies the water because the truth is”—his ribcage rose and fell in apology—“I’m still in love with Winnie.”

Pressing in closer, she laid a hand on his arm. “That’s understandable, Beck. You’ve known Winnie your whole life and me, only four dates.” Grinning, she reached to caress his jaw with a gentle touch of her fingers. “Even though they were pretty amazing dates, if I say so myself.”

“Agreed,” he said, nodding with a faint smile.

“And that was without any of this …” Taking him by surprise, she leaned up to brush a soft kiss to his lips, elevating herself with a hand on his thigh that shot fire straight through him. A moan trapped in his throat when she pressed in closer, deepening her kiss.

This hadn’t been part of the plan because frankly, he didn’t want to kiss anybody but Winnie, but sweet saints in heaven, he was only human! So when she teased his lips open with her tongue, he all but devoured her with a low groan, finishing the job she started with a kiss that quickly fogged up the windows.

“Cari Lee,” he whispered, voice breathless as he pulled away, gently tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “I’m not ready for this …”

She chewed on the edge of her lip with a shy smile as she laid her hand back on his leg. “You seem ready, Beck, and me too … so why not?”