by Mia Carson
For the first time in years, he missed the sunrise, but the few extra hours of sleep was worth it so he could focus on the day ahead. He took a quick shower to freshen up, grabbed a fresh t-shirt, and strolled out the door, whistling as he walked past the front desk and Grams.
“Morning, ma’am,” he said politely, smiling at her.
“Yes, it is,” she said, eyeing him suspiciously. “What are you in such a good mood about?”
“I woke up this morning and realized things are not as bad as they could be,” he said, and risking a chance this could blow up in his face, Edmund rested his hands on the desk. “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Depends. Does it have anything to do with my granddaughter and you?”
He debated lying, but that wouldn’t get him anywhere with this woman. “I would like you to know that I am declaring my intentions to date Kris. I can tell she means a lot to you, and the last thing I want to do is hurt her, but I would very much like your help in trying to impress her tonight.”
Grams tapped the counter with her nails as she stared him down. Granted, she was a short woman, but the weight of her stare had Edmund believing he was in for a scolding by his own grandmother. “I like you,” she said finally. “I can tell you care about my girl—more than her parents seem to, at any rate. She needs someone who didn’t grow up knowing every dark secret about her life.”
“I would be more than happy to have that opportunity,” Edmund said sincerely.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked.
“I need access to the roof again,” he said. “And do you have a table and chairs set you’re not using?”
Grams nodded slowly. “Think I have what you’re looking for.”
“Good. I’ll come back to get it all set up as soon as I get everything else figured out.”
“A romantic,” Grams said, amused. “Maybe you came to town just in time.”
Edmund paused as he turned to go. “In time for what?”
“In time to prove to my girl there’s some good people in this world who care about more than taking from her,” Grams said sadly. “You’re a good man, aren’t you, Edmund Eastwood?”
He straightened and bobbed his head once. “I try every day to be one.”
“That’s all I ask for,” she said, and for the first time since he met the old woman, she smiled briefly. “Get what you need, and I’ll see to things here.”
Edmund thanked her again and left the inn, pulling the list from his pocket. His first stop would be the drugstore to pick up candles, a tablecloth, and whatever else he could find to help enhance the mood. From there, he’d stop at the diner and order whatever was Kris’s favorite dish, and after that, he planned on hitting up the bar to see if they could loan him a dartboard for the evening. The only part of his plan he hadn’t figured out yet was how to get a message to Kris. He didn’t want to just text her. No, that was too easy. It had to be different, unique…
“Hey, Edmund!” Molly said as she strolled past him.
“Molly.” He stopped her as another idea popped into his head. “Could you possibly do me a favor?”
“Depends, I guess, on what you’re up to,” she questioned.
“Will you deliver a letter, with a rose, to Kris at the garage?” he asked her, and she squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”
“Of course I will! Oh, if only there were two of you,” she sighed. “You don’t have a brother, do you? Cousin? Someone else who is a romantic at heart?”
He straightened and scratched his nose. “How did you know I was a romantic?”
“A man who reads romance novels? You really think Kris could keep that tidbit to herself?” she questioned and patted his shoulder. “Oh, honey, you’re really one-of-a-kind.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He beamed at her. “I’ll have a letter for you soon enough. You going to be at work?”
“Yep, all afternoon, but I can take a short break to run over to the garage.”
Edmund told her it’d be there in a couple hours, and she said she’d be ready for it. He finished his walk to the drugstore, his spirits lifted to a place they’d never been with Jenny. He was headed into the store when he stopped and pulled out his cell. He found Jenny’s number and sent her a quick message, something he should have done Saturday when she left him at the altar, but he’d let his embarrassment cloud his mind. His fingers typed out a thank you, hit send, and walked into the drugstore.
When he was ready to check out half an hour later, his cell chirped, and he knew things were going to turn out alright when he read Jenny’s reply: You’re so welcome. We’re going to live now, Edmund, really live.
“This looks like you’re planning a fun-filled night,” the balding clerk said as he scanned Edmund’s items. “No books today?”
“No need,” he said, watching the older man bag his items. “I found my own story.”
“Sometimes, it just takes the right situation, the right happy accident,” the man agreed and Edmund spotted the wedding band on his finger, worn from age. “I hope your happy accident works out.”
Edmund handed over his card. “So do I.”
***
“Damn it!” Kris yelled as she smashed her third finger of the day. Yanking her hand out of the car, she glared at the offending appendage. The tip was red, and a blood blister formed where she’d hurt it. “That’s it, I quit. I officially suck at being a mechanic today.”
“Oh, quit your whining, you baby,” Charlie said, his voice muffled under the car he worked on. “You’ve had worse.”
“Yeah, well, today’s still shitty,” she grumbled as she went to the mini fridge and pulled a beer from it, placing the cold glass on her finger. She could say she had no idea where her mind was, but that’d be a lie. Her mind was in a room with a man holding her close as he kissed her passionately until they were both breathless. His soft lips loving her as she clutched at his soft hair and breathed him in.
“Hey, did you hear me?” Charlie called as he rolled out from under the car.
“Uh? No, can’t hear you when you’re under a car,” she said. Charlie smirked her, and she knew he was aware of where her mind had drifted. “Shut up.”
He held up his hands as he grabbed a fresh rag and pan. “I didn’t say a word.”
“You didn’t have to.” She sighed and kicked the wheel of the truck. “I’ve never been this distracted.”
“No, and if I was the jealous type, I’d be ready to deck him for stealing your heart so easily.”
Kris frowned as she studied the set to Charlie’s shoulders. “Are you the jealous type?” she asked quietly, hoping she wasn’t inadvertently hurting him by dating Edmund. It was true about him stealing her heart so easily, but she and Charlie did not fit well together as a couple, which was why they had only dated for a few months. “Charlie?”
He turned around and smiled reassuringly. “I’m not, but that doesn’t mean your other exes aren’t.” His smile fell. “Just be careful with how you are with him, alright? The last thing I want to see is you or him get dragged into a fight because you put out for Edmund but no one in this town.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked sharply. “We haven’t slept together.”
“That’s not the rumor going around town,” he told her. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but a couple of guys were talking at the bar last night. They saw you leaving the inn pretty late and looking a bit ruffled.”
Kris’s mouth fell open as her hands curled at her sides, gripping the bottle of beer tightly. “We didn’t do anything last night.”
“Hey, I believe you. I’m just telling you what the rumor is.”
“What exactly are they saying?” she demanded, but his shoulders sagged and he rubbed a hand down his face. “Charlie? Just tell me.”
“They said you clearly think no one in this town is good enough for you,” he muttered. “We’re all just trash, and the second so
me rich boy comes to town, you’re ready to fuck him like there’s no tomorrow.”
Kris chewed her tongue hard as she turned away from him, her face burning because of what people were saying about her and Edmund. She paced around the garage, forgetting the pain in her finger for the moment as she fought the urge to pick up one of the wrenches and chuck it across the garage, most likely damaging something she couldn’t afford to replace. Those bitter assholes. Every guy she’d dated in this town, except Charlie, had broken up with her when she wasn’t ready to put out after the first week together. They’d hated her for it, called her a prude. She did nearly everything else, fooled around a good part with Charlie, but never went past that line. Grams told her as soon as she was old enough to understand what sex was that giving her body to someone was special and there was no turning back. If she was going to have sex with someone, she needed to wait until marriage, or at least as close to marriage as she could.
Did she want to have sex with Edmund? God, yes, she did, but it had nothing to do with his damn money. It wasn’t her fault none of the assholes in this town had a romantic bone in their body, or a kind-hearted one, or were able to deal with her family politely instead of mocking her about her drunk parents and mistake of a brother. Edmund was different, and when she met him, she’d assumed he would flash his money in her face and rave about how terrible this place was, how dirty and low-life compared to where he came from. Instead, he treated everyone in this town with respect and only talked about his work when someone asked him directly about it.
But if you sleep with him and he leaves, you’ll be stuck in this town forever with them leering at you behind your back. The warning was true, and Kris hung her head, debating if it was worth it to see where this new relationship with Edmund could take her.
“Kris? You in there?” Molly called out as she stepped cheerily into the garage.
“Yeah, right here,” Kris called and plastered a smile on her face. “What’s up?”
Charlie eyed her warily, but she played it cool as Molly bounded over with a rose in one hand and a letter in the other. “Message for you.”
Kris smiled softly at the long-stemmed, red rose. She held it to her nose, closing her eyes as the sweet scent calmed her, and took the letter. “What is this?”
“Just read the damn letter,” Molly ordered urgently.
Kris unfolded the heavy paper and laughed at the private invitation to a rooftop, candlelight dinner at the inn, seven o’clock on the dot. “It doesn’t say who it’s from,” she murmured, staring at the words.
“Really? You don’t know who it’s from?” Molly groaned. “You’re terrible. So you’re going, right? He’s been working on this all day, and he even got Grams involved in the planning.”
“Grams? She’s part of this?” she asked, surprised. “I guess he did impress her last night.”
“I have to take him a reply,” Molly urged. “Yes? You’re saying yes, right?”
“Yes, I’m saying yes,” Kris burst out. “How could I say no?”
Molly shrugged. “No idea, but I have to get back to him with your answer. Details, woman, I want details tomorrow!”
Kris promised she would deliver some details, and Molly headed off, leaving Kris holding the letter and rose. No one had ever planned a special dinner for her. When her birthday came around before Grams took her and Dennis in, they hadn’t even celebrated. No cake, no presents, nothing. Her parents had never acknowledged her accomplishments except to ask when she was going to lend them a hand with their lives after all they’d done for her. The guys she dated couldn’t have cared less about trying to romance her. Their idea of wooing was beers, more beers, and groping her ass until she had enough of their greedy hands.
“You know this is only going to stir up the rumors more,” Charlie said with a frown.
“Let them talk,” she announced and tucked the letter and rose away in a safe place. “I don’t care. Maybe this’ll teach them to try a little harder. Then they might keep a girlfriend for longer than a week.”
She glanced at the clock and puffed her cheeks at the four hours until she could close the shop. Busy hands would keep her mind off what could happen tonight if she fell into Edmund’s arms with his lips pressed against hers in the heat of the moment. She didn’t have any clothes dressy enough for a dinner like this and would have to run to the store Molly worked at to find something suitable for a romantic rooftop dinner. The idea of herself in a dress around Edmund sent a thrill through her body, and she fumbled with the socket wrench in her hand.
Every time she blinked, a new image manifested in her mind’s eye. His arms gliding up her back to tug the zipper down on her dress. The breath of fresh air on her bare skin as he dragged the fabric off her body and her wearing nothing but a thong underneath. Her hands working at his shirt and finally pressing her palms against his hard chest, tracing the curves of each ab as he kissed her neck and her shoulders. His lips slipped to her breasts in her imagination when Charlie cleared his throat loudly, and with a squeal, Kris stumbled and her hand slipped out from under her. She hit the floor, landing hard on her ass, and cursed as Charlie giggled across the garage.
“Man, he has you all tangled up, doesn’t he?” he gasped between peals of laughter as she struggled back to her feet. “Have him rub that bruise for ya later.”
Her hand fell away from her sore ass, and she glared at him. “Maybe I will.”
“Good, about time you got yourself a good lay,” he added, and she stuck her tongue out at him before muttering she needed a break.
She locked herself in the bathroom and leaned against the sink, staring at her dilated pupils and flushed cheeks. Her hands trembled as she shoved her hair out of her face and splashed cool water on her skin.
“Keep it together,” she whispered as her lips curled in a sly smile. “Tonight, you might finally have your first.”
The worries of him leaving town soon were not going to bother her tonight. She was going to enjoy the evening Edmund planned for them and let her life flow where it might. He left Louisville so he could live, and she was going to do the same. Just for two weeks, she was going to live without any fears of the future. No matter what happened tonight on that rooftop, Kris would not let the town and their gossiping stop her from getting what she wanted.
Chapter 10
The food sat on the table, covered by silver lids Grams had dug out of storage from when the inn used to host weddings. The tall tapers were lit, and soft guitar music played in the background, drifting along with the cool evening air. The sun hadn’t fully set yet, but the heat of the day had faded enough that the roof was quite enjoyable. He closed his eyes, grinning at how well everything had turned out. All he needed now was the woman of his dreams to join him.
The door to the roof creaked open, and Edmund turned, struck by the beauty of the woman stepping outside. “Am I late?” Kris asked, twirling, the skirt of her crimson dress swirling out around her legs.
“Right on time,” Edmund said, his voice thick with want.
She smiled coyly as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear. The dress fit her body like a glove from the waist up and had a deep plunging neckline that tied around the back in a halter. She spun again, and his gut clenched at how low it dipped in the back, too, so low he could see the tattoo. The image was of a rundown car surrounded by flowers growing out of and through it as if it had been left for years to become part of the landscape.
“Nice ink,” he complimented as he strolled towards her and reached for her hand.
“Thanks,” she said, letting him tuck her hand in the crook of his elbow. “I got it as a teenager when I realized cars would be my life.”
He smiled wider. “Are you telling me I should get a tattoo of a horse drinking a bottle of whiskey?”
Her throaty laughter made it hard for him to let her go so she could sit at the table. “That would be a sight, but no, I’m not sure you’d enjoy it after a few days of staring at it.” She gla
nced around the rooftop and her lips curled in a crooked grin. “This is fantastic.”
“Best seats in the whole town,” he said and pulled out two beers. “Beer?”
“What, no champagne?” she teased, and his face fell. “I hate champagne. Beer is perfect.”
“I had a feeling that was the case.” He handed an open beer to her before taking his seat. “I think you’ll enjoy your dinner, too.”
She set her beer down and removed the silver covering. Her face lit up. “Cheeseburger with everything—fries with nacho cheese on the side and jalapenos. Who were you talking to at the diner today?”
“I had to get it right,” he shrugged and removed the cover from his food. “Should we have a toast before we eat?” He raised his beer as she mirrored him, her lips screwed up to the side in thought.
“Romantic evenings with new friends?” she asked.
“I’ll drink to that,” he agreed, and they clinked the necks of their bottles together then drank.
As they dug into their food, the sun set below the horizon. Edmund excused himself so he could turn on the lights he’d borrowed from Grams to light the whole rooftop of the inn. They popped on, surrounding the top of the roof, and Kris giggled with delight at the twinkling.
“Wow,” she whispered, jumping up from her chair to see them better. “Where were you a few years ago?”
“Trapped in a life I didn’t want,” he said honestly. With her standing in front of him in that dress, his hands twitched, wanting to hold her and draw her in close. He meandered to the speakers hooked up to his cell, turned the music up, and changed it to a slower song. “Care to dance with me?”
Kris glided across the roof to his outstretched hand. The moment her fingers entwined with his, he was complete. There was no other possible way of explaining it except that with Kris, there was no judging, no expectations of his future duties to her or his family. There was only Edmund and Kris dancing on the roof of an inn as the night sky unfolded overhead. The stars appeared one by one as he drew her closer, and she rested her cheek against his shoulder, her hips swaying easily to the music while he guided their feet in a slow dance. The evening breeze picked up, swirling around them and lifting her hair. Edmund sucked in a lungful of air, breathing her in. Motor oil and honeysuckle. He never wanted to smell anything except that sweet, rough smell that on Kris was simply who she was. She was the hard mechanic by day and the loving woman by night. The woman who listened to the tales of his life and didn’t want anything from him except the same thing he wanted desperately from her.