Darlene continued to stare straight ahead, her lips pursed for a moment before she gave a quick nod, pushed away from the table and hurried out the door.
Okay, that was really strange. Maybe Darlene wasn’t ready to let the past go yet. At least where Zach was concerned. But that didn’t matter to Shelby.
She was thinking only about the future now.
* * *
The rain that had been threatening all day started to fall the moment Dean parked his truck next to the trailer. He shut down the engine and heaved a deep sigh, watching the large drops hit the windshield with a splat.
Damn, he was tired.
The clock on the dashboard told him it was almost seven, much later than he’d wanted to end his workday. He hadn’t slept well the past couple of nights since the fight at the bar and the disagreement with Shelby.
Things were better between them now, thanks to a box of chocolates and that cute little kitten, but he’d been late getting back from Butte last night and other than exchanging a couple of text messages with Shelby around midnight to let her know he was back in town, he hadn’t seen or spoken to her.
They’d agreed he’d give her a call tonight once he was free and they’d decide what to do then. A phone call he planned to make in less than thirty minutes because damn, he really needed to shower before he did anything else.
Today had been a long one, filled with dirty, backbreaking demolition work. The last of what was left of the row of burned-downed homes on South Pine Street were finally leveled. The wreckage had been carted away and Cates Construction was already working with three of the families who planned to rebuild in those very same lots.
And in even better news, Collin Traub had stopped by the job site with the structural inspection on the elementary school.
The building, or what was left of it, was found stable and the decision made to start the rebuilding process, even though the funds earmarked for the project were limited at the moment.
Still, it would be enough to get a new roof in place.
Then Matt Cates had pulled Dean aside and officially offered him the lead on the project as Cates Construction had been awarded the job of rebuilding the elementary school.
He’d thanked him, said he’d seriously think about the position and get back to him soon. His plans to make a new life in Rust Creek Falls were coming together. A job he wanted and a house that would take a healthy chunk of his savings, but it was a place he could grow into, a place big enough for the family he wanted.
And Shelby was exactly the woman he wanted that family with.
Her and Caitlin.
Accepting he was falling in love with someone after knowing her for less than a month had been surprisingly easy. What to do about those feelings? That was much harder to figure out, especially because there were three hearts involved here instead of just two.
That sweet little girl had come to mean as much to him as her mother over the past couple of weeks. Both Shelby and Caitlin had found their way into his heart and he wanted them in his life.
Forever.
But Shelby had made no secret of her need to get away from this town, away from her past. He guessed from the letter she’d gotten yesterday that she hadn’t received a job offer to teach anywhere yet.
What would happen if they took this relationship to the next level and she decided to move, leaving him behind?
What if he actually put down roots and Shelby decided to up and walk away from him...from the town?
He hadn’t allowed himself to get close to anyone since Jane. He’d loved her, and the child she was carrying that he thought was his, with all of his heart. Her deception over the baby’s father had left a hole in his heart that was finally healing. Thanks to Shelby and Caitlin.
Could he take the pain of loving and then losing them?
Not willing to answer that question yet, Dean got out of his truck. Ignoring the fact he was getting wetter by the minute, he yanked his phone from his jeans pocket as he headed up the steps to the tiny porch outside the trailer.
Dirt and rain be damned, he wanted to hear Shelby’s voice.
Juggling his phone, the small cooler that held the remains of his lunch and his keys, he unlocked the trailer’s front door— Wait, was that music?
He twisted the key, pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The first thing he noticed was the window air conditioner working overtime, and yes, the radio in the kitchen was tuned to the local country music radio station he liked, loud to be heard over the chugging AC unit.
Had he left them on this morning?
Quickly closing the door behind him, he spotted the small round dining table, which was set for dinner with fancy dishes, a white tablecloth, unlit candles, an open bottle of wine and an old mason jar filled with yellow roses.
And to his left, Shelby’s very shapely backside bending over in front of the stove.
“Hey, what’s going on here?”
“Oh!” Shelby jumped, slamming the oven door closed, and spun around. “Dean, you surprised me!”
“Sorry. How did you get in here?”
“Nick...your brother...he met me here...an hour ago.” Holding a hand to her chest, Shelby spoke between scattered breaths. “I called him...earlier today...wanted to surprise you...with dinner.”
“Mission accomplished.” He grinned, enjoying her explanation. “I’m definitely surprised.”
“Looks like we both were.” She pulled in one final deep breath and released it. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
Placing the cooler on the counter, he turned down the radio a bit. “Yeah, I figured that. This looks nice. Flowers, too.”
“Thanks.” She waved at hand in the direction of the table. “I didn’t know what you had in way of dishes, so I brought stuff with me from home, including the flowers. Actually, they grow wild at the old Shriver place just down the road from us. The house is empty now, so I guessed no one would mind if I picked some.”
He quickly put two and two together, figuring the roses must the same ones he’d seen when he went to look at the house, but he didn’t say anything.
Instead, he gave the air a deep sniff and took a step deeper into the kitchen. “Wow, something smells amazing.”
“Lasagna.” Shelby now gestured to the oven. “Made with Italian sausage, ground beef and three kinds of cheese, so I hope you’re hungry. I’ve also got fresh bread and a bottle of wine, but I noticed you’ve got beer in your fridge, if that’s what you prefer. I mean, I don’t even know if you like wine.”
He took in her simple, pink sundress as he moved closer. The short skirt showed off her tanned legs while the sandals on her feet gave her enough height that she was even with his Adam’s apple, which was where her eyes were locked as she babbled.
Now that he stood directly in front of her, his mind registered the deep flush of her skin, from the heat of the stove or the warmness inside the trailer, he didn’t know. What he did know was that the deep scooped neckline allowed a peek at her untethered breasts and it would only take a couple of easy tugs on the skinny straps at her shoulders to ease her out of that dress.
“I like wine.” He used light pressure with his finger beneath her chin to do two things: stop her prattling and force her to look at him. “Everything sounds perfect.”
Their gazes locked and both knew the gesture was a repeat of what he’d done yesterday in the front yard, but this time he didn’t stop as he lowered his mouth to hers.
The pink tip of her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip just before he kissed her. A groan escaped and he chased it back inside her mouth, loving the wet heat he found there. They angled their heads in a silent, mutual agreement and he got lost in the soft demand of her mouth.
So much so that it took the feel of her hands on his sweat-soaked T-shirt before he remembered how grubby and disheveled he must look.
He ended the kiss and backed away, her husky moan of protest going straight to his gut and all point
s south. “Ah, I shouldn’t— I really need a shower. I’m a mess from work and wet from the rain.”
The heat in Shelby’s eyes as they ran the length of him made the fly of his jeans very uncomfortable. When she bit down on her bottom lip and he noticed the faint outline of her nipples pressing against the silky material of her dress, he was sure he felt the top button give way.
“Yes, I can see that.” Brushing past him, she walked to the dining table and grabbed the bottle of wine. The liquid splashed into the two glasses as she poured, thanks to the slight shaking of her hand. “Sure, go ahead and shower.”
He moved in behind her, raising his hands to cup her shoulders until he saw the dirt on his skin. Dropping them back to his sides, he kept his words gentle. “Shelby, you don’t have to be nervous. Not here. Not with me.”
She turned to face him, her smile a bit more forced than usual as she offered him one of the glasses. “Go take your shower. We’ve got at least another hour while the lasagna cooks.”
An hour. Oh, what he could do with an hour.
Starting beneath the hot spray of his shower.
Afraid she’d see the relentless desire surging inside of him, he took the glass and headed down the short hall to the bedroom.
Pushing open the door, the sorry state of the room caused him to groan. He took a quick swallow of the wine and set the glass on the dresser. Grabbing two piles of clothes off the floor, he shoved them into the closet and closed the folding doors.
It only took a minute to make up the queen-size bed as the bedding consisted of dark blue sheets, thankfully put on fresh this morning, and a light comforter that usually ended up tossed on the nearby chair.
Not that he thought Shelby would see this room—
“Yeah, who are you trying to fool, buddy,” he muttered under his breath. “The shower, kitchen counter, living room sofa, bed...”
Not helping the uncomfortable jeans issue!
Pulling out clean briefs, jeans and a T-shirt from the dresser drawers, he then grabbed the wineglass and headed for the bathroom before he did something really dumb.
Like whip out the emergency candles and scatter some of those yellow rose petals...
He did a quick straightening of the bathroom, too, finished off the rest of the wine, stripped and got in the shower. The water started hot and soapy, but he twisted on a blast of cold at the end as a reminder that tonight was just about dinner.
Then maybe they’d curl up to watch a movie. Or take a walk over to the park. Hmm, a walk would be out unless the rain had stopped.
Still, they needed to talk.
He needed to share his plans, to see what she thought about him being here on a more permanent basis. Maybe they’d head over to Cherry Hill and grab some ice cream for dessert.
Exiting the shower, he dried off and took a moment to drape the towel neatly over the wall rack. He dressed, but when he reached for his shirt he realized the damn thing was an old gag gift from one of his brothers and there was no way he was wearing it out of this room. He’d grab another before going back out into the kitchen.
Peeking at the mirror, he shoved his fingers through his still-wet hair, sending water droplets to his chest and shoulders. He eyed his surgical scar, wondering what Shelby would think if she saw it, but quickly reminded himself not to head down that road.
He brushed his teeth, but decided if he took the time to shave it’d look like he was trying too hard.
“She came here,” he spoke to his reflection. “Remember that. The decorated table, the wine...this was all her idea.”
And anything else that might happen here tonight, other than sharing a nice dinner, would have to be her idea, too.
Dean grabbed the shirt and yanked open the door, but came up short, bracing one hand against the door frame to keep from plowing right into Shelby.
“Wow, you keep surprising me.”
Humor lit her eyes and laughter spilled from her lips, innocently charming and seductive at the same time. She moved closer, her hands dancing over his chest as she rose up on her toes and pressed the length of her body against his until her arms curled around his neck.
“Well, I decided to take your advice.”
“Oh, yeah?” The shirt fell silently to the floor before he curved his hand around her waist, fingers spread wide against her lower back, right above the swell of that gorgeous backside. “What advice was that?”
“Not to be nervous.”
Chapter Twelve
A powerful longing to pull Shelby hard against him raced through Dean’s veins. To lose himself in the perfection that was everything about her. Her touch, her scent, her body.
The fantasy of having her naked beneath him was moments away from coming true. He wanted to believe she knew what she was asking for, what she was offering, but he had to be sure.
“Shelby, are you—”
She swallowed his question with her kiss, slanting her mouth over his. Not doing anything more than holding her in place with one hand, he let her be in charge of this moment.
When she tugged his head lower, he went willingly. When she licked the seam of his lips, he relented and opened his mouth. When she scraped her nails against his scalp, his only concession was his hand slipping down to fully cup her backside.
She crushed her curves to his body, the soft material of her dress absorbing the moisture from his still-wet skin that dripped from his hair.
When she raised one leg, her thigh pressing hard against his, he allowed his hand to move. To slide off the silky touch of her dress until he met the heat of her flesh and he held her there, opening her to fit perfectly against him except for the barrier of their clothing.
Her hips rocked and he went harder, if that was even possible.
Damn, she was killing him. But still, he dragged his mouth from her. “This doesn’t have to happen now, you know. We can wait.”
“Wait for what?”
Hell if he knew. “Shelby, you do know where this is going.”
Her mouth moved along his jaw. “Yes.”
“What about—”
“The food?” she panted the words in his ear. “It’s fine. I turned down the heat.”
Maybe out in the kitchen, but he had an inferno building right here and any moment he was going to explode. “Food is the last thing I’m thinking about,” he said with a low groan.
She nipped at his throat. “Good, then we’re on the same page.”
Same page? He was ready to read the whole damn book, cover to cover. To answer this siren’s call to adventure, to seek the reward. Hell, just to be lost in the wonders and passions and charms of this woman.
But first things first.
He’d planned to share with her tonight his ideas—making the move to town permanent, finding a place to live, starting a new business—to find out if any of that mattered to her.
“We need to talk.” He forced the words past his lips. Releasing the doorjamb, he cupped her jaw, raising her face to look at him. “You’re leaving.”
“Not tonight.”
She wiggled her leg, signaling she wanted her freedom. He let her go, but the action caused her fabric-covered breasts to rub against his chest. It wasn’t enough. For either of them. Only skin on skin would be perfection.
“I’m staying,” he said.
“Yes, please.” She dropped her chin and he released his hold on her jaw. “Stay.”
The feel of her lips as they found the thin seam of puckered skin from his surgery fourteen years ago, and the trail of kisses that followed as she traced the line south toward his belly button left him weak in the knees.
“That’s not what I mean.” He half growled, gripping her shoulders to keep her from going any farther. “Oh, woman, you’re killing me.”
“But in a good way, right?”
Shelby straightened and looked up at him, her eyes round with sudden shyness. She obviously wasn’t a virgin, he knew that, but she hadn’t mentioned any relationship, long-term o
r otherwise, since the guy in high school.
How long had it been since she’d slept with a man?
“I haven’t...” Her gaze flickered away to land in the center of his chest. “It’s been a while since...well, I’ve done this.”
She must have read the question in his eyes and her answer caused the widening chasm in his heart—a breach she was seeping more fully into with every moment they spent together—to open even further. “How long is ‘a while’?”
She closed her eyes, took a breath and then tipped her head back to look straight at him. “Six years.”
His heart stopped for a moment before it went into overdrive. She’d waited all this time, either by design or because of the crazy way life had of playing out while a person was making other plans. But to be the first man she had sex with after such a long time...
“Shelby, maybe we should think about this—”
Her fingers halted his moving lips. “I have been thinking about this, in ways I never allowed myself before I met you. But since we met...you, being with you, being like this with you seems to be all I can think about lately. Please tell me I’m not the only one.”
He nodded, his throat too constricted to allow him to speak.
Of course she wasn’t the only one.
How many times had he woken up, reaching across his empty bed, wanting and wishing she was there?
“No thinking about the past or the future, okay?” Her voice was soft, gliding over his skin while her hands did the same from his chest to the too-tight waistband of his jeans.
Still, she kept her gaze locked with his. “Not tonight. Tonight is about right here, right now...you and me. That’s enough.”
He turned slightly to allow the bright light of the bathroom to shine on her face. “Is it? Is what’s about to happen here enough for you?”
“It’s everything.”
The certainty in her gaze humbled him. She then reached past him, found the bathroom light switch and clicked it off, leaving them in the shadows.
Grabbing his hands, Shelby took a step backward, angling toward the bedroom. He followed, reaching over her head to push open the door, but she bumped it instead with her hip.
The Maverick's Summer Love (Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys) Page 15