by Ari Thatcher
Chapter Three
Matt pulled out onto the highway with Jen beside him, his picnic backpack in the back seat. Traffic was light and they made good time to the turnoff. His favorite trail wound through a valley along a creek. At one end, the mountain rose sharply, with several small waterfalls spilling down to a small pool at the base.
Only two cars sat in the parking lot when they arrived. Matt shouldered his picnic pack after getting out, and walked around to where Jen stood. “Ready?”
She smiled up at him, large black sunglasses hiding her light blue eyes. “Let’s go.”
He took her hand, which felt as tiny in his as he remembered, and walked toward the trail. “You said you’d never seen mountains. I didn’t think Missouri was flat.”
“It’s not, for the most part. There are rolling hills, though. They all seem to be the same height, so when you clear the rise everything looks level, then the road drops away again.” She paused and studied the small mountain ahead of them. “Standing at the base of a ridge and looking up is a totally different feeling.”
“I can’t imagine living somewhere that doesn’t have a mountain range in sight. At least in New York City the buildings kept me from noticing the horizon.”
As they walked, they compared hometowns, his heavily populated, hers small town. That led to childhood memories and a lot of laughter. Near the midpoint of the trail was a turnout of sorts along the creek bed. Matt paused. “Shall we take a break?”
“Sure.” Jen’s cheeks were flushed from the exercise, or the sun and wind on the boat trip. Her skin glowed, as did her smile.
Setting down the backpack, Matt sat on a rock. “Are you thirsty?” He took out a canteen and offered it to her.
She took a drink, then sighed. “Even tap water tastes fresher outdoors.” After handing the canteen back, she walked to the creek.
Watching her move did strange things to his insides, and not the things he was used to. Her movements weren’t erotic. This was deeper. He wasn’t desperate to jump her. His feelings were more possessive, like she’d always belonged to him. His reactions were primal. His woman stood next to the rolling water with the sun god smiling down on her.
The broad area of bare skin on her shoulders caught his attention. “You used sunscreen, right?”
“Yes. I still remember that first burn when you and Sarah kept pouring liquids into me. How did you know about sun poisoning?”
He laughed and held out his tanned, olive-skinned arm. “It obviously wasn’t from getting sunburned. Maybe I learned in first aid in scouts.”
She turned toward him, but remained near the creek, out of reach. “I should have known you were in scouts. You were the one we all turned to, like a big brother.”
“Is that how you saw me? A big brother?”
Ducking her head, she stared off in the distance. “Not even close.”
Their goodbye kiss that summer had been anything but familial, but rather a prelude, a promise. A hope. And it had gone unrequited. He couldn’t change that now.
She continued to look at her feet, saying nothing, then walked toward the trail. “Well, shall we get back on the trail?”
Tucking the canteen back into its spot, he zipped closed the pack and hurried to catch up with her. Almost as if she was outrunning something, she’d started without waiting. The path was just wide enough for them to walk side by side. “We’re about halfway to the falls. Is your camera handy?”
“Oh, I forgot. If not for you I’d have no pictures of this trip.” She wore a purse with a long strap draped across her chest. Without breaking stride, she opened her bag and dug out her camera. Toying with the settings, she spun to face him. “Say cheese.”
He grinned, and as she lowered her camera he took out his cell phone. “My turn.”
How could he not have thought about photos? He’d taken pictures along this trail before, but he needed pictures of Jen. There was no way she was going back to the states before he had a folder full of shots of her.
Rather than smile, she stuck her tongue out at him and he snapped the shot. That made her laugh with outrage and grab for the phone. He swung his hand out of reach, holding it high. “I need photos of you, too,” he argued.
“I hate having my picture taken. Delete it!” With another quick laugh, she lunged for his phone.
He jerked back just as she connected with his hand. The movement threw her off balance and she twisted and fell at his feet with a cry.
“Careful,” he called, grabbing at her flailing arm. He wasn’t quick enough and she landed on her hip.
“Ow,” she cried, lifting one leg. “That hurt.”
Matt knelt down, reaching for her leg, cradling the calf. “Where?”
“My ankle. I hurt it playing tennis a few years ago and the tendons haven’t been the same since.”
Pocketing his phone, he sat back on his heels and gently prodded his way down her leg. The temptation to stroke her smooth skin was strong, but he stayed focused. As he reached the ankle, he lowered her short sock and searched for swelling.
Already some puffiness showed above the top of her shoe. “Looks like you sprained it.”
“Terrific. Leave it to me to ruin my vacation.” She flopped back on the ground, leaving her leg in his hands.
“I’ll get some ice from the canteen. And I have an elastic bandage.”
She lifted her sunglasses. “Why am I not surprised? You were always so…together, and I am still so scattered.”
He rose to one knee and tugged at her arm. “Sit up.”
She moved to stand.
“No, I said sit.” With one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, Matt lifted her and carried her along the path, back toward the turnout.
Jen squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“That should be obvious.”
Her arms locked behind his head, helping distribute her weight, but she wasn’t heavy enough to be a problem. He dragged wet, coughing, limp people from the waves on an almost daily basis at his job. The only problem he had with Jen being in his arms was his awareness of her body. The straggling swimmers on the beach never had that effect on him.
The breeze carried her scent to him, feminine and sweet, citrusy. He pressed his lips against the side of her head, savoring her the warmth of her against his skin. How could he convince her this was where she belonged? In his arms. In his life.
He shouldn’t think that way so soon, but he couldn’t help it. He was half afraid to let her board an airplane out of his life again, and risk losing her.
As he stifled a groan of frustration, he focused on the trail back to the turnout. Losing his footing and dropping his woman wouldn’t gain him any points. And he had that huge fuck-up to amend for.
He set her down on a low rock at the edge of the creek, where she could rest her foot in the cool water. Kneeling beside her, he removed her shoe and sock. “Stick your feet in the water.”
After quickly baring her other foot, she scooted forward on the rock and lowered her feet. She squealed. “It’s cold!”
“It’s still spring. What did you expect?” He opened the backpack and lifted out the containers of food, setting them in the dirt between them.
Jen leaned over to watch. “Wow, what all did you bring?”
Lifting each container, he answered. “Gouda, some fruit. Crackers.” He took the last item out of the pack. “And sparkling water with lime.”
“How did you carry all that? It must weigh a ton.”
He shrugged. Taking the plastic cups out of the side pockets, he opened the bottle and poured. As he set out the meal, he reminisced. “A bit different from what we packed back in the day, isn’t it?”
She laughed, bright and loud. “Cold pizza, beef jerky. I brought carrot sticks once but I was the only one who ate them.”
“I ate a few. I was on that bodybuilding kick for the most part.”
“That’s right. You ate fish, grilled c
hicken and veggies.” Putting her sunglasses down on the rock, she grinned at him. “And on your nights off you washed it down with cheap beer.”
He joined her laughter. “Yeah, but I was working the calories off. Lifting the Jet Skis in and out of the water, carrying surfboards. Riding along on a board while teaching someone to balance. That was hard work.”
“I thought you were having so much fun. Sometimes I regretted working the Kid’s Club. Weaving banana leaves and wading in the kiddy pool wasn’t the wild adventure I expected when I signed on.”
Popping another grape in his mouth, he nodded. “But I thought you loved it. That’s what you said.”
“I did, really. I enjoy watching children explore their world.”
“Is that what line of work you went into?”
She carefully placed a piece of cheese on a cracker and chewed so long he thought she wasn’t going to answer. “I taught elementary school for a few years. Then my husband decided I needed to be a proper wife.”
Matt grunted. What the hell was a proper wife? He waited for her to elaborate. When she didn’t, he reached for the canteen and pulled out some ice. He wrapped it in a paper towel and handed the bundle to her. “Hold this on your ankle to keep the swelling down. I’ll check it in a while and wrap your foot with the bandage.”
Leaning back, he propped himself on his elbows. “I made a career change, also. I went off to New York as planned and poured my soul into making money. I did well.
“Then I realized I hated my life.” The understanding had come as a shock, to learn the life he’d so carefully planned left him empty. For a while he considered those years wasted time, until he accepted the experience for all the knowledge he’d gained. “I sold off my furniture and came back here.”
They sat in companionable silence, nibbling at their food. The creek trickled past with its quiet murmurings. Birds called out in the trees. Voices grew louder on the trail then passed by. How’d they gotten to such a depressing place again? What’d he said that made her go quiet like this? He needed warning signs so he could keep them on safe ground.
The way she sat with her head tipped to one side, her bare neck taunted him, begging to be kissed. Nibbled. Unable to keep the distance between them, he shifted to sit next to her. That brought her fragrance to him again. He was hopeless around this woman. No way could he last through the day without making love to her.
He kissed her shoulder, finding her skin warm from the sun. Moving closer to her neck, he kissed again, and continued planting little pecks until he reached her ear, where he nipped the fleshy part.
She tipped her head away, offering more access.
Taking advantage, he licked her jaw line as far as he could reach. Her breathing increased, now escaping through parted lips. “You are a seductress,” he whispered before the tip of his tongue teased her ear.
She gasped, the sound trailing into a whimper. He cupped her chin and turned her mouth to his, capturing her sigh. His tongue plunged in, thrusting deep as her moan vibrated against his lips.
Tasting, exploring, he brought back the memory of her kisses, the few they’d shared. The years dropped away and they were young again and in lust. Running a hand down her arm, he shifted to cup her breast, then realized where they were.
“I’m sorry,” he said, glancing back toward the trail. “I shouldn’t have started something here.”
She appeared disappointed, which encouraged him on dangerous levels. They were too old for a quick fuck in the bushes. And when he took her again, it would be anything but quick.
He reached for his backpack and dug out the elastic bandage. “Swing ‘round here and let me wrap that ankle.”
With her heel cupped in his hand, he brushed the other hand over her foot to be sure it was clean and dry. She wriggled and tugged as he stroked her sole. He lifted an eyebrow. “Ticklish?”
Jen squirmed but he kept a grip on her foot. “I was as a kid. No one has tried in years.”
He chuckled, having seen the proof already. As tempted as he was, he didn’t try again. When he finished wrapping the bandage, he pulled her sock over her ankle and helped put on her shoe.
She slipped on the other shoe and sock, then stood, favoring the bad ankle.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not too much. I think I can walk.”
Lifting the backpack onto his right shoulder, he slipped his left arm around her. “Lean on me. If the pain gets too bad I can carry you.”
Her chin snapped up. “We’re at least a mile back from the car. I’ll kill you.”
He squeezed her closer. “Not a chance. I probably bench press twice your weight.”
~*~
Once they reached his home, Matt helped Jen to a chair in the dining nook in his kitchen and pulled out another chair to prop her foot on. “How’s the ankle?”
“I’m fine if I stay off it. I think it’s just a minor strain. It’ll probably be better in the morning.”
“Do you want an aspirin or something?” He hovered, the need to inspect her injury battling with an instinct that told him she needed space. “To keep down inflammation.”
“No. I’m good, really.”
“Okay. I’m going to trust you to ask if you need anything.” He walked around the prep island and pulled two wineglasses from the rack beneath a cupboard. “Do you like wine? Red or white?”
“White wine, please.”
He opened the bottle he’d put in the fridge that morning and poured two glasses. Once he’d seen to her, he pulled out the ingredients for stir-fry. Working at the kitchen island, he could keep Jen in his line of sight.
“Can I help?” she asked.
“Sure.” He took out another cutting board and knife, picked up the bok choy, and set it all in front of her at the table. He lifted her chin and kissed her, letting some of his building need show. When he pulled away, she smiled shyly. His insides melted at her sweetness. She’d always done that to him. One innocent look and he was figuratively throwing his coat over a puddle and bowing gallantly for her to cross. Stifling a groan, he moved back to the work area.
Jen hobbled to the island sink and washed her hands. As she chopped, she repeatedly glanced at him.
Finally, he couldn’t stand the curiosity. “What?” He was dying to know what she was thinking.
She shrugged. “I’m just having trouble adjusting the Matt in my head with the man in front of me. Not only are you all grown up, but you’re domesticated.”
His laughter came from deep inside and bounced off the walls. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I wasn’t a wild kid.”
“No, you weren’t. I think my mind is trying to fill in the gaps.”
Turning to the fridge, he took out the scallops and shrimp, setting them near the wok. “I thought I’d done that already. I graduated with a degree in finance, went off to New York, made some money and realized my soul was MIA.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said. But that’s only the headlines, not even the condensed version of the story. What did you do for a living?”
“I was a day trader. A pretty good one. There was a time or two I had to adjust how I did business, but I survived all the downturns.”
After she chopped the last of the vegetables, she set the knife down and held out the board to him. He circled the island to take it, grabbing her glass at the same time for a refill.
“Did you marry? Have a family?”
Carrying her full glass back to her, he said, “No. Had a long-term relationship but we kind of drifted apart. When we realized we had nothing left to offer each other, we split up.”
Another brief kiss, tasting of Jen’s wine, held off the urge to take her to his bed. If he weren’t careful, they’d spend the evening making love and not eat until midnight.
When the oil in the wok began to spatter, Matt tossed in the scallops. “You said you’re divorced.”
“Mmm-hmm,” she said, turning to look out the window. She was shutting down again.
>
He wanted to let the matter slide, but part of him said it wasn’t healthy to keep avoiding the subject. If the wound was still so tender, talking about it might begin the healing process. “How long were you married?”
“Eight years.” She made a noise between a sniff and a snort.
“You must have married right after college.”
Jen swallowed more of her wine, continuing to stare at her glass after setting it down. She took a deep breath. “That’s right. We married the summer after I graduated. That fall I went to work as a teacher. He went on to law school.”
Holding her glass by the stem, she spun it back and forth, the wine sloshing up a bit but not spilling. “Once he made partner at the firm he joined, I quit work. I thought we were ready to have a family, but he kept putting it off. I volunteered some, and kept house, although he worked such long hours there wasn’t much cleaning to be done. Mostly I played hostess or looked proper on his arm at social affairs.”
“Why didn’t you go back to teaching?”
She glanced up, barely smiling. “He didn’t want his wife to work. He was old-fashioned enough-or egotistical enough-to think a working wife meant he wasn’t a good provider. The real question is why I went along with it.”
Matt wasn’t sure how to continue the subject. She’d been married to a caveman, apparently. That didn’t fit the image he had of her. “Well, volunteering can be fulfilling.”
Rising, she hobbled to lean on the counter beside him as he cooked. “Really, Matt, you don’t need to try to sugarcoat my life after the fact. It wasn’t awful or abusive. Maybe very bland and politically correct, but it’s done now.”
Watching the emotions play across her face, he decided her adjustment to the divorce was mostly over, but something still caused her pain, or at least discomfort. He stepped behind her, planting his feet on either side of hers, wrapping his arms around her to reach the stove. “As sorry as I am for you that the dream didn’t end the way you planned, I’m happy for my sake that its end brought you here.”
He felt her tense momentarily, then grow relaxed against the length of him. She quickly lowered her gaze. “Me too.”