“Trent, this was such a fun idea. I’ve never been in here before, but I’m glad you thought of it. It’s really special.”
“French is a language of love. I need all the help I can get,” Trent teased, affecting a French accent. “You know, I bet you could say anything with a French accent and it would sound romantic.”
Lindsay looked at him indulgently, enjoying his playfulness. “Give it a try and I’ll let you know.”
“The jam on your chin is quite enticing,” Trent said in his fake accent, making Lindsay swipe her napkin at her face. He laughed and grabbed her hand. “I was only teasing.”
She blushed and he continued holding her hand. “How about if I say that your hair is shining like curls of spun gold or your lips look as soft and velvety as a ripe peach?”
“That may sound slightly more romantic,” she agreed, lowering her lashes and giving him a shy smile. In fact, he was right. The French accent combined with his manly charm was about to pull her into a place where only she and Trent existed. A place she never wanted to leave.
“Monsieur, you mean to say ‘tu es tres belle’ to the mademoiselle. Oui?” the waitress asked as she cleared away their plates.
“Pardon?” Trent asked, struggling to wrap his head and tongue around the foreign words.
“That is what you say to her. ‘Tu es tres belle.’” The waitress nodded her head toward Lindsay and waited for Trent to speak.
“Tu es tres belle,” Trent said then looked at the waitress who smiled at him. “What does it mean?”
“You are beautiful,” she said, then hurried away.
Trent knew he’d been had by the waitress, but looked at Lindsay and repeated the phrase. “You are very beautiful, Miss Pierce.”
“Thank you,” Lindsay whispered, hoping Trent wasn’t in a hurry to leave since she felt her limbs melting into a fluid mass under the heat of his gaze.
By the time the waitress returned with their check, Lindsay thought she might be able to walk out to the pickup on her two languid legs.
Trent left a generous tip on the table, stood, and gave Lindsay his hand. When the waitress walked by, she put a hand on Trent’s arm and smiled.
“Merci, young lovers. Enjoy the day! Enjoy your spring romance! Au revoir!”
Recovering from her amorous overload at breakfast, Lindsay enjoyed seeing the sights of The Dalles with Trent. He took her to museums, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, and the quilt shop his mother managed. She knew Denni from both Trey’s wedding as well as the Sundays she joined their congregation at church.
After spending a few minutes visiting with her, they strolled through the historic downtown district looking at old buildings, as well as listening to the talking murals tell the story of the town.
Driving out to the waterfront, they ate an early dinner at a restaurant with a great view of the Columbia River.
Since the afternoon had been warm, the drop in temperatures seemed quite abrupt as they exited the restaurant after dinner, hurried to the pickup and started the drive home.
“So, Princess, did you have fun today?” Trent asked as they entered the freeway and headed east.
“What did you just call me?” Lindsay asked, taken aback by the name.
“Princess. You didn’t seem to mind when I called you Princess last Saturday night. Besides, I have it on good authority you are crowned royalty many times over,” Trent teased. Although Lindsay couldn’t see his face well in the darkness of the pickup, she could picture the twinkle in his eye.
“Really? And just who provided you with that information?” Lindsay enjoyed the first few courts she served on in school. Then it got to the point of being ridiculous. She often felt like voting her onto a court turned into a way to taunt her. And when had Trent called her Princess? She still couldn’t remember how she got from his truck to her porch last weekend.
“I ran into my buddy Clint Peters the other day. He said the two of you graduated together.”
“Unfortunately, we did.” Lindsay remembered Clint. She should have known he would be friends with Trent. He was a good-looking, smart-aleck tease, who had often made her aggravated or embarrassed.
“I get the idea he might not have been your favorite classmate,” Trent said.
Lindsay could hear the smile in his voice. “Not particularly. He seemed to enjoy making others suffer. Somewhat like other boys I know,” she said, stressing the word boys.
“Well, he had only nice things to say about you. He told me about you being a star athlete, one of the most popular girls in school and how you were the most crowned female to ever graduate from Prineville. That is quite an honor.”
“Sure it was. Stupid boys like Clint made it a joke to get me in the running then made a game of getting the most votes for the girl no one wanted to date because she was taller than they were. Do you know how humiliating it is to be crowned the homecoming queen and not even have a date?”
“I’m sorry, Lindsay,” Trent said, feeling genuinely contrite. He stretched his hand across the seat and found hers, twining their fingers together. “That must have been very difficult, especially for a girl as beautiful as you.”
“Now would not be a good time for your teasing,” Lindsay said, feeling the emotional turmoil of her teen years roll through her. “I’m fully aware of what I look like.”
“I’m not teasing,” Trent rumbled, his voice low and soft. “Clint showed me your yearbook pictures. You were almost as beautiful then as you are now.”
“Trent,” she whispered, not knowing what to say. His voice sounded sincere and the warmth from his hand holding hers was heating her from the outside in.
“I’m still going to call you Princess, if you don’t mind. Not because of what happened in high school, but because I think you look like a princess. Regal, graceful and lovely. With that gorgeous blond hair and those pretty blue eyes, you are a true princess in my book.”
“Oh,” Lindsay said, loving the picture Trent painted, even if she didn’t think it was remotely accurate. He forgot to mention that her face was a little too thin, her shoulders a little too wide, her hands a little too large to be considered beautiful. Not to mention her towering height. Trent certainly knew how to make her feel like she was the most enchanting woman on the planet, though.
Arriving home, he walked her to her door and pulled her into his arms, giving her a hug that made her feel cherished and protected. The feel of his arms around her was one of the most wonderful things she could recall experiencing and she didn’t want the moment to end.
“Thank you for another amazing day, Princess,” Trent said quietly, pushing her back from him so he could see her face in the porch light.
“Thank you. I had a wonderful time,” Lindsay said, feeling chilled by the air that circulated between them when he gently set her away from him.
“If you don’t have plans after church tomorrow, why don’t you come for lunch and you can see Fred.”
“I’d love to,” Lindsay said, knowing she’d get a chance to catch up with Cady, see the baby calves and spend time with Trent.
“Great. See you tomorrow,” Trent said, taking a step back. Although he knew he needed to leave, his eyes locked on Lindsay’s, where he could see a reflection of the longing in his own. Giving her a light peck on the cheek, he slowly traced his thumb along her soft lips then hurried back to the pickup.
Lindsay was tormented and conflicted. Waiting for Trent to kiss her was turning into a form of torture, yet there was something wildly romantic about the waiting. Her desire to feel his kiss was so intense, she ached with longing, but there was a part of her that wanted to put it off. What if the kiss didn’t live up to her growing expectations? If they kept waiting, the idea of what it would be like might eventually seem far better than the reality of their first kiss.
Sighing, she touched her finger to her mouth. When Trent’s thumb grazed her lips, she felt as though she had been tenderly kissed, gently loved. It left her wanting much,
much more. Walking in her door, she wondered how much longer she could wait for him to make the first move.
Chapter Ten
In a great romance, each person basically plays a part that the other really likes.
Elizabeth Ashley
“You can’t tell him he’s pretty. You’ll damage his psyche,” Trent said, leaning over the stall door. Lindsay held out her hand to Fred as he sniffed her fingers then quickly sucked them into his mouth. Glad she didn’t have a manicure to worry about ruining, she enjoyed the raspy feel of the calf’s tongue on her fingers. Apparently, calves would suck on anything that didn’t run away from them.
“He’s a calf. Are you sure he has a psyche to damage?” Lindsay asked with a giggle.
“Absolutely. You can’t call him pretty or tie pink ribbons on him. He’ll get a complex, the other calves will make fun of him, and he’ll grow up psychologically twisted.”
“Right,” Lindsay said, scratching Fred’s little head with her other hand.
“Uncle Trent!” Cass yelled from the barn door. “Mama said it’s time to eat.”
“Thanks, goofball. We’ll be right there,” Trent called and put his hand under Lindsay’s elbow, helping her to her feet. Concerned she’d get her church clothes dirty in the barn, he suggested she change before they went out to see the calf. She waved him off and said it would all wash.
Now, with her hand coated in calf slobbers, Lindsay decided she probably should have followed Trent’s advice. Walking her down the aisle of the barn, he stopped at a room close to the door.
“You can wash off your hands here,” he said and flicked on the light in a small, but clean, bathroom.
Lindsay hurriedly soaped her hands and dried them before rejoining Trent and walking toward the house. The smell of roasted meat hung in the air outside, making her realize she was hungry.
Coming in the mudroom door, Trent took her coat and hung it up along with his before they walked into the kitchen.
“Hey, Lindsay, glad you could join us,” Trey said, giving her a one-armed hug. “What did you think of Fred?”
“He’s so adorable. Quite a pretty little thing,” Lindsay said, looking at Trent with a saucy grin.
“Well, I don’t know that I’d call him pretty, but he is healthy, for sure,” Trey said, slapping Trent on the back. “I heard someone did a great job helping him arrive safely.”
“Just part of the job,” Trent said, escorting Lindsay to the table where his mom was placing the last of the napkins while Travis poured water in glasses.
“Well, hello, Lindsay. I so enjoyed having you come by the store yesterday,” Denni said, embracing her warmly.
“It was fun to see where you worked. There are a lot of tempting projects in your store,” Lindsay said. She didn’t have the patience to sit and sew, but she sometimes liked to do crafts.
“There certainly are. Come check them out sometime when you aren’t in a hurry.”
“I will,” Lindsay said, watching as Cady came to the table with the last of the food and sat down in the chair Trey held for her.
Trent held Lindsay’s chair while Travis held their mother’s. Cass scrambled onto her seat next to Denni and Trey asked the blessing.
Conversation was lively around the table and after eating chocolate pie for dessert, Lindsay helped Cady and Denni with the dishes while the guys took Cass to the great room.
Not wanting to intrude on family time, Lindsay waited until the last dish was dry then said she needed to get home.
“Don’t rush off,” Cady said, putting a hand on her arm. “We haven’t had a good visit for weeks.”
“I know, but you just got back and this should really be a family day for you. I’ll visit another time. I promise.” Lindsay quietly retrieved her coat and put it on, then called her goodbye into the great room. All three of the Thompson men stood and came to tell her goodbye, although Trent grabbed his jacket and walked her out.
“You don’t have to hurry home,” he said. “You’re welcome to spend the afternoon with us.”
“No, I think Trey and Cady need some family time without any extras, so I’ll go on home.”
“Thanks for coming for lunch and to see Fred.”
“Thanks for inviting me.”
Trent held her door while she climbed inside the car.
“Bye, Princess.”
“See you later, cowboy,” Lindsay waved one last time before heading down the Thompson’s long driveway.
Driving home, she couldn’t get her mind off how attracted she was to Trent. She was a little disappointed he didn’t seem to want to talk longer when he walked her out to her car, but it was chilly out and she knew Sundays were family time for them.
Standing at her front door jiggling the key in the lock, her cell phone rang. Pushing open the door, she fished the phone out of her purse and answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Princess,” Trent’s voice rumbled across the line. “How are you?”
“Trent, you know I’m fine. You just saw me ten minutes ago.”
“I know, but I’m a little lonesome.”
“How can you possibly be lonesome? You’ve got a houseful of people over there.”
“Yeah, but you aren’t here. I could sit here and talk to you all afternoon, but I’d rather be sitting next to you.”
Lindsay thought that was about the sweetest thing she’d ever heard.
“Would you mind if I come join you?”
“Pardon?”
“Would you mind if I come see you? Maybe we could watch a movie or something.”
“I’d like that,” Lindsay said, surprised Trent wanted to spend more time with her.
“How about if I bring some movies and show up in half an hour?”
“Perfect. See you then,” Lindsay said, looking around her house and calculating how fast she could speed-clean it, change her clothes and make snacks before Trent arrived.
Going to the great room, Trent started digging through the cupboard where they kept all their movies and selected five.
“What’s up, bro?” Travis asked from his stretched out position on the couch. Trey sat in his recliner with Cass asleep on his lap while a basketball game played on the television.
“I’m going to Lindsay’s to watch movies,” he said, not wanting to provide any fodder for their continual taunting.
“Just make sure that’s all you do,” Trey teased as Trent hurried out of the room and to the kitchen.
Kissing his mother on her cheek, he told her goodbye, thanked Cady for lunch and hustled out to his pickup.
When he knocked on Lindsay’s door, she opened it wearing a pair of faded jeans, fuzzy striped socks and an OSU sweatshirt.
“Hey, cowboy,” she said, stepping back so he could come in. “What are we going to watch?”
Trent handed the movies to her. “You pick.”
Lindsay laughed. “You seriously brought over The Princess Bride. I can’t believe it.”
“It seemed a fitting movie to watch with my princess,” Trent said from behind her, his breath warm on her neck. She felt tingles slide down her shoulders to her fingers.
“I’ve never actually seen it,” she said, taking it out of the case and putting it in her DVD player.
“You’re going to love it,” he said, sitting next to her on the couch.
“We’ll see,” she said, raising an eyebrow his direction. Lindsay had been in high gear since Trent called, changing her clothes and making a mad-dash to pick up her already clean house. She popped some microwave popcorn and made mugs of hot chocolate, which sat steaming on the coffee table.
At some point in the movie, Trent’s arm found its way around her shoulder and her head settled against his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear and decided she could get used to sitting just like that every day for the rest of her life.
When the movie ended, she realized she did like it. Although quirky, she could see why so
many people looked at her funny when she said she’d never seen it.
“That wasn’t too bad,” she said, not raising her head from the comfortable spot she’d found against Trent.
“Not bad? Come on. You have to admit you liked it. I heard you laughing. I saw you get all moony eyed over Buttercup and Farm Boy. Fess up,” Trent urged as he began tickling her sides.
Wiggling and squirming, she tried without success to get away from him. “Okay, I confess. I liked it.”
“A lot. You liked it a lot,” Trent said, continuing to tickle her. He pulled her onto his lap, so he could reach her better and found himself falling into the depths of her eyes.
“I liked it a lot,” she whispered, staring up at Trent. This was it. Lindsay could feel it to her very marrow that Trent was finally going to kiss her. Tension crackled around them and a force they couldn’t control pulled their lips closer together. She could feel his breath on her face, could see the light and dark flecks of blue lighting his eyes as he leaned closer. His arms circled around her and gently lifted her closer.
In the second before their lips would have connected, a knock sounded at her door. Startled, both of them jumped and Trent nearly dumped her on the floor. Setting her upright, Lindsay quickly got to her feet, stepped over Trent’s long legs and answered the door.
She was surprised to see Travis standing there.
“Hi, Lindsay. Sorry to bother you, but we can’t find the vet and we’ve got a cow in need of some assistance,” Travis said, stepping into the front room. “Trent’s talents are needed at home.”
The look of anger and annoyance Trent gave him was duly noted. “Have you heard of a telephone?” Trent asked as he put on his coat.
“As a matter of fact I have. We tried calling yours multiple times but it works better if it is somewhere you can answer it instead of at home on your dresser. Cady couldn’t get an answer on Lindsay’s either.”
“Right,” Trent said, realizing he forgot to put the cell phone in his pocket when he changed his clothes after church. He’d used the phone in the office when he called Lindsay earlier and he remembered Lindsay turned off her phone when they sat down to watch the movie.
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