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"I've never known a man that could twist my insides with mere words." She murmured. "You got a way about you Cord. You always did have."
"I'm just statin' the facts honey." he smiled again, sinfully.
"I hope Sam never comes back, but if he does and he finds out…"
"Then we'll handle that when it comes, if it comes. Don't borrow trouble. He's got a woman. Why would he come back?" Cord told her matter-of-factly.
"He really likes you." Lilly added. "Charlie…" she sounded breathless. "You don't know how much that means to me…"
"Yes I do." He stared into her beautiful eyes. "An I like him too…" Cord nodded. "He's part of you, the best part."
"You told him about killing Dubs didn't you?" Lilly asked.
"Had to, he wanted to know why I left. And I wanted him to know about me, first hand. Not through town gossips. I wanted no secrets Lilly. We're going to be a family and we have to trust each other. Best way to earn trust is to lay it all out there on the table."
"Why'd you leave here, Cord?" She asked staring at him, unable to keep her eyes from straying over his flat chest and solid torso. He was sitting there with his black vest and white shirt on, totally unbuttoned, and looking so sexy he took her breath away. Her hands itched to touch that bare chest. So she folded them instead in her lap.
"I was a kid, a scared kid…"
"Want to tell me what the rest of it is?"
His eyes rested on her now. "I thought my leaving would make it easier on Ma and you and Doc." He answered without hesitating. "The three of you mattered very much to me, Lilly. Without the irritation, I figured everyone would get back to business. Life would go on. Be easier for you all. I was a thorn in this town's side. I felt it. I had to find a way to live in peace. I wasn't a bad kid, but if I'd have stayed, I might have become one. You see, Dubs was the first man I ever killed. It bothered me, and all of you."
"I guess, after a while, after people forgot, it did get easier." Lilly nodded. "But it took a while, especially for your Ma. Every day, she'd stare down that road, looking for you, hoping. Doc and I tried to cheer her up, because we saw the sadness in her eyes. She never spoke of it. Always had an upbeat attitude, but we knew…You were her only child and she missed you terribly."
"Her hurts were my hurts. I worried about her every day. It would have been different if Dad had lived, but he didn't, and when I left, she was alone except for good friends like, you, doc and Pedro. And I thank God for all of you."
A silence stretched between them.
"Why'd you come out here today, Lilly?" Cord asked standing up and leaning over her, putting his hands on the arms of her chair.
She flushed. "To tell you about Charlie…and how much he likes you. To tell you how much I appreciate all you are doing."
"No it wasn't…" He stared into her beautiful brown eyes.
"No…" She was breathless, he was so close. "I guess it wasn't." She admitted.
"Why," he whispered.
She moved closer, "I wanted…to see you…"
He smiled, and backed off. "I like that. I like that a lot. 'Cause I've been thinking about you half the day myself."
He leaned against the porch railing.
Why had he backed off, after her admission?
"I keep thinking maybe…you might want to change your mind." She said standing up behind him. "I wouldn't blame you if you did."
"And I've been worrying the same about you."
He whirled around on his boot heels and stared at her for a long moment, looking from the head of her glorious head of red hair, to the tip of her boots. He grabbed her up against him, and bent his head, "Does this feel like I want to change my mind."
And then he kissed her, hot and long, making her breathless before he turned her loose again. Making her want things, making her ache. It was the way he kissed her, taking her bottom lip with his teeth, then moving his tongue into her mouth slowly, testing, tasting, to mate with hers. She whimpered. When their tongues mated, it was like coming together body and soul. They both felt it.
"Does it," he whispered, holding her in the circle of his arms. Her hands were on his bare chest and he looked down at them. She didn't move them. The look on his face told her he wanted more than a kiss, but he didn't take it further.
"No…" she finally whispered.
