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She sighed. “Lethal.”
They maintained a casual distance walking through the shelter to his SUV but once inside he reached for her hand and held it on the seat between them. As usual, silence reigned for the first several minutes until they pulled into the parking lot of The Copper Kettle.
“Yum, I’m glad you picked this place!”
“Huh,” he grunted. “I didn’t even ask you where you wanted to go. Is this okay?”
“It’s good. I like the decision being taken out of my hands sometimes. I think too much. It’s nice to let someone else take the reins.”
He smiled big and she looked at him confused until he leaned in and nuzzled her ear.
“I like taking the reins,” he said, sitting back in his seat again and noting her blush, “but we can take turns picking the restaurants and drive-outs.”
He watched as her eyebrows drew together and she rubbed her palms over the thighs of her jeans, her thoughts flitting across her face, “I’m not sure…”
“I’m fairly sure you’ll be okay with it,” he assured her carefully, “and if you’re not, we’ll adjust.”
They went in and ordered at the counter. Barrett paid, another thing that made her blush, unused as she was to people doing things for her. They found their seats and he could see that she was still turning things over in her head.
He sat back, his eyes warm and steady on her face.
“Did you like what we did Saturday night?”
Her startled eyes flew up to his and her cheeks bloomed. “Um, yes,” she whispered, “but what about you?”
“It wasn’t time.”
She nodded. “Okay… when is it going to be time?”
“Do you want it to be time?” he rumbled.
Her eyes skittered back and forth before settling on his. “Yes.”
“Then we’ll make time.” He heard his voice deepen further and knew she heard it, too, by the look of anticipation on her face. Apprehension replaced anticipation a brief moment later.
“Willa.”
“Yes?”
“You won’t have any decisions to make.”
“Are you always like that?”
He nodded slowly, carefully monitoring her reactions. “Yeah, I am. It’s the kind of man I am. Just know that while I take mine, it’s always, always going to be about you.”
She nodded hesitantly. Time for him to change the subject.“Lenny’s really taken with Junie,” he said.
She brightened. “Yeah? Junie likes him, too.”
“Do you two want to come to the show again this Saturday? I’ll save you a seat,” he teased.
“Yes, I’d like that. I’ll see if Junie wants to go. If she doesn’t, I’ll see if I can drag my sister with me. She doesn’t get out very often.”
“Good.”
She had the most expressive face, and she was worried again.
“Um, Barrett, those women that were hanging around the stage after the performance?”
