Page 78 of His Wounded Heart

He kissed me!

Okay, if I’m going to be perfectly honest, we kissed one another. I’d only ever kissed Brantley before, and I thought that with his level of experience that nothing or nobody would ever surpass him. Boy, was I wrong. Simon’s kiss took me up to the moon and made me think I could touch the stars.

But I don’t want to get involved with someone.

Not ever. And especially not when I’m having my land surveyed so that I can sell it and move. I’d been dead serious with Evie; it was time for Bella and me to make a change.

But that kiss…

I need a distraction. If I get into that shower, all I’ll do is relive that kiss and zone out.

I lean down and open the cabinet under the sink. I push back a couple of bottles and boxes until I find the expensive body wash and lotion set that Zoe had given me on my birthday a couple of years back. At the time I thought it had been way too extravagant. Something like that should only be used for special occasions was my thinking.

To hell with it, today was special, and I’m special, so I was going to use deluxe products! Especially after finding out the mascara went bad by not using it. Maybe that could happen to the body wash and lotion too.

So to hell with waiting for a special occasion. why can’t my special occasion be that I want to feel good and amazing just because? I finally find it and pull it out. Hell, I haven’t even unwrapped the packaging!

Picking up the scissors out of my drawer, I open the package and pull out the body wash. When I twist off the cap, I can’t believe the fragrance.

“My God!”

I’ve been missing out on this? It smells so good. I want to drink it. There was citrus, maybe lemon, or was it orange? Definitely bergamot and something else that makes it pop. I pour just a little on my fingers and rub it into the back of my hand, then breathe it in.

Heavenly.

I look over and see that there is actual steam coming from my shower, so I jump in with my liquid gold and grab my loofah. Just pouring the soap onto my loofah is a transformative experience. I’m no longer in my shower, I’m not even in a spa. I close my eyes and see an endless blue sky, with translucent waters, and pink sand.

“Mama, I’m ready!”

I pull back a bit of the shower curtain and smile at Bella. “You beat me. I need ten more minutes, then I’ll be ready.”

“Can I use the iPad?”

“Sure can.” The water’s getting cold, anyway. As soon as my bathroom door closes, I turn off the faucets and step over the lip of the bathtub. I grab the lotion, then wrap the towel around me and walk into my bedroom.

As I go through my drawers, I notice something prettier than my normal white cotton bra and panties. It seems sacrilegious to use that Tender Glow lotion with my normal underwear. I find the ice-mint lace bra and panty set I’d worn with Evie’s bridesmaid dress, then throw the set, along with some thick white wool socks to go with my work boots, onto the bed.

It’s cold out and normally I would wear a Henley and a flannel shirt that’s three sizes too big for me, then pull on an old coat over the top, but not today. Today I’m feeling different thanks to Zoe’s gift. I pull on my panties and socks, then slip into black skinny jeans. I look over at my closet. Should I go for it?

Yes. Yes, I should.

What with Bella’s school events, and Simon being pulled into helping the town, we’ve only gone on two lunch dates, one following a visit to Bernie, Luther and Violet, and another lunch date where he told me about his sister. Then him coming over to my house the other night. That was a date wasn’t it? Kind of? We kissed a lot, so that had to count as a date. I’d like to count the ride up and down the mountain and the time spent in his cabin as a date, but that was really us just getting to know one another.

Wait! We got to know one another at the grocery store. So, date one was the mountain trip, date two was visiting everybody at the hospital because we had Italian food after that. Then date number three was when we met at Husky’s in Pigeon Forge. Then four nights ago was our kissing date. That’s four dates. So, wanting to go to third base and slide into home with him is not slutty, it’s fine, because it would be our fifth date! Now I just have to figure out a way to arrange this.

“Mama, are you ready now?”

Shit.

“Almost, Sweet Pea. Just need another two minutes.”

Quit daydreaming Avery, and get your shit together.

Don’t overthink this. You just admitted you wanted to trip the man and beat him to the ground, so hell yes you want to wear the red sweater that hugs all your curves, so go get it out of the back of your closet and put it on.

I go to my closet and pull down a box from the top shelf and start rifling through some clothes that Maddie, Evie and I had bought on a whim when we’d found a sale in Knoxville, one of those kinds that wouldn’t allow you to return anything.

Even now, I still wince at some of my purchases that I’d let my sisters talk me into. They were so not me, but I find the one ruby red sweater that I was looking for. It’s a thick cable knit turtleneck that fits just a little too well. It covers me from my neck on down to the middle of my butt and it makes it clear that I have curves. This sweater goes with the scent of Tender Glow. I slather some of the lotion on my shoulders, arms, breasts and neck, then slip on the pretty bra and sweater.