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He sounds like Blaze. I glare at the back of Ryan’s head as I follow him into the car lot.
“What payments range would be comfortable for you?”
“I’ll probably not have payments.”
He swirled around to look at me. His smile flatlined. “So… you’re looking to pay cash?”
“Probably.” I shrug.
The polished smile springs back into place. “We can work with that!”
“I’ll bet you can.” I mutter to myself.
We walk to a symmetrical line of jeep wranglers in every color imaginable. Two-doors, four-doors, hard top, soft top, sports, Rubicon, and Sahara models. Then we walk over to theChrysler section and he watches my face as we stroll past some spit-polished used Subaru Outbacks, a Chevrolet Suburban, Ram Laramie half ton truck, a metallic red Kia Sportage LX. The Kia, so like a younger sister to Kiley, that causes me to pause. Maybe I could bring her home and be happy.
Ryan, the consummate salesman, leaps on my slightest reaction. “Let’s look at the inside of this baby. She’s a real beauty with only 40,000 miles.
He sets me in the driver’s seat. “She is a beauty.” I say, looking at all the bells and whistles that Kiley does not have. Fourteen years younger, this car would be a nice replacement. But she’s not Kiley. Momma never sat in this seat. She never drove this car, or hand washed her with the garden hose. Momma never cried in this car. Tears flood my eyes as I close them. I just cannot do this.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Junek—”
“Ryan, please. Any friend of Blaze’s is a friend of mine.” He grins.
A sigh beats my words as I ease myself out of the cute little red car. I shake my head. “I’m really sorry, Ryan. I just can’t. It’s a really good looking car. Anybody would be lucky to have her, but I just… don’t feel the emotional attachment I do with my Kiley.”
Ryan nods slowly. “Well, I understand that. If there ever comes a day when you know it’s time to buy another, you just let me know.” He says as he hands me his business card.
“Thank you.” I try to smile at him. He really does seem to understand and it feels cathartic to be understood. We walk back to where Blaze is standing, looking at the newest Gladiator models lined up like good soldiers at the very front of the dealership. With their over-the-top augmentations, I couldn’t afford one of those if I won the World Series Poker Event inLas Vegas. Neither can Blaze, but like all little boys, he enjoys window-shopping for the coolest vehicles on the market.
Watching his lustful eyes looking over the fully loaded, and then some, Gladiators with accessories that makes them look battle worthy, does something to my libido that makes my mouth suddenly go dry. Would it be so bad to let him in? I don’t have to seek out an underground game, I have everything I need. I’ve used this easy, but dangerous, source of money as a crutch for too long. He’s be worth the sacrifice. To never gamble again.
I smile as Ryan and I approach the front of the dealership. Blaze trots toward me. “Find anything?”
“Yeah, but no.” I sound like a kid who just lost her sixth soccer game in a row.
“Well,” Blaze’s eyes meet Ryan’s in a silent communication I don’t understand. “The inventory changes around here all the time. If you didn’t see anything today, we can always come back.”
Ryan nods in agreement. “Or when you know you’re ready to move on. We’ll be here.”
How can the used car salesman understand my attachment to my car better than the man who wants to be my boyfriend? Maybe my first instincts about Blaze are right. He’s not the one for me. Just because he wears his jeans like a Chippendale dancer, and causes my heart to do crazy things whenever he’s around, there are just too many red flags. I ignored all the red flags when I first dated Jason. I need to be smarter about who I chose to give my heart to.
And I will. Be smarter. Think it through. Don’t let my libido make all the important decisions!
Blaze shakes Ryan’s hand and says something about getting together for hoops, then escorts me to his not-so-souped-up Gladiator. I crawl into the passenger seat,determined to keep my momma’s car, and my heart close to my chest. Blaze gets behind the wheel and turns the engine over. He turns to me, with his arm on the back of my head rest, just one move away from holding me. “I’m sorry you didn’t find the one you wanted.”
“Yeah, it’s alri—” My words halt, smothered by his mouth over mine. His tongue teasing mine. I feel like putty as he envelopes me in his arms. What was I thinking? I don’t want to have a relationship with this man, but my heart screams, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Damn the red flags. I want more of whatever this is! I kiss him back, as passion unfurls in the cab of his jeep truck. In broad daylight, we are acting like two love-starved teenagers who cannot get enough of each other. His hand gropes under my shirt and I find myself searching for that nature trail I had seen on that first day when I moved in. The windows are clouding with sultry body steam. And I just don’t care any more. I trail a series of kisses across his firm jaw and nibble on the soft flesh of his earlobe. Satisfied with the moan that escapes his lips. I smile to myself.
A firm knock on the window shocks both of us. We jerk away from each other as if we were red-hot pot-belly stoves. Ryan? Who? The opaque steam hides whoever has decided we need to move on. Blaze pushes the button that makes his window ease down.
“What the hell! Maribeth!” Jason screams.
Chapter Eight?
“You available?”
“Sure. When?”
