Until Autumn Falls

by Elana Johnson

  But old habits were hard to break, so when Tripp showed up and asked, “You hungry?” she was nowhere near ready to eat.

  “Sure,” she said, pulling her door closed behind her. The June sun shone merrily on Redwood Bay, and Hilary started to sweat almost immediately. She’d found a line of cute turtleneck tank tops, but the fabric along her neck suffocated her in such temperatures.

  Tripp didn’t touch her, though she wanted him to. She stepped closer to him as an invitation and still he didn’t reach for her. He asked her how she liked fishing, and she said, “You know, I really liked it. It was early, but once I was up, I was okay.”

  He opened her door for her and waited for her to climb into his truck. She’d never ridden in a truck before. Dante had sports cars and Hilary did dozens of lunges each day to have strong enough legs to sink low into such cars and be able to get out in four-inch heels.

  Now, she didn’t even own a pair of heels. The stark differences between her life now and the one she’d escaped glared in her mind. She threw them out, tired of comparing Dante and Tripp.

  When it came to Tripp, there was no comparison. He hadn’t even kissed her yet, and Hilary knew she couldn’t let him get away. Fear snaked through her at the thought of actually being in another relationship, but she coached herself to take the chance.

  She was tired of being alone, and Dante was in prison. He didn’t own her, no matter that he’d claimed he did. And it was time for her to start living her own life.

  Tripp took her east, and when he turned onto the highway leading out of town, she swung toward him. “Where are we going?”

  “Bedrock. I believe there’s a restaurant there you’ve been repeatedly invited to.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You spoke to Glenn?”

  “He invites me to his place all the time too. I figured it was time I went.” He slid her a smirk. “And I didn’t want to share you with anyone in Redwood Bay today.”

  A warm buzz started in her stomach. She liked this flirtier side of Tripp, liked that some of their feelings were out in the open. The self-conscious side of her wondered if he really didn’t want to share her with anyone or if he didn’t want anyone to know of their relationship quite yet.

  Hilary wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to start a relationship without being able to trust him. “Are you worried about what people will think of us dating?”

  “I don’t care what people think,” he said. “Do you?”

  She wasn’t sure, but she slid over on the bench seat until her leg was flush with his. “I don’t think I do.”

  His hand landed on her knee and stroked up her thigh to take her fingers in his. “So do you want to go fishing again tomorrow?”

  “If I can wake up, I’ll be there.”

  He harrumphed.

  “What?”

  “I don’t really like that answer.”

  “It’s early,” she whined. “And I’ll see you at the co-op meeting in the afternoon for sure.”

  He let her noncommittal slide, and they arrived in Bedrock with easy conversation about a high school stunt Polly had pulled involving the football team’s mascot. “I still think Bedrock PD has her name on file.” Tripp chuckled as he pulled into Glenn’s.

  An old-fashioned diner, the letters spelling out his name were dark green and spread across the entire front of the building. Windows made up the entrance, and Hilary admired the classic diner booths, the black and white checkered tiles on the floor, and the bright fluorescent lights inside.

  An elderly woman welcomed them with a kind smile. Hilary followed her blue hair to a booth in the corner and took the menu. “Glenn will be right out,” the woman said.

  “Wait,” Tripp said. “Glenn will serve us?”

  “He loves being on the floor. I’ll tell him you’re here.” She bustled away as fast as her body would probably let her go.

  “So, what do you like?” Tripp examined the menu.

  “Anything.”

  He peered over the top of the laminated paper. “Really?”

  She put her menu down. “Order me anything you think I’ll like.”

  He really was handsome when he smiled, and she basked in his attention.

  “I feel like this is a test I’m going to fail.”

  Hilary tossed her hair and laughed. “Well, I’d like to see what you think I’d eat.”

  “Hilary.”

  She glanced up into the smiling face of Glenn. She slid out of the booth and hugged him. “I’m so glad you came.” He glanced at Tripp. “And Tripp too. It’s so good to see you two.”

  Tripp shook his hand as Hilary sat back down.

  “Your bread was delicious,” Glenn said. He stepped closer to the table. “Don’t tell my wife you gave it to me. I ate most of it on the drive home. The rest is waiting in my car.” He winked and grinned.

  “Is your wife here?” Tripp asked.

  “Yes, she seated you.” He waved someone over. “Marion, this is Hilary and Tripp. They work on the wharf where I buy fish.”

  Marion grinned at them, shook hands, exchanged pleasantries. “So do you two know what you want?” Glenn asked.

  Hilary liked how he kept calling them “you two,” like they were a couple. She looked expectantly at Tripp.

  “I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger,” he started. “Curly fries and a root beer. She’ll have—” He cut his eyes to her as if her order would be streaming across her forehead. “Hilary would like the crab mac-and-cheese with strawberry lemonade.”

  Glenn nodded without writing anything down and he and his wife left. Hilary leaned her chin into her hands. “Crab mac-and-cheese, huh?”

  “I know you cook, and that seems like something a foodie would like.”

  She laughed again, surprised at how free and relaxed she felt. “You’ve never tasted my cooking.”

  “Wrong.” He leaned back, smug. “I ate almost that whole loaf of bread for breakfast.”

  A sense of accomplishment sang through her. “I’m glad you liked it.”

  “How’d you learn how to cook?”

  “My grandmother. She lived nearby, and I’d go over to her house after school since both of my parents worked.”

  He nodded. “My mom was a pretty good cook, but somehow I got skipped over by that talent.”

  “You’re great with your hands.” Hilary sucked in a breath as she realized how her comment sounded. “I mean, I wouldn’t know, I mean—” Horrified, she stopped talking.

  Tripp glanced at the tabletop, a smile spreading his lips. “I’ll show you sometime.”

  Glenn arrived with their drinks, saving Hilary from having to come up with an equally flirtatious statement. Thankfully.

  “So if you won’t go fishing with me in the morning, maybe you’ll come to my family lunch on Sunday.” He swirled his straw in his root beer instead of looking at her.

  Shock traveled through her, rebounding when it hit her toes. “I—”

  “It’s low-key,” he said. “Me and Jared, Polly and Sophie. We get together around one on Sunday afternoon. Polly, Sophie, and Jared are all great cooks.”

  Maybe he didn’t want to hide her from the town.

  “Sounds like a family-only affair.”

  Tripp shrugged. “Jared brings his fiancée. Sophie will bring Mont when he finishes filming. Polly….”

  “Polly hasn’t had much luck with finding someone,” Hilary finished for him. “I know how she feels.”

  Tripp reached across the table and covered her hands with his. “Well, maybe that’s about to change.”

  “Maybe.” She squeezed his fingers just as Glenn and Marion arrived with their food. “Crab mac-and-cheese.” Glenn set her plate in front of her. “Bacon cheeseburger with curly fries.”

  Marion set ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce on the table. The couple smiled and Glenn added, “Let me know if there’s anything else you need,” before they left.

  Tripp watched her pick up her fork, equal parts hope and apprehen
sion in his gaze. She forked up a bite of noodles, cheese, and crab. She lifted her fork as if toasting him and popped the food into her mouth.

  A moan rose through her throat, unbidden. “This is fantastic.”

  A smile cracked his face and he reached for the ketchup bottle. “Glad I got that right.”

  Because she’d already eaten, Hilary didn’t eat much, but it was delicious. Tripp had made a good choice.

  As he pulled up to her house, she decided to be that brave woman who slid across seats and touched the man she liked. “Do you go out every morning at the same time?”

  “More or less.”

  “What time will you be going tomorrow?”

  “Same time.”

  “Don’t leave without me.” She turned toward him, and because of her close proximity, his face came within kissing distance. Desire burned through her. “Thanks for lunch,” she whispered.

  His gaze searched hers, and she tried to tell him Yes! Yes, kiss me!

  Indecision clouded his expression, and she lifted her hand and ran it down the side of his face. “Tripp.” She let her eyes drift close.

  She waited.

  Chapter Nine

  Tripp didn’t think. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t wait. A shot of heat crashed through his body at Hilary’s touch, and when he met her mouth with his, the heat blazed into an inferno.

  Her lips felt cool against his, and she matched his movement stroke for stroke. He slid one hand along her shoulder to the back of her head, where he tangled his fingers in her silky hair. She pressed her chest to his, both her hands cradling his face.

  He wanted to accelerate everything, but held himself back. He pulled away first, before he would’ve liked, to give her a chance to back off if she wanted to. She kept her eyes closed, her head tilted back.

  Tripp brushed her hair behind her ear. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  Her lips curved up slightly and she took a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on his. Awkwardness poured between them, and she seemed to realize she was still stroking his facial hair because she pulled her hands away as if his face had caught fire. She slid toward the passenger door, and Tripp jumped from the truck and hurried around to her side to meet her.

  He wrapped an arm around her and walked her to her door, ravenous for another kiss. “You gonna take a nap this afternoon?” he asked.

  “Do you normally nap?”

  He exhaled, chuckled. “Am I less of a man if I say yes?”

  “Maybe less of a cyborg.”

  “Depends on what I have going on that day,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “But if I can, yeah, I take a nap.”

  She leaned into him, bracing herself with her hands against his chest. He kept his hands in his pockets and gazed down at her. “I’m totally going to go take a nap,” she said, her voice honeyed and thick. “That crab mac-and-cheese is making me sleepy.”

  “All right, then. I’ll see you in the morning.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and reached for the doorknob behind her. She shuffled away from him, cast a smile over her shoulder after she entered her house, and let the door swing closed. Tripp took a deep breath and pushed it out sharply.

  He couldn’t help the giddiness galloping through his gut. Or the way he couldn’t stop smiling. He floated back to his place and made it down the hall to his bedroom, all the while reliving the best kiss of his life.

  * * * *

  Jared nudged him awake. “I have grilled chicken. It’s almost five-thirty.”

  Tripp groaned and sat up, rubbing his hands through his hair and over his face. “I’m coming.” He hadn’t slept well the night before, and it had taken him at least an hour to fall asleep after his lunch with Hilary. Too keyed up, he supposed. Too focused on when he would see her again, and what they could talk about, and if he could kiss her again.

  Tripp pulled on a shirt before going into the kitchen. He never used to worry about it, but Jared had been bringing Millie over more and more often. Tonight, he was Millie-free in the kitchen. He wore one of her aprons as he pulled garlic bread out of the oven.

  “Got the lumber in for those cabinets.” Using a pair of tongs, Jared pointed to a platter of grilled chicken and vegetables.

  Tripp picked up a plate. “That’s great. When we get back from the Shakespear trip, we’ll start on them.”

  Jared groaned. “I’d forgotten about the Shakespears.”

  “No, you hadn’t.” Tripp rolled his eyes. “You said you liked taking out tour groups.”

  “I do.” Jared tonged some meat and veggies onto his plate.

  “Doesn’t sound like it.”

  “The tours make Millie anxious.”

  A stab of sympathy accompanied Tripp’s nod. “I know they do.” He reached for a piece of garlic bread and headed for the back porch. It faced east, so the shade kept the evenings cool and comfortable. He loved eating outside, and contentment stole through him when Jared joined him, setting a bottle of ice-cold root beer on the tiny table between them.

  “Where’s Millie tonight?”

  “Girls’ night at her place.”

  “Haven’t been able to crack that, huh?”

  “Not even interested in cracking that. Besides, we’re playing poker in a couple of hours. She has her friends, I have mine. It’s working out.”

  “That’s great. I totally forgot about poker night.”

  “Yeah, I saw.” Jared chewed a mouthful of chicken and watched Tripp. “Since when do you sleep all afternoon and forget to pick up the snacks, which I got, by the way.”

  “So we’re set?”

  “Just need to get out the card table.” He pointed his fork at Tripp. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you didn’t answer my question.”

  As dark as Jared’s hair and eyes were, he looked more like Tripp’s brother than his cousin, right down to the knowing glint in his eye.

  “I didn’t sleep well last night.” Tripp bit into his garlic bread, the butter and garlic snapping against his tongue. “This is so good.” He looked at the bread. “I don’t know how you make it, but keep doing it.”

  “Why couldn’t you sleep?” Jared asked, completely ignoring the compliment.

  Tripp considered how to answer. Why couldn’t Jared know about his interest in Hilary? Maybe he’d be able to give him a few pointers on how to keep a woman’s interest. Tripp had grown up with Jared, and getting girls had never been a problem for his cousin. Outgoing, good-looking, funny, the guy had admirers everywhere.

  Tripp walked on the quiet side of the line. He watched, and listened, and spoke only when spoken to. Sure, he’d had girlfriends, but they’d always lost interest pretty quickly. He didn’t want that to happen to Hilary, but he didn’t know how to be anyone but who he was.

  “I went out with Hilary Finnegan today,” he finally said, appreciating that Jared gave him the time and space to think. “She came fishing with me this morning. That’s why I couldn’t sleep.”

  Jared stalled in his eating and stared at Tripp. “You went out with Hilary?”

  “You don’t have to make it sound so shocking.”

  “Like you legit asked her out and she said yes?”

  “Like I legit took her to lunch in Bedrock. Paid and drove her home and—” He cut off. Sure, he could tell Jared he’d gone out with Hilary, but he wasn’t the kind of guy who kissed and told.

  But Jared had caught something in what Tripp had said—or didn’t say. “And what?”

  “And she’s coming again tomorrow.” Tripp cleared his throat and filled his mouth with bread. He swallowed and added, “And I invited her to the family lunch on Sunday.”

  Jared coughed and had to take a swig of his soda. “You invited her to the family lunch? On the first date?” His eyes were wide and they searched Tripp’s. He suddenly relaxed and his expression normalized. “Oh, I see.”

  “What? What do you see?”

  “You kissed her.” A fox-like grin graced Jared’s face. “O
n the first date! Tripp.”

  “You kissed Millie on the first date.”

  “It was an accident.”

  Tripp grunted. What he’d done wasn’t an accident, and he wasn’t admitting to anything.

  “So is she coming on Sunday?”

  “She didn’t commit.”

  “You must not be that great of a kisser.” Jared laughed.

  “I didn’t say I kissed her.”

  “Well, no wonder she wouldn’t commit then.”

  Tripp kept his face a blank slate.

  “I remember you saying you weren’t interested in Hilary.” Jared cut him a glance before looking back into the yard. “What changed your mind?”

  Tripp shrugged. “You said that, and I wondered why I hadn’t ever seen her before.”

  “Had you seen her before?”

  “Sure, of course. She buys from me every day.”

  “Every day?”

  “Seven days a week.”

  “Only you?”

  “No, not exclusively.”

  “Does she buy from everyone every day?”

  “No.”

  “Just you.”

  “I….” Tripp hadn’t thought about who Hilary bought from. He did know she didn’t always buy from Nick or Ben, that she always bypassed Terrance—and that he took her money every day.

  “So maybe she’s had her eye on you for a while. ’Bout time you started looking at her too.” Jared lifted one shoulder. “That’s all I’m saying.”

  “She…has a past.”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “Hers is unique.” Tripp thought of the burnt orange turtletank she’d worn that day. The hoodie zipped all the way to her ears. “Haven’t you ever noticed that she always wears something that covers the left side of her neck?”

  Jared thought about it for a second. “I guess so. I don’t know her at all. Only met her a few times.”

  “She’s coming to the co-op meeting tomorrow.”

  “Do not make this about the co-op.” Jared stabbed at his chicken a little too hard. “She won’t like that.”