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Matt asked for a booth and scooted in next to her. They had ordered already, and he had linked their fingers together. She loved how he always seemed to touch her, like he needed the contact. It melted her heart and gave her hope. She loved him and always would. “I figured we both needed a quiet evening to relax and forget about the craziness of the last few weeks.”
“I know. I will never complain that my life is too boring. I think I like it that way,” she told him. His skin was a golden, tanned color and not pale white like hers. “Do you have Italian in you?”
“On my mother’s side,” he answered. “Her name was Lucy. She died when I was fourteen. She always dreamed of going to visit her mother’s land, but she got cancer and never made her trip.”
Holly laid her head on his shoulder. “I am so sorry, Matt. That must have been hard on you and Tony.”
“It was. My dad was a drunk and only came home when he felt like it. My mom did all she could to take care of us alone. He showed up drunk to the funeral. That was the last straw for both of us. We never spoke to him after that day. Tony threw his clothes out in the yard and threatened him if he ever saw his face. We didn’t,” Matt told her. She had the feeling he’d never spoke of the past before. Pain was clearly written on his face. “Tony took care of everything after that and joined the army as soon as he was eighteen. Two years later, I followed. We got the chance to visit Italy for my mom. That was a bittersweet moment.”
“That is great.” She smiled. ‘No wonder he is always so serious. My sister took care of me, too. Only, it was my mother who had the drinking problem. My dad was long gone. She was always looking for something that didn’t exist.”
“What?” he asked with curiosity.
“A perfect man, a perfect love,” she said simply.
“Can’t argue with you there, doll. We are all flawed human beings. Relationships take hard work. They are nothing like the fairytales,” he agreed. “But she is married and sober now, right?”
“Yes.” Holly smiled. “When Faith was pregnant with Hope, we drove to see her. It had been some time since we’d even spoke with her. She was sober thanks to her husband, Ted. We get along with both of them now.”
The food came and they dug in.
“This is amazing.” Holly sighed when she took a bite of her pasta. They talked about work, and she really enjoyed his company. It was nice to forget what was happening for a few hours.
When dinner was over, he took her for a walk. There was a huge shady tree with a bench underneath it a few blocks away, and they sat down. Holly looked up at the night sky filled with stars. It was a clear night, and a cool breeze flowed through her hair. She smiled.
“The stars seem so close, like we can reach out and touch them but we can’t. I still find beauty in watching them. It makes me realize what a big world we live in. We are all different, but we see the same thing when we look up.”
Matt looked up, he had his arm around her shoulder. He pulled her close. “They are beautiful, but they can’t compare to what I feel when I see you smile at me.”
Holly turned to look at him. “I am not beautiful, Matt. I am average-looking. Most of the time, I walk around in scrubs with my hair pinned up. I saw you with Linda Sanchez. I can’t compete with her type.”
He caressed her cheek on the side that wasn’t bruised. “You don’t need to. Linda is spoiled and self -centered. You have real beauty that comes from inside. Your smile lights up my heart, and when I look into those blue eyes, I see endless patience and love, and I get lost. I forget my troubles, my doubts. That is why I got so scared last summer. I knew the moment we made love, I would never let you go. I thought you needed someone who could treat you like fine china. I was scared I’d mess up.”
“Oh, Matt, that is silly. I am made of flesh and blood, not glass.” She blinked back tears. “I need a man who is strong, a man who will go to the ends of the earth to protect me, and a man who will love me just the way I am.”
“I am that man, Holly,” he whispered against her lips. Her mouth opened to his, allowing him access. She relaxed against him and let him take the lead. Their tongues danced around, making her feel a heat building up in the pit of her belly. His hands stayed at her waist, but she wanted them on other parts of her. When he let her go, she rested her head on his shoulder until she caught her breath. The man could kiss.
They walked back to his truck in a comfortable silence, and he opened the door and helped her up. He gave her a tender look and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. She wanted to make love with him tonight, but she wasn’t sure how to ask.
The town was quiet and most of the businesses were closed. It felt a little eerie to her. Matt was driving quietly when all of a sudden, he started swerving and slammed on the breaks. She heard his tires squealing loudly. Holly held on tightly, surprised by the sudden jolt. “What is going on?”
“My tire just blew out.” He controlled the truck without crashing and parked by the bank. He looked in his rearview mirror and she automatically looked around, too, although she had no idea why.
“Why are we scoping the streets?” she whispered. “It was just a flat tire.”
“I keep this truck in tip-top shape. My tires are less than a month old. Maybe I drove over something sharp,” he explained, his voice hard and cold. His face was no longer soft or warm. It was a mask of controlled emotions. In that moment she could see why people were afraid of him. His cell was already in his hand. He pushed a button and spoke into the phone. “I need you right now. I am by the bank. Come armed.”
Holly’s heart sank as she undid her seatbelt and scooted closer to Matt. She made sure her door was still locked, and now she was looking out the window, too. The streets were totally empty. Instantly, she knew it was Gerald Ferguson. He wanted Matt’s tire to go out. Why? So he could attack them? She was pissed. It was one thing to target her, but to go after the people she loved like Jasmine, and now Matt, made anger push aside the fear.
Matt pulled her close. He kissed her head. “Don’t worry. Tony is on his way. I had a more romantic end planned for us.”
“There is always later.” She winked. No one was going to ruin her wonderful, romantic night with Matt. She had waited ten months for this night, and she was not going to wait another moment.
Chapter 10
Matt felt relieved when he saw Tony pull his truck next to his. He could handle Gerald alone, but he did not want to leave Holly unattended. It could be a trap to get her alone. That was not going to happen.
Tony put his emergency lights on and left his truck in the middle of the street. Matt got out, making sure Holly locked the doors. Matt could see Tony was carrying a sidearm. His favorite rifle was probably on the front seat. Matt wished Gerald would just come out and confront him instead of playing cat-and-mouse. It showed him Gerald was a coward.
