Of course, she didn’t. She didn’t want to get involved with Ford Harper again. They’d only shared dinner. No big deal.
Why did her heart race when she thought about his text? When she anticipated calling him? When she imagined what would have happened if she’d leaned in and kissed him at his kitchen table?
If she had, he might have grabbed her. Held her. Had sex with her if he could have managed with a cast. If she’d agreed—and Diane knew she might have been just as eager to have sex with him—she could have easily worked out the logistics of sex with a cast. A few options came immediately to mind.
Edgar Gates, the retired postmaster, waved at her, holding up his coffee cup. She had to stop thinking about Ford and concentrate on her customers. If she let herself get distracted by the man, Jimmy was going to fire her before she ever had a chance to tell him she might be quitting her job to study art.
When her break time came around, Diane needed some air and some space, so she bundled up to take a walk outside. She’d hoped the cold air would slap some sense into her, but it didn’t do anything but make her catch her breath and wrap her scarf a little tighter around her throat.
She should have called Ford inside where it was warm, but there were always people around and she didn’t want anyone overhearing their conversation. No one minded their own business around here.
Diane squinted against the sun. Her sunglasses were in her purse back at the bar. She wouldn’t mind the sun if it actually warmed things up, but the temperature was still below freezing. Most people had been smart enough to stay inside. She practically had the sidewalk to herself. She’d just walk to the corner and back. Spring couldn’t come soon enough. She dialed Ford’s number.
“The cast is off.” The relief was clear in his voice.
Already? Diane gripped her phone a little tighter. Just the sound of his deep voice made her heart race. No more cast. Did that mean sex? Why was she thinking about sex again? Ford hadn’t mentioned sex. “That’s great. How does it feel?”
“I took my first real shower in forever and it was amazing.”
She swallowed, trying not to picture a naked Ford in the shower, the water flowing over his bare skin. Was her mind really going there? “I’ll bet.”
Ford cleared his throat. “Listen, the winter festival is this weekend. I thought it might be fun to go together.”
A date? Was he asking her out on a date? Were they officially going to make this a big deal? She couldn’t think about that now so she said the next thing that came into her mind. “Are you crazy? You just broke your leg.”
“It’s healed. The cast is gone. I can walk like a normal person again.”
She ducked into the doorway of Westley’s Wine and Spirits to get out of the wind. “Did the doctor say it was okay? I think the ground would be too uneven, Ford. All that snow, packed down and icy. You don’t want to risk injuring your leg again.”
“I have a brace to wear. I even have a damn cane. I just need someone’s arm to hold onto and I’ll be fine.” He paused. “I’d love to be holding onto your arm, Di.”
He had to go and get all charming, didn’t he? Diane realized she was grinning like a fool.
“I’ll buy you soup and hot chocolate,” he told her. “What do you say?”
She didn’t want to be a fool, grinning or otherwise for Ford Harper. She didn’t want to think of this as the beginning of something. But it felt damned good to smile. “Okay.”
Diane was used to cold winters. She’d lived in western New York her whole life. Not far off Lake Erie, they were accustomed to below-freezing temperatures and lake effect snows that clogged the roads and made people stupid when they got behind the wheel.
But this January had been extra cold. Extra snowy. On winter days like this one, when she didn’t have to work, Di usually hibernated at home with a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and a good book. But somehow Ford had talked her into coming to this yearly celebration of winter, one she hadn’t attended since her children were old enough to not want to be seen with their parents any longer.
What did it hurt to go to the festival with Ford? It didn’t mean anything. It was just a fun way to spend an afternoon. A freezing afternoon. But it didn’t mean she forgave him. It didn’t mean they’d be together for the rest of their lives. All it meant was that he needed someone’s arm to hold onto.
The banner flapping in the frigid wind across Main Street said, “Best Bay Winter Festival.” The village square, only a couple of blocks from the lake, was crowded on this Sunday afternoon. All around the square, a snowman building contest was in progress. In the center was a large tent offering soups, sandwiches and hot chocolate to benefit the local high school and various churches. In between were local vendors advertising skis and snowmobiles and the latest in cold weather gear and clothing. Upbeat music was piped through speakers set up somewhere out of view. Laughter and conversation surrounded them.
Ford held onto Diane’s arm as they took it slowly around the square. No one else seemed to be freezing. Kids were running around, throwing snowballs at each other. Parents called out warnings to take it easy, but no one seemed to mind.
The longer she snuggled up to Ford, though, the more comfortable she became. The closeness made her heart beat a little faster and her blood thrummed through her system, warming her. She could detect his scent above the mouth-watering aromas coming from the food tent. It made her lips tingle and her body yearn.
Most everybody they passed sent them an appraising glance, as if to say, Yep, that rumor’s true. But at the moment, Diane couldn’t bring herself to care.
Spread around the square were nearly a dozen snowmen of various sizes, dressed in a variety of scarves, hats, boots, and gloves. Ford pointed to a tall snowman over by the gazebo and they wandered that way. Jimmy and Tori, the newest of the BB&G waitresses, were tying a bright red apron emblazoned with the bar’s logo around the middle of the snowman. Or rather snowwoman. There were definitely long, lush eyelashes above the eyes. And bright red lips.
“Great job!” Diane called out.
“Why aren’t you helping them?” Ford asked her.
“Di doesn’t do snow,” Jimmy answered for her. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Diane. “At least that’s what she always told me. Next year…”
Tori jabbed him in the ribs. “Leave her alone, can’t you see she’s on a date?”
“Still means she’s able to get her butt out in the snow,” Jimmy mumbled. He turned then and climbed a stepladder behind the snow figure. Carrie, another waitress, handed up the business end of a rag mop and he set it on top of the snow waitress’s head to give her long, stringy hair.
“I love it,” Diane said with a laugh. Jimmy worked at arranging the hair properly, getting it out of the snowwoman’s face. “I didn’t know you were a hairdresser on top of everything else.”
Jimmy grinned. “I have many skills.”
Diane shook her head. Her boss would never talk her into joining this contest. She might not even be working at the BB&G next January anyway. “Guess we should go check out the competition.”
“The fire department is over there across the way,” Carrie told them. Her husband was the fire chief. “The Scouts are over that way. Nick’s Pizzeria and Best Brothers Builders and a few others are around here too.”
“Hey, check out the box when you stuff in your bucks!” Jimmy said.
It cost a dollar to vote for your favorite snowman and the group that collected the most cash got bragging rights for the year. All the money went to charity. She and Ford each stuffed a buck into the locked box in front of the snow waitress. Diane laughed when she saw Jimmy had painted a four-leaf clover on the front of the box.
“I guess I take the people of Best Bay for granted,” Diane said softly. How could she have skipped the winter festival, this demonstration of community and fellowship every year? She thought it was enough to see her friends and neighbors by waiting on them in the bar. But she missed get
ting together with people like this.
“Good luck, guys.” Ford took her arm and they waved good-bye to the BB&G gang, then headed around the square to check out the other snowmen.
Diane glanced over to Ford. He seemed to be handling the snow-covered ground pretty well, but she liked holding him close. The snow had begun to fall again, drifting in lazy swirls. Some flakes caught on her lashes as she looked up at him. He winked and she turned away before she did something stupid like kiss him right there in front of everyone.
Chapter 5
Ford felt like a damned old man, limping across the square. He was even freaking out of breath. By the time they’d checked out all the snowmen in the competition and contributed to them all, they’d worked up an appetite.
He was always surprised when the Battle of the Snowmen didn’t end up being a tie across the board. They knew everyone working hard here, knew all the businesses and organizations taking part in the contest. His son, Jason, along with some of the other guys in the fire department, had been working on an impressive snowman, complete with boots and helmet and a really big hose.
The trip over to the food tent took forever. If he hadn’t had Diane to hold onto, he’d probably have fallen flat on his face several times. He was going to need those damn physical therapy sessions to get his leg back into shape. And he’d have to head back to the department gym soon in order to get the rest of his body back in shape too.
He led Diane over to a table in the corner of the tent by one of the portable heaters and sank gratefully into a folding chair. “If we’d had to walk much slower I think we might have turned into snowmen ourselves out there.” He tossed the damn cane under the table.
Diane smiled, but arched a brow that let him know she wasn’t going to say the “I told you so” out loud even if she was thinking it. Yeah, it would have probably been smarter to stay home this year, but not only was he grateful to actually be able to get out and about again, but it was worth all the aches and exhaustion to be out with Diane.
“What kind of soup do you want?” she asked. “I’ll go get it.”
Ford wanted to argue, but knew he wouldn’t be able to carry two bowls of soup even a few feet. He grabbed his wallet and handed her some bills. “I invited you,” he growled. “I’m buying. I’ll eat anything. I’m starving.”
She took the money without arguing. He watched her walk away, admiring the sway of her hips even beneath the heavy coat. He wanted his hands on those hips. Hell, he wanted to taste her. Hold her. Take things to the next level. Ford didn’t want to rush things and scare her away, but he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to spend time with her and not push for something more.
The problem was he wasn’t entirely sure Diane wanted something more.
Ford had told himself he would wait until the cast was off. Wait until he was more or less whole again to even bring up the discussion. And now here he was. Maybe not entirely back to normal but certainly well enough to hold her. Kiss her. Take her to bed.
Okay, maybe it was a little too soon to think about taking her to bed, but the kissing had to come soon. And he prayed the sex wouldn’t be far behind.
He felt like a kid again sitting at the counter at Lenny’s Diner. It was still the place where kids hung out before they were old enough to buy drinks at the BB&G. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Diane back then either.
Now she was standing in line, chatting and laughing with neighbors and friends. She glanced back to him every so often and smiled. Sometimes the people she was talking with glanced his way as well. He waved at them. The rumor mill was gathering grist and he didn’t give a damn.
Finally she was back with two big bowls of steaming broccoli cheese soup. “This should warm us up.”
Conversation gave way to eating for a few minutes. A comfortable, easy silence fell between them. As soon as he felt rejuvenated by the hearty soup, Ford told himself to get his sorry ass moving and stop putting off what he’d been dying to say to her. But just as he opened his mouth to begin, two friends of theirs, Eve Corcoran and Rick Best, stopped at their table, cradling their own bowls of soup.
Eve nodded to the empty chairs at the table. “These taken?”
“No,” Diane said. “Please join us.” She grinned at Ford. “Did you know that I predicted these two would get together when they came in for their first date last summer? I had a good feeling about them.”
“It wasn’t really a date,” Eve protested, but the engagement ring on her finger said that it didn’t matter what they called it anymore. “We simply ate dinner together at the BB&G, that’s all.”
Diane shook her head. “Don’t even bother. I’m just happy you guys found each other. You two still look good together.”
“I’ll say the same to you,” Eve replied. “I remember you guys going together years ago. I always thought you two were going to get married to each other.”
“Eve,” Rick chided in a stage whisper.
“Sorry. I don’t know what happened back then and I don’t want to know. I just want to say I’m glad you’re back together.”
Rick shrugged at Ford. “Women. It must be in their DNA to want to pair everybody up.”
Ford had to force a grin because one look at Diane told him she obviously wasn’t as comfortable with the talk of them as a couple as he was.
“We’re simply eating lunch together,” he protested, echoing what Eve had said earlier. At least Diane grinned at the absurdity of the whole thing.
Their friends laughed. “You tell yourself that,” Eve said. “But look where we are.” She wriggled her left hand to show off her engagement ring.
Diane avoided looking Ford in the eye. “Hey, Rick. How’s Heather doing? She must only have a couple of more months to go.” Great way to change the subject, appeal to the soon-to-be-grandpa.
“She’s doing great. In fact, we’re headed over there next to help paint the nursery.”
“Blue for a boy, I hear,” Diane said.
“Yes, but they won’t tell us what names they’re considering.” Eve gave a little pout.
“Smart,” Ford chimed in. “Irene’s family always had some reason why any name we liked was no good when we were expecting Jason. There was a crazy Aunt Jessica. And a bully from grade school named Jake. It went on and on. We were lucky to find any that met with their approval. When Julie came along, we didn’t tell them our choices. When they looked at that sweet little girl for the first time, no one would dare complain about her name.”
A chuckle went around the table. A few more friends and neighbors gathered ‘round as they were talking. Firefighter buddies who hadn’t seen him in a while stopped by. He’d felt caged-in since before the holidays so Ford was glad to see everybody, but right now he craved some quiet time to talk with Diane.
Finally everyone else drifted away and Ford was left alone with her. “At last.”
She frowned. “What?”
“I was looking forward to having you to myself today.”
“Then you should have suggested we go someplace other than the Winter Festival.”
“True.” He glanced around and no one seemed to be paying any attention to them at the moment. “This probably wasn’t too exciting for our first date.”
“According to Jimmy, our first date was when I came over to your house and you served me a drink.”
“How did he hear about that?”
“Julie.”
“Of course.” He’d mentioned to his daughter that Diane was coming over to get her ladybug. He tried to make it sound casual, but he should have known better.
“If I wanted to take you out to dinner sometime, would you mind the BB&G, or would you rather go somewhere else?”
She stared at him. Real smooth, Harper.
He shrugged. “You work there all day, I thought maybe you wouldn’t like to go there at night. On a date. Of course, we could go fancier. O’Neill’s.”
He should have suggested that first thing. It
wouldn’t be special for her to go to the BB&G. She’d want to dress up, eat something fancy. The last time they went to O’Neill’s together was on her birthday when he gave her the ladybug.
“You know I don’t need fancy. Is that your clumsy way of asking me out to dinner?”
“I used to be more charming. Guess I’m out of practice.”
She shook her head and smiled. “You’re too charming for your own good and you know it.”
“I am?” He slid his hand across the table and placed it over hers. He wished like hell they weren’t wearing gloves. “So you’ll understand if I tell you that you’ve been driving me crazy? That your eyes sparkle like sun on snow and tempt me with their light? That your skin looks so soft my fingers itch to touch you? That your lips…” He sighed and his breath rose on the chilly air around them.
Diane squirmed in her seat, looking uncomfortable. “I didn’t know you were such a poet.”
“See what you do to me? I’ve been trying to take this slow, Diane, but I want to kiss you so badly I can hardly stand it.”
Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. He couldn’t drag his eyes away.
“We used to kiss for hours. Remember? I want to kiss you again, Diane.”
Her gaze darted around the tent. “Not here,” she whispered.
That hurt more than he expected. “Why not? I think it’s too late if you didn’t want people to know we’re seeing each other?”
“Is that what we’re doing, Ford? Because I don’t want to start rumors that will fly long after we’re…”
“We’re what?” he asked when she didn’t go on.
She slid her hand out from under his. “After we both go our separate ways.”
“What makes you think that? The rumors could be right this time.” He leaned across the table and—hallelujah—she leaned in too. “I want to taste you,” he whispered and leaned in the rest of the way so that his lips brushed over hers.
Hot Silver Nights: Silver Fox Romance Collection Page 42