by Holly Rayner
She didn’t get that feeling from him.
He cares about me, she thought, as she looked at him. I think this was more than just a one-night stand. Maybe, we could have a relationship…
“Mind if I take a shower before we go?” he asked.
His question pulled her from her thoughts. She felt a little bad for not offering.
“Oh, goodness! Of course. Go right ahead. There are fresh towels in the linen closet, and the hot water can be a little finicky, so give it a minute.”
He nodded and smiled. “I’ll be right out,” he said.
Delaney fixed Mr. Butters his breakfast, all the while processing her evening and night with Sean. What did he think about their night together? What were his intentions with her? Did he want a relationship?
She didn’t want to scare him away by demanding answers too soon, but at the same time, she wanted to know.
I’ll ask him during breakfast, she decided.
The air outside was soft, thanks to rain that had fallen in the dark, early morning hours. Bright sunlight peeked out from behind the still dissipating clouds, and birds sang in celebration that the rain had passed. The roads and sidewalk had been washed clean by the precipitation.
Flowers bloomed along the sidewalk. Delaney gave Sean an informal tour of her neighborhood as they walked, pointing out her favorite plants, trees, and houses.
When they arrived at the Sunny Side Up diner, the hostess greeted Delaney with a friendly wave and asked if she wanted her usual seat.
Since Delaney usually perched on a stool at one end of the bar, alone, she shook her head.
“Maybe a booth today,” she said.
“Right,” the hostess said. “You’ve got company.” She looked at Sean and paused, as if waiting for Delaney to introduce Sean and her relationship to him.
Delaney wasn’t sure what to say. Sean wasn’t her boyfriend—yet, at least—but calling him a mere “friend” didn’t sit right with her, either. Instead, she just stayed silent, until the moment passed.
“Come on with me,” the hostess said with a wave. “Big Dan just cleared out of his booth; I’ll give it a wipe-down, and you’ll be good to go.”
The diner was packed, given that it was nearing nine on a Sunday morning.
“We’ve been slammed,” the hostess continued. “And Jeremiah left early ’cuz he was dizzy. Hangover, more like it.”
The hostess motioned to a booth. She wiped it down in a few quick motions, and then pulled two narrow, plastic-covered menus from her apron pocket. She placed them down.
“So, it’s just Melanie back there running things, and you know how that can be.”
Delaney nodded. “We’ll be patient. Don’t you worry about us.”
“Thanks, hon,” the hostess said. “I’ll send Bethany right over. Want me to bring your water, no ice and a lemon?”
Delaney nodded. “That would be great. Maybe two of them, please.”
“Sure thing.” The hostess gave Sean another curious look.
As soon as she left, Sean leaned forward.
“I take it you know who Jeremiah and Melanie are?” he asked.
Delaney nodded. “Jeremiah’s one of the cooks. If you want a perfectly cooked omelet, he’s your guy. But he hits the booze a little too hard on Saturday nights—he’s got this bowling league thing, and all the guys get tanked on pitchers of beer. So, he’s usually a big old mess on Sunday mornings. Melanie’s his wife. She’s great in the kitchen, just slower than Jeremiah, so our food will take longer to come out.”
Sean laughed. “You do come here a lot, don’t you?”
She gave him a sheepish look. “Sometimes it’s easier just to eat out than to cook for one.”
“I think they’re wondering who I am,” Sean said. “I take it you usually don’t bring company?”
Sean motioned to the hostess podium near the diner’s entrance. The hostess, along with two waitresses, were huddled up, whispering and pointing in Sean’s direction.
“Yep, I usually dine alone,” Delaney said. “Maybe they think you’re a movie star or something. Your looks are pretty attention-grabbing.”
“Attention-grabbing, hm?” Sean arched an eyebrow. “In a good way?”
She blushed. “Yeah, in a good way,” she said.
She focused on the menu.
“Since Jeremiah’s out for the day, I recommend staying away from the omelets. Melanie tends to overcook them. She makes a mean stack of French toast, though, and her bacon is always perfectly crispy.”
They discussed the menu options for a few minutes, laughing over some of the silly names, like the Little Runny and the Sunny Side of the Street Eggs. When the waitress, a woman named Bethany, arrived, they placed an order. Delaney got a short stack of French toast and a side of bacon, while Sean decided on biscuits and gravy, sausage, and two eggs, sunny-side up.
It was pleasant sitting in the little pool of sun that streamed through the somewhat dusty window to their left. The diner smelled like bacon, coffee, and eggs, and was filled with warm, bubbly conversation and the guitar strings of the latest popular country songs.
Delaney enjoyed the light conversation with Sean as they joked and ate the food that Bethany delivered. As she finished up, she excused herself so that she could use the ladies’ room.
Sean was on her mind as she washed her hands and prepared to return to the table. She knew that soon, they’d be wrapping up the meal. Eventually, Sean would have to return home. He’d mentioned that a ranch hand was caring for his dogs overnight, but what about today? Surely he had matters to attend to at home, including his pups.
I have to talk to him about where we stand, she thought. Before he leaves San Antonio to head back to Ranchos Caballos Blancos.
She exited the bathroom and was returning to her table when Bethany caught her eye. The pretty young waitress hurried over to Delaney’s side.
“Oh, my goodness, Delaney!” she gushed. “That guy with you is, like, soooo hot. Who is he?”
It was such a direct question that Delaney could hardly ignore it. She wanted to brush Bethany off and return to her seat. She had so much on her mind as it was. She wanted to discuss the budding relationship with Sean, not with Bethany.
But Bethany was waiting for an answer.
“He’s… um…” Delaney couldn’t figure out what to say.
Bethany jumped in. “Are you guys, like, dating? Because if you’re not, I totally want to give him my number. Is that okay with you?”
She snapped the gum in her mouth, and Delaney cringed.
She hated the thought of Bethany giving her number to Sean. But how could she say no to that? She and Sean weren’t exclusive. They hadn’t even touched on the topic of whether they wanted to see each other again. Who was she to say that this woman couldn’t try to date Sean?
“Well… umm…” She felt herself blush. “I guess that’d be fine. I mean, he—Sean—and I aren’t dating. It’s all so new. I don’t know what to call it.”
Bethany examined Delaney’s face for a moment and then said, “Oh my goodness, girl. You are into this guy! Look at you… you’ve got it bad. Never mind. I won’t give him my number. I can see how much you like him. It’s written all over your face.”
“It is?” Delaney reached up and let her fingers brush her cheek.
Bethany laughed. “Not literally, silly! Anyway, I’ll be right over with your check. You go back to your new man. I think he’s waiting on you.” Bethany looked in the direction of Sean.
Delaney followed her gaze. She saw Sean watching them, from across the room. He held his coffee mug in his hands. The sunlight that poured through the window behind him framed him in golden light. His hair was slightly wavier than usual, thanks to the fact that it was still damp from his shower, and he wore an amused expression on his handsome face.
“Yeah, I’d better get back to him,” Delaney said.
She crossed the room and slid into her seat on the red vinyl booth cushion.
Delaney reached for her coffee mug. She turned it nervously in her hands. She knew she had to talk to Sean about where they stood, but she was apprehensive about the conversation.
It’d been so long since she’d had a conversation of this sort. It was much more complex than the usual topics of discussion she experienced, like telling a rancher how to medicate a sick horse or discussing an invoice with one of her clients.
She wasn’t used to talking about her feelings. But she knew she had to.
“That waitress… she wanted to give you her number,” she said finally.
She looked up from the white ceramic mug in her hands and eyed Sean.
He looked back at her with his deep blue eyes.
“Oh, yeah?” he said. “That’s pretty bold of her, seeing as you and I are here together.”
She bit her lip. “About that…” she said after a moment. “Maybe we should… um… talk about where we stand. Last night… well…”
“Last night was amazing,” Sean supplied.
Her blush intensified. “It was,” she said. “I just… I guess I need to talk to you about it. I mean, I just don’t do that often.”
“Do what?” he asked with a grin.
“Bring home guys, after the first date,” she said.
“But it was prom night,” he joked.
She was glad to release some tension by laughing. “I know… but you know what I mean.”
He became more serious. “I do,” he said. “But Delaney, it’s not as though we just met. We’ve known each other for years, in a way.”
“True…” she said.
She fiddled with her coffee cup some more. When she spoke again, her voice was a bit wobbly.
“Where do you think this is going for us, Sean? It’s just been so long since I’ve done anything like this. A relationship, I mean. I’ve been by myself, so focused on my business.” She looked up at him. “I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it.”
“If you’re willing to try, so am I,” he said.
He reached across the table and stilled one of her fidgeting hands as it twisted the base of her cup back and forth. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
“I’ve got to warn you, I’m not any more practiced than you are. I’ve been single for just as long as you.”
She nodded. That he wanted to give it a shot meant the world to her.
He wants to be in a relationship with me! she thought happily.
She grinned. “Maybe we can help each other along,” she suggested. “I guess, for starters, I should ask you… should I have let that blonde waitress give you her number?”
Sean chuckled. “Women could throw their numbers at me, but I wouldn’t call ’em. Delaney, you’re the only one I want to be with. Just you.”
“Really?” she said. She felt a happy, fluttery feeling warm her chest. “Good, because I feel the same way about you,” she admitted.
“That settles it,” he said.
He gave her hand another stroke. Delaney turned her hand so that her palm was facing his. She held his hand across the table and felt happier than she had in years.
Chapter 12
Sean
Sean felt like he was walking on air as he left the diner with Delaney’s hand in his. They strolled down the sidewalk to a tune of singing birds. Sean felt happier and more relaxed than he had in years.
Delaney wanted to be in a relationship with him!
The night had gone better than he dreamed it would while driving into the city the night before. Then, he’d imagined how wonderful it would be if Delaney was impressed by the restaurant. He’d only hoped that she’d enjoy herself while they were out to dinner. He’d hoped he could make her laugh, once or twice, or at the very least, that he could see her smile.
Instead of just that, they’d spend the entire evening laughing and enjoying each other’s company. And the events that followed still blew his mind. He’d slept in her bed! He’d gotten to feel the sheets that she was so in love with, and they were just as Delaney had described—as soft as his favorite vintage tee.
Her skin was so soft, too. He recalled the way it had felt to hold her in his arms…
“And that’s my neighbor Bess Delmont’s place,” Delaney said, pointing to a blue-and-white Victorian house. “When I go out with Mr. Butters, I steer clear of her place. She has a Great Dane that hangs in the front yard, and he and Mr. Butters do not get along.”
Sean loved the way Delaney’s hand felt, held snug in his. He loved the sound of her voice as she told him about a time that the Great Dane had chased her cat clear back to her apartment. He laughed at the appropriate times, but really, his mind was miles away.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky he was, to be walking home with Delaney Summers. His mind kept traveling over the moments they’d shared the night before. It all had a dream-like quality, yet was vivid in his mind at the same time. He thought about the way she’d looked at the diner, bathed in golden morning sunlight, cupping her mug of coffee in her hands.
She said she wants to be with me, he thought. We’re going to try being a couple—me and Delaney.
It seemed almost too good to be true.
Was it? What if he messed things up? He’d been so immersed in his solitary life since the explosion. He’d not had a relationship. What if he did something wrong and pushed her away, somehow?
He didn’t want that to happen.
When they reached the front of her apartment complex, he paused. She stopped, too.
“You’re welcome to come up,” she said.
She looked so beautiful in her plain white T-shirt and dungarees. Her hair was up in a slightly messy topknot, and she wore little turquoise studs in her ears that matched the turquoise and silver bracelet on her slender wrist. He just wanted to drink her in… simply admire her beauty for hours.
She blushed. He liked the way her cheeks turned so rosy when he looked at her in a certain way.
“What is it?” she asked, tucking her dark hair behind her ear self-consciously.
He raised a corner of his mouth in a slight grin.
“Nothin’,” he said. “It’s just that I could look into your beautiful eyes all day.”
She reached up, and her fingers grazed his cheek. “You only have one dimple,” she said.
Sean reached his hand up, too, and placed it over Delaney’s slender one. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her soft fingers.
When he was done, he said, “That’s thanks to the plastic surgery.”
“I thought so,” Delaney said.
He moved her arms down to her waist and held her close. “I don’t want to say goodbye, but I’d better. I had one of my workers take care of the dogs last night and this morning, but they’re probably missing me by now.”
“I understand,” Delaney said.
A few cars passed slowly on the side street next to them.
Sean took out his phone. “I’ll call for a taxi to take me to my truck,” he said.
She waited as he placed the call. As he pushed his phone back into his pocket, he said, “They’re right around the block. Be here any minute, now.”
“Aw, I don’t want you to leave, either,” Delaney said, looping her arms around his neck.
She looked up into his eyes. Sean swore she had the most beautiful brown eyes he’d ever seen.
“When can I see you again?” he asked.
She became thoughtful. “It’s going to be a busy week for me—I have to travel to a horse show in the northern part of the state. Won’t be back until next Sunday.”
“Maybe I could cook you dinner out at my place after you get back… Tuesday, Wednesday, something like that? I don’t want to brag, but I do know my way around a kitchen.”
“Can we listen to ‘Black Horse Blues’?” she asked.
“Maybe,” he said.
“And can we dance to it?” she asked.
“
Don’t push your luck, sweetheart.”
She laughed. “Sweetheart. I like that.”
He felt himself grin again.
She smiled, too. “Almost as much as I like that one lonely dimple,” she said as she reached up and touched it again.
“Well then, I’ll cancel the surgery I had lined up for the other side,” he said. “I was kinda figuring they should match. Was gonna ask the doc to smooth that one out.”
A crease formed on her brow. “No, don’t,” she said. “I love it. “
His grin broadened. “I’m only teasing,” he said.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a cab roll up to a stop at their side.
The cabbie rolled down this window. “You Sean Macintyre?” he called out.
“That’s me,” Sean told the cabbie. He looked back to Delaney. In almost a whisper he said, “It is, now, anyway.”
She smiled up at him. “Derek, Sean… whatever your name is, I’m glad that we found each other again.”
“I sure am, too,” he said.
“I’m starting the clock,” the cabbie called out.
Sean raised his brows. “Uh-oh,” he said to Delaney. “He’s starting the clock. Sounds like this goodbye is going to cost us.”
“I bet you can afford it,” Delaney said playfully.
“You do like to bet, don’t you?” he asked.
He looked at her for a moment and lowered his face toward hers. She stretched upward and met his lips with hers. Their kiss lasted longer than the cabbie would have liked, which he informed the couple with a quick honk of his horn.
“I got other fares lined up!” he shouted out. “So get in, or I’m moving on!”
Delaney and Sean were laughing as Sean headed toward the cab.
“Okay. I’m coming, I’m coming,” he told the driver. “Hey, can you blame me for wanting to kiss her goodbye?”
The cabbie looked out his window at Delaney and then shook his head.
“I guess not,” he said. “But I don’t care how gorgeous your girl is, man, we gotta get going. So load up.”