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He didn’t indicate what he carried, but moved on past her, into the other room, still in earshot as he stripped off his coat.
“I decided on lasagne with the meat we got at the market,” she said, watching for his return. Her curiosity about him had grown to a fever pitch with him being gone all day.
“Sounds delicious!” he called out from the other room.
When he returned he wasn’t all dressed up or anythin’, just in his jeans and white shirt, but he bore a smile and offered up his package. He peeled away the paper wrapping to show a bouquet of expensive looking flowers. Nothin’ too fancy, as they were all from the local flower shop, but still…
“Saw ‘em in the shop window and thought those ones I left you this mornin’ were a lil’ whimpy compared to these,” he said in a smooth, husky voice.
Her heart jumped into her chest and she almost lost her ability to breathe. Worst still was the wetness that came to the corner of her eyes, her lower lip trembling. It wasn’t just that she was touched that he did something so sweet, it was everything else. That soon he’d be walking out of her life again, back to the big city.
Sure, maybe he’d call, or they’d try to get together for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but she was terrified of losing what they’d forged in their time together.
“Damien,” she managed meekly, reaching out for the bouquet.
He handed her the flowers, but didn’t retract his arm. Instead he stepped in close, placed his other hand up
on her hip and looked a little concerned.
“You okay?” he asked, his rugged face looking perturbed as a realization crept over him. “Oh shit… flowers don’t make you think of funerals do they? I mean… not just pa but, your ma passed on long ago too.”
That wasn’t it, but it was surprising to hear the large, hardened biker think with such concern.
She shook her head, but she had no idea what to say. How could she even begin to tell him that the reason she’s so upset is because she’s afraid of goin’ back to normal? To her lonely job in the diner, back into town. She’d never felt so bad about it before, it was happy and comfortable as a life got. But after their time together, it was like there’s a hole that couldn’t be filled.
She wiped beneath her eyes, swallowing back her tears.
“Naw, nothin’ like that. Just... Gonna miss it here,” she said weakly and without conviction.
That made him stop and think, his deep, dark eyes scanning her as he pondered. Though his first response wasn’t with words, he merely slid his arm from her hip about her waist and pulled her in tight and close against his hard body.
“There’s a dance comin’ tomorrow night. Over at the Swanson farm,” he said lowly. “Will you accompany me? That is, if you can spare the extra night from work…” he asked, brow raised in anticipation.
It wasn’t what she expected, not even close. But the thought of going to a dance with him... She couldn’t deny that she wanted it. That she was excited at the prospect, even.
She drew in her lower lip, gnawing it thoughtfully. What would people say, her showin’ up to a dance with him, though? But before she could talk herself out of it, his hand squeezed her hip, and she was brought back to the blissful present, his arms around her, his body so near to her own.
“I’d love that.”
“I was hopin’ you’d say that,” he said with a burgeoning grin, and he leaned on down nearer to her height to kiss her. It was a briefly lingering meeting of his lips to her flesh, so near to the edge of her mouth, but technically just on the cheek.
“Wear your finest babe, ‘cause it’s gonna be a great night,” he said excitedly.
That was the Damien she’d known, the one who was a little crude, but with how kind he’d been to her, it was different. Instead of making her roll her eyes, she instead laughed softly, the warmth of his mouth on her still lingering long after he pulled away.
“I don’t have much out here,” she admitted, though she hoped she’d make due.
He paused and stared at her a moment before he spoke some more.
“Then come with me tomorrow mornin’. I’ll take ya over to the shoppin’ mall. It’s a few hours’ drive, there and back, but we’ll find ya somethin’ real nice. On me,” he said with a confident, pleased expression.
She had no idea what had happened to him to soften him to her, but she wasn't going to spit on the good luck she had.
“That’d be great, Damien,” she said, her voice excited. “I can’t wait.”
* * *
The next morning started off early as usual, but this time after breakfast Damien smiled and went to his bike to wait for her.
