AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh yeah,” I said, tilting my face up to his with a bit of surprise. “I forgot to mention, I came to find you because my car wouldn’t start.”
He stopped, turned to face me. The hand not holding mine cupped my face. “Where were you headed in your car?”
I swallowed. Oh yeah. “Um.”
His thumb smoothed over my cheek. “Were you ditching me?”
“I hadn’t heard from you.”
He shifted, bringing us closer. Even in the dark of winter, his heat touched me. “You told me you’d be busy at the bakery until eight. We were going to meet up once you’d closed up shop.”
“But I hadn’t heard from you.”
“Okay,” he said, tilting my face up with his thumb, his serious blue gaze holding mine. “So as of now, we know that you like a little clearer conversation. We also now know that I don’t want you to make any assumptions, especially if that assumption involves me not seeing you.” He leaned down, pressed a hard, closed-mouthed kiss to my lips. “I think this is what the grown-ups call communication. Got it?”
His warmth didn’t just touch me, it sank in deep and shot out roots. I nodded against his hand. “Got it.”
“Then let’s see about your car.”
When we entered the top of the alley behind my bakery, I caught sight of a handful of people fussing around my Honda. As we walked closer, Mr. Hillbanger glanced up. “Rae, darlin’, what are you doin’ with this mess of an automobile?”
A flush filled my cheeks. “It’s a mess?”
They had the hood propped open and at my words, another head emerged from beneath. “A certifiable mess.” The stranger straightened, wiping his hands on a blue rag. He looked to Kyle to continue. “No one’s going to get this thing running tonight, Hoss. But I can come pick it up in the morning, take it back to the garage.”
“Creed, man, that’d be great. I’ll owe you one.” Kyle stepped forward to shake the other man’s hand. “She just let me know it wasn’t running. We were a little distracted. I appreciate you checking it out this late.”
The man Kyle called Creed grinned at me. “Notice any lights on lately?”
The flush in my face turned into a full burn. I was saved from an embarrassing reply by the arrival of another car. An elegant silver sedan slowed beside us. J.T. Pendleton’s face appeared as the tinted window rolled down, his gaze on Hoss. “Good work, Hossman. Between the golf and the cruise-in, we’ll have more sponsors than we’ll know what to do with next year.”
“Glad things worked out for you, J.T..”
“They did, they did.” His pale eyes flitted over the crowd, dismissing Mr. Hillbanger and skirting past the big man Hoss called Creed, before landing on me again. “Despite some people’s best efforts.”
I stiffened, braced for more ugliness out of this rich, old man. But Kyle shifted, drawing his attention before he could speak. “We’re taking off, J.T.. See you around.”
Kyle still had my hand folded in his and Pendleton noticed. “You’re taking her home with you? Now that’s what I call devotion to duty, Hossman.”
Mr. Hillbanger cursed and Creed let the hood of my car slam closed. The noise and J.T.’s words reverberated through me, echoing stark and frightening. I jerked my hand, wanting to pull away from Kyle even though I couldn’t really process J.T.’s words. What had he meant? Considering this, along with what he’d said earlier, I was scared to think about it too closely. I wanted to retreat and block out these men and think about what was happening from the safety of my own place.
But Hoss tightened his hand around mine, drawing me toward him instead of letting me escape. Ignoring the men surrounding us, he tugged until he had me pressed along his front, one hand wrapped around my back and the other tipping my chin up to meet his gaze.
His eyes shimmered down into mine, calm, content, confident. As I stared up at him, his face softened and something near to adoration filtered into his gaze. “Rae, my Sunshine girl. You know better than that.”
And then, with his gaze searching deep into me, finding all my tender spots, rounding out all my sharper bits, and reminding me of how I’d felt only moments ago, I did. I did know better.
I braced my hands on his wide chest and scooted up to press my lips to his. “You know what I’d really like? One of those huge burgers from the Bootlegger.”
He winked and with a quick nod to Mr. Hillbanger and Creed, he turned us back up the alley, Pendleton forgotten. The future was full of the unknown, but it was one I was eager to explore with the man beside me.
Epilogue
Rae
February
FebruaryinVirginiameantI couldn’t quite break out the sundresses, but I could go with the cute sweaters instead of the bulky jackets. Ms. Minerva sat at one of Sugar Squared’s tables. But today, Mr. Hillbanger sat with her. Ms. Minerva must have felt my perusal, for she looked up from her strawberry tart, one of the Valentine’s Day-themed treats we were offering this month. I gave her a wink and, I swear, I think the sweet, older woman blushed.
