by Meg Jolie
Honestly, I’m dying for some company, I justified. I wasn’t used to being cooped up for days on end. Not that my life prior had been full of excitement but between classes, Jason, and working, at least I’d been busy.
“Smells good,” he said, pulling me back from my mental debate.
“Thanks, they’ll be just a few more minutes. Is root beer okay? That or milk,” I said as I poked my head into the fridge.
“A root beer sounds good,” he decided. “I don’t remember the last time I had one.”
I took out a can for each of us and then I leaned against the counter, close to the oven so I could check them in a few more minutes.
“Are you getting all settled in?” Alex wondered.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “It really didn’t take too long.”
“So how do you know Claire?” he asked as he leaned forward on his elbows.
I explained to him that I’d known Claire most of my life. That she had been my closest friend for as long as I could remember. But that we’d gone our separate ways for college.
“Where did you go to school?” he asked.
“Haden University,” I replied.
“Haden, huh?” he asked nodding as he took it in. Haden was located in Bedford, which was roughly three times the size of Grafton. “So what do you think of Grafton? Too small for you? Or are you enjoying it so far?”
“I haven’t seen much of it yet,” I admitted. I did not admit that all I’d seen so far was the main road, coming in during the middle of the night. Nor did I explain that I had yet to leave Claire’s house at all. “But Claire seems to love it here.”
“It’s a nice little town. I prefer it to the city life, myself,” he said.
“I can’t wait to see more of it,” I honestly told him as I turned to take the calzones out. Actually, I realized that maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go out and just drive around, become familiar with the place. Do a little exploring on my own. I didn’t actually have to go inside anywhere.
“I take it you haven’t been up to the falls yet, then?” he asked as I readied our plates.
I shook my head as I slid a plate of food across the countertop to him. I took my own plate and walked around the bar, settling myself on the stool next to him.
“No,” I agreed. “I haven’t. In fact, I’ve never seen any waterfall before. I’ll mention it to Claire. Maybe she can show me where they are.”
Alex looked surprised by my admission. There were only a few waterfalls within a reasonable driving distance. They were all at the northern tip of the state. This was the first time I’d been this far north.
“You should definitely check them out. There’s a trail through the state park that leads up to them. In the summer they’re a huge tourist attraction,” he told me before taking a bite. “Mmmm,” he said around a mouthful. “This is amazing.”
I felt a blush spread across my cheeks. It was just a simple calzone but the crust was homemade and I was sure that made all the difference. “Thanks. I like to cook. My mom was an amazing cook. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen growing up.”
His expression turned concerned. “Was?”
I nodded. “Yeah. She passed away right before Christmas. Breast cancer.”
“Oh,” he said. “I’m really sorry to hear that.”
Before I had to summon a response to that, the kitchen phone rang.
It was next to Alex. He plucked it off the wall and handed it to me. It was Claire.
She greeted me and then got straight to the point.
“Do you mind if I skip out on dinner tonight?” she asked. “The weather is supposed to clear up in a bit. Sean was asked to fill in tonight on the men’s softball league. He asked if I’d come along. You’re welcome to join us. It should be fun. We can introduce you to some people.”
“Um—” I said, hesitantly. Any other day, I would likely have agreed. I just didn’t feel up to it quite yet. “Maybe next time? But I don’t mind if you go. I’ll find something to do around here to keep myself busy. And before you ask, yes, I’m sure,” I said with a smile.
“Okay,” Claire agreed. “I’m probably just going to stay over at his house. If you don’t mind?”
I laughed as I pushed my food around with my fork. “No. I don’t mind. You don’t need to babysit me,” I teased.
We hung up and I handed the phone to Alex who returned it to its spot on the wall.
“Plans got cancelled?” he wondered.
I shook my head. “Not really. I mean, we didn’t really have plans. Claire was just letting me know she won’t be home tonight.”
“So what are you up to tonight?” he wondered. He was looking at me with raised eyebrows.
I laughed. “Absolutely nothing.”
“Oh,” he said as he glanced outside. He took a few bites and then after a few moments, glanced outside again. “Do you want to go do something?”
His question caught me off guard. Fortunately, I’d just taken a bite. I took a moment to finish chewing and then reached for my root beer, stalling.
“It was just a thought,” he said with a shrug. “The rain has already let up.” He was right. It had hit hard and fast and already seemed to be phasing out. “But it’ll be too wet for me to get any work done.” He made a disappointed face. “I guess I could get caught up on paperwork. I always have paperwork to do. But there’s no fun in that,” he said, smiling again.
“I don’t know,” I hesitated, then grimaced and decided to just admit the truth. “I don’t really want to go anywhere looking like this.” He looked like he was going to argue so I cut him off. “I mean, I guess I could try putting some make up on. See how well it covers up…”
“How about…” He looked like he was thinking. “What if I take you somewhere where there might not be a lot of people? If you really do want to see the waterfalls I can take you up there. Sometimes it can be packed on the weekends or even in the evenings. But right now, especially after a rain on a work day, it would probably be pretty quiet.”
I made a face, pretending I had to mull it over.
He grinned at me, assuming he had me. He nearly did. A small part of me wondered if this was a bad idea. I barely knew him. I’d just gotten out of a bad relationship. On the other hand, Claire had affirmed he seemed to be a pretty decent guy. The few encounters I’d had with him had left me thinking the same thing. But most of all, it wasn’t as if he’d asked me on a date. It was just an afternoon outing. With a friend? Maybe I could consider him a friend. I could find absolutely nothing wrong with making new friends in a new town.
“There’s a new coffee shop in town. Never been there but I heard it’s the new hot thing around here. Iced coffee drinks, or whatever, seem to be a big hit. I’ll buy you one,” he threw in before taking another bite of his lunch.
“Oh, wow,” I said with a laugh. “I see how you are. You like to play dirty.”
“Sometimes,” he said with a smirk. “Does that mean I win?”
“Yeah,” I said still laughing. “I guess you win.”
*******
“Let me help you,” Alex said as he held out his hand.
I took it. The rocks were slippery. I hadn’t known what I was in for when I’d slipped into a pair of sandals. Luckily, Alex had his work boots on. Traversing up the rain-slickened rocks wasn’t nearly as difficult for him.
“Sorry,” he said. “I should’ve warned you. I just didn’t think of it. Or,” he said sheepishly, “we could’ve taken the other path. It’s definitely easier. This one, it’s more private. Only the locals really use it. The view is better.”
“This is fine,” I assured him. “As long as you don’t mind making sure I don’t fall on my ass.”
He laughed at that. “Not at all,” he said as he held my hand firmly and led the way.
We were walking on a trail through the woods. It wasn’t the clear cut, paved path that took off from the parking lot. This one had veered off and was a little worn path with kn
ee-high foliage sprouting up along the sides. We were headed uphill and every now and again, there would be a rocky area that we had to climb over.
I could hear the raging water from the falls nearby. I could hear the river water crashing along. It was probably swollen due to the recent deluge. I couldn’t see anything beyond the tree line but I knew the falls and the river were there.
The air here was unbelievable. I realized I’d been in the city too long if just the simple scent of rain-dampened earth hit me the way it did. Not that Bedford was a huge city or anything but I hadn’t ventured out of city limits the entire time I lived there. I hadn’t had the time. Not between work, schoolwork and everything else on my mind.
“This is amazing,” I said with a sigh.
Alex glanced over his shoulder at me. “We’re not even there yet.”
“No, I mean, just being out here. It’s been way too long since I’ve just taken a walk through the woods,” I admitted.
“We’ll have to see to it that you do it more often then,” he said. The path widened and he pulled me up alongside of him. “We’re almost there. See that up ahead?”
“The clearing?” I asked.
“Yeah, it’s kind of an unofficial overlook. The trail we took isn’t the trail the park really wants us using,” he explained with a devious smile.
We covered the short distance to the clearing. Or rather, just the small, open area. Warning signs were posted, telling us to keep our distance from the side where a jagged area fell down into the water below.
“It’s beautiful,” I said as soon as the falls came into view. There were two, side by side. Raging white water crashed against the rocks, spraying in the air, creating a canvas for mini-rainbows as the water poured down into the river below.
The water gushing over the edge crashed and churned against the rocks. The river sounded angry, as if it were raging. The sound alone was enough to make me keep my distance. I had a great view and I didn’t need to get any closer. Even from where I stood, I could feel a fine mist as the water sprayed back up into the air.
“You like it?” he asked. He was grinning, as if proud of himself for suggesting the idea.
“I do,” I said.
He tossed his arm around my shoulders. He squeezed me gently before saying, “I’d hoped you would. Now we’ll have to see what else I can come up with to keep you entertained.”
I fought down a giddy smile. “You plan on keeping me entertained?”
He grinned back. “Only if you’ll let me.”
Chapter 6
A light rain had started up again so the visit to the waterfall hadn’t lasted long. We’d hurried back to Alex’s truck and he offered to give me a tour of the town. We chatted as he showed me around.
I had thought maybe he’d ask me out when he finally brought me back home. I had mixed feelings about that. When I had decided to move to Grafton, it had been to get away. That had been my sole purpose. Starting a new relationship hadn’t been a priority. In fact, it hadn’t even been on my mind at all.
At the same time, meeting someone my first day in town wasn’t exactly something I’d been prepared for. So of course, it wasn’t something I’d given any thought to.
I was thinking about it now, though, as I sliced olives. I already had small bowls of chopped onions, tomatoes and shredded cheese ready to go for tonight’s meal. Claire insisted I didn’t need to do all of the cooking. However, since it was about the only thing I had to do this past week, I didn’t mind. In fact, I found the task relaxing. Spending time in the kitchen always made me feel closer to my mom.
If not for Alex and my dinner-making, I’d have been completely bored out of my mind.
It was no surprise I was thinking of Alex again when Claire poked her head around the kitchen doorframe.
“What’s up?” I asked as I glanced up at her.
Her eyebrows were raised and she wore an uncharacteristic smirk. “Were you expecting company?” she asked.
“Me?” I questioned, feeling my own eyebrows shoot up. “Who would I be expecting?”
My stomach dropped. It couldn’t be Jason, could it? I couldn’t imagine him wanting anything to do with me after our last fight. He didn’t seem the type that would pine after an ex. He seemed to me to be the type to move on quickly.
The doorbell rang and Claire grinned at me.
Definitely not Jason if Claire was smiling. Of course it wasn’t. I felt ridiculous for entertaining the thought, even briefly.
I felt my expression turn to one of confusion.
“Some incredibly hunky guy that drives a red truck, perhaps?” she teased.
I dropped the olive I was slicing and wiped my hands on a dishtowel. “Alex’s here?” I asked, already on my way to the door. My stomach dropped in an entirely different way. It felt like it was freefalling this time.
“Unless you know someone else that fits that description, I would say yes. He most certainly is,” Claire teased as she followed me out of the kitchen.
“What if he’s here for you?” I asked as I glanced over my shoulder.
“He’s done with this job. He has no reason to be here to see me. We’ve already wrapped everything up.” She gave my shoulder a nudge, pushing me toward the entryway.
“He has no reason to see me either,” I muttered. That didn’t stop me from scurrying to the door.
I caught a glimpse of him through the side window. My heart skipped unexpectedly. It hadn’t done that for years. Not when I’d met Jason, not since I could remember when. As I opened the door, the little skip took off into a full-blown gallop.
Alex was standing there looking more amazing than ever. This past week, I’d only seen him in his standard work attire: A gray t-shirt with his company’s logo on the chest, work boots and jeans that had seen better days. Now, he wore a light blue polo that did amazing things to his tan. And to my insides. He looked freshly showered. His jeans, though snug in all the right places, looked new and they hung just right from his hips.
Yet, that wasn’t what sent my pulse into high gear.
It was the unbelievably shy way he was looking at me. He held a fistful of wildflowers in front of him.
“Hi…?” I didn’t mean for it to sound like a question. It did, anyway.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry to just stop by.”
“No, it’s fine,” I told him as I stepped aside, allowing him entrance.
“These are for you,” he told me as he swept the bouquet my way. “I picked them myself,” he said as a teasing smile crinkled the corners of his eyes and tugged at his lips.
“No, really? I never would’ve guessed,” I teased back. Just then his hand darted to a daisy and he flicked off a bug.
We both laughed as I took the flowers from him. “Thanks. This is really sweet.” The bouquet was a colorful mix of daisies, black-eyed Susan’s and prairie-fire. I was well-aware that the bouquet consisted mostly of weeds. Yet, it was the most beautiful bouquet I’d ever received.
Simply because it was so thoughtful.
“I know it’s kind of cheesy,” he said. He blushed. He actually blushed and I bit my lip. “But I saw them in the ditch as I was driving up. I couldn’t resist.”
“It’s not cheesy. They are completely perfect,” I told him, unable to contain my smile.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, well, anyhow…I did have a reason for stopping by.”
I waited expectantly as we stood there in the entryway.
“Is Claire around?” he asked.
It was not what I was expecting him to say, not after he’d handed me a bouquet of flowers.
“Right here!” Claire sang out before I could reply. She came around the corner, making me believe she’d been standing right inside the kitchen door, listening in. A smile danced across her lips as she took in the sight of the flowers.
“Hey, Claire,” he said. “I was just stopping by to bring you your bill.” She raised her eyebrows at him as he handed her an envelope. “I me
an, I would’ve mailed it but I was out of stamps.”
Claire’s eyebrows twitched as she tried to hide her amusement. “Yeah, okay. I bet you were.”
His blush deepened and he hung his head, grimacing, yet smiling, knowing we didn’t buy it. I tried not to laugh. I could not remember the last time I’d seen a grown man blush. It was incredibly heart-warming.
“So. Yeah,” he said as he took a step backward. “That’s all. Sorry for just stopping by without calling.”
“It’s no problem,” I said.
“We’re having Mexican night,” Claire told him as he reached the door. “You should stay.”
“Oh,” he said, “I couldn’t.”
Claire’s lip popped out in a pronounced pout. “You have plans?”
He laughed. “No, not exactly. I just don’t want Zoey to think I only come by so she can feed me.”
“She likes feeding people,” Claire said. She moved up behind me and gave me a backward hug. She rested her chin on my shoulder and I could feel her grinning. “Enchiladas are in the oven. She makes this incredible Mexican pizza with a homemade cornbread crust. It’s so good. You should stay.”
He looked hesitant and Claire’s arms slid from me as she took a few steps toward Alex. “Come on. It’ll be fun. You already know Zoey’s a great cook. We even have flan for dessert.”
“Is flan Mexican?” Alex asked.
“I have no idea. I just think it tastes good,” Claire admitted.
“I don’t want to intrude,” he insisted.
I was starting to feel uncomfortable with his protests. It was sounding as if he really didn’t want to stick around. And if that were the case, I really didn’t want Claire to push.
But the moment Claire said, “Sean is on his way,” Alex visibly became more relaxed. “You know Sean, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, not well. But we’ve met a few times. We have some mutual friends.”