by B. N. Hale
“Harold knows his way around an engine,” she said with a high laugh, shooing them into the kitchen. “Do you need a shower to warm up?”
“We’re fine,” Kate said, introducing herself to the woman. Reed did as well.
“Reed and Kate,” Marge said, nodding to them. “You make a beautiful couple. Now sit down so I can make you some food.”
Reed and Kate exchanged a look, but neither challenged her assumption. The effort would probably be futile, because she continued to chatter as she stepped into the kitchen and set to work. Reed grinned and took a seat at the table.
The entranceway led to the living room and dining area, which contained piles of newspapers and books across the table and chairs. Faded pictures of children and grandchildren covered the walls, and little glass mementos sat in a cabinet. The whole house smelled of warm bread, and Kate breathed deep.
“It smells wonderful,” she called.
“Bread’s almost out of the oven,” Pepper called back. “Do you prefer jam or cinnamon? Never mind, I’ll bring both.”
“Is she really going to feed us?” Kate whispered.
“I don’t think we can say no,” Reed said with a smile.
The clatter of the oven door preceded the sound of three bread pans being set on the stove. A moment later she came with a steaming loaf resting on a cutting board. She returned a moment later with a knife and a pair of plates, and again with milk and cups.
“Hot bread makes everything better,” she said, expertly slicing the bread and putting a generous portion on each plate.
“Your hospitality is quickly becoming legendary,” Reed said with a smile.
Pepper’s smile was as warm as the bread. “Harold will be back any moment.”
“I really can call a mechanic,” Reed said.
“Don’t be silly, dear,” she said with an airy wave.
The back door opened and shut and Harold appeared in the doorway. “Fuel pump,” he said simply. “Carl’s on his way with a new one.”
“You’re fixing my car?” Reed asked.
Harold grunted, the sound bordering on amusement, before he left again. Reed half stood, calling out, “I can help . . .”
“Nonsense,” Pepper said, all but pushing him back into his seat. “You two eat.”
Reed shook his head in disbelief and looked to Kate, who shrugged in amusement. Realizing Pepper would not be dissuaded, he took a bite of the bread, his expression proving it to be delicious. He gestured to an empty seat.
“Are you joining us . . .” But Pepper was at the back door, putting on her raincoat.
“I’ll just make sure he’s doing it right,” Pepper said. “I’ll be back shortly.”
The door clattered shut, leaving them in the house by themselves. They both laughed quietly and ate the bread. Kate was careful not to burn herself as she ate, the bread a perfect end to their spontaneous meal in the car. When they finished, Reed gestured to the porch.
“I feel weird sitting in their house.”
“Agreed,” she said, relieved he’d said it.
They cleared their plates and set them in the sink, and then returned to the front porch. Neither Pepper nor Harold was in sight, so they sat on the rocking chairs close to the front window.
The rain had all but stopped, but a sprinkling continued to wet the air. Although more dark clouds loomed in the distance, the sun momentarily peeked through, warming the air and glistening off the moisture.
“This is beautiful,” Kate murmured.
“Are you changing your answer from city?” he asked.
“I think I am,” she said.
They were silent for a moment, with both enjoying the atmosphere. Kate noticed Reed glancing her way but thought nothing of it. Then he shifted his chair and waited until she turned and raised an eyebrow.
“Are you going to tell me what’s weighing on your mind?” he asked.
“Sometimes I forget how well you read me.”
He smiled. “Only because I’ve spent so much time with you.”
She watched the clouds part and sunshine fall on the trees, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. Nervous, she struggled to form the words she’d been framing for the last few weeks, surprised to find them difficult to voice.
“What are we to each other?”
“I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
She turned and settled her gaze on him. “We’re more than friends, that much is clear. But we aren’t dating either.”
He looked away. “You know the rules.”
“I want to change them.”
He turned back to face her. “How so?”
She leaned forward, trying unsuccessfully not to fidget. “I know there is something holding you back, and you don’t have to share it—at least not yet. But I think we both know where we are headed. I just want to stop pretending.”
He regarded her with a strained expression. “I care for you a great deal,” he admitted. “But I can’t do what you’re asking.”
“I’m not asking,” she said. “I’m telling you. My feelings for you keep getting deeper with every text, call, and especially every date. I broke up with Jason because we didn’t have what you and I have. I don’t have a name for it. I can’t define it. I just know that I want it.”
“What exactly are you saying?” he asked.
She gathered her courage. “I’m not going to wait forever.”
He settled back in his chair and seemed to stare miles past her. She held her breath, hoping, praying, he wouldn’t say it was over. She’d said what she felt but not the depth of her feelings. Even after the dates they’d gone on, she wasn’t certain she could trust him that much. Not yet.
“I don’t know if I can do what you want,” he said softly.
“Then we can part ways,” she said, struggling to contain the sudden burst of fear.
“Will you give me time to think about it?”
Relief flooded her frame, so palpable she could taste its warmth. “I don’t want to stop dating you, Reed. But if your rules don’t change, I will.”
“I understand,” he said.
Recognizing the conversation had reached an end, she rotated her chair and tried not to let her anxiety show on her face. They sat in silence, watching the rain gradually pick up again, as if the clouds had parted to bring a moment of clarity to just them. Shortly after, Harold and Pepper appeared at the end of the driveway.
He carried a tool bag while she carried a dark piece of machinery. Kate smiled when she saw their hands intertwined. Both dressed in rain slickers, they walked up the porch steps and Pepper removed her hat.
“Your car is ready to go,” she said.
Reed was already on his feet. “Thank you,” he said. “How much do I owe you?”
“The part cost—”
“Harold,” Pepper said sharply.
“Yes, dear,” he rumbled. “Take care of your girl, there.”
Harold stepped off the porch and walked toward the barn. Kate wasn’t sure if he’d been talking about her or Reed’s car, but Pepper was all smiles. She removed her hat and shook her white hair. Then she smiled and gestured inside.
“You’re welcome to stay a while. The storm’s picking up again.”
“No, thank you,” Reed said. “We’d better get back.”
“The bread was delicious,” Kate said, and impulsively hugged the woman.
“Well thank you, dear,” she said, her tone pleased. “Stop in anytime.”
Reed stepped forward and embraced her as well. “That was for Harold,” he said.
She laughed lightly. “I’ll make sure he gets the message.”
He picked up the umbrella and opened it, and Kate stepped beneath its protection. As they strode to the car it seemed to her that Reed walked a fraction apart, yet a chasm had appeared between them.
Chapter 6
They got into the car and Reed turned around, obviously headed back to Boulder. Kate assumed it was because of the delay, not
because of their conversation. She hoped. She assumed. She hoped. She frowned and looked out the window.
“Can I ask you a question?” Reed asked.
“What type of question?”
“How much time?” She glanced his way and saw cautious amusement on his features. When their eyes met he broke into a tentative smile. “I mean, today? Next week? A few months?”
“You want an actual deadline?” she asked, unable to resist his smile.
“That would be helpful,” he said.
She considered an answer and then shrugged. “Two months,” she said.
“Good,” he said, his tone relieved.
She waited for him to explain and when he didn’t she asked, “Why?”
“Because I’ve already planned our next date,” he said. “And I’m not taking another girl.”
“I should hope not,” she said.
They both laughed, the humor easing the tension. The conversation shifted to other topics, but Kate frequently found his eyes on her, and knew he was thinking about her ultimatum. Content to wait, she did not bring it up again.
“I wish we could go to the mine,” she lamented.
“Some other time,” he said. “Our tour is over by now so I’ll have to reschedule.”
“For a spontaneous date, it ended up ranking fairly well,” she said. “Better than dates with other guys, but not your best.”
“You’re not going to let me live it down, are you.”
She smiled and rubbed her hands together like a villain. “Nope. Now I get to take the lead.”
“You think so?”
“And I know just what to do,” she said.
He released an exaggerated sigh. “I guess I have to let you win one round.”
“Let me win?” She smacked him on the shoulder. “I don’t think so. Harold and Pepper may have improved your date, but it was still a bust.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” he said, pointing to the glove compartment. “Can you grab a pen and paper?”
“Why?” she asked, doing as he requested.
“I want you to write down their address.”
“You know it?”
“I spotted it on the mail on the table,” he said. “I want to send them money for the fuel pump.
“They won’t accept that,” she said.
“I know,” he said, and smiled. “That’s why I’m going to say its payment for the bread.”
She grinned and scribbled down the address. Then she put the pen away and placed the notepad on the dash. The gesture was clever and thoughtful, and Kate realized that Reed’s flair for the creative went beyond dating.
They talked and laughed the rest of the way home, but Kate felt the omnipresent weight of her ultimatum. It didn’t wear on her shoulders—instead, it seemed to make every conversation more real. A gauntlet had been thrown down, and the challenge would either be accepted . . . or rejected.
With a distant deadline, she found herself feeling confident, but a seed of doubt lodged in her gut. Losing Jason had cost her a year of regret. What would be the price of losing Reed? She shuddered and watched the rain fall, fighting to put her doubt back into its corner.
They reached her house and he walked her to the door, reaching it just as the storm picked up again, the rain battering his car, the house, and the lawn. Side spray drifted across them, the air growing chilly once again.
“Your turn,” he said, pulling her into an embrace.
“See you soon,” she said.
Heat blossomed in her chest as she clung to him. The seconds passed and she kept waiting for him to speak or pull away. He did neither. When he finally did, his voice was barely audible over the storm.
“Whatever happens,” he murmured, “I feel the same as you.”
Then he pulled away and sprinted to his car, ducking into the driver’s seat as she stood on the porch. The freezing air battered her frame, intent on sapping every shred of heat. But she was no longer cold. Her heart beat against her ribs, sending heat flooding her frame, burning all the way into her toes.
He hadn’t said he was falling for her.
But that’s what she’d heard.
Excerpt from Volume 10
“You have to tell her,” Jackson said.
“I can’t,” Reed said. “She won’t understand.”
“If you don’t tell her, you’ll lose her anyway,” Jackson said.
They were sitting at the kitchen table. It had been several hours since his failed date with Kate, but the storm still raged, the rain falling in sheets that clattered off the roof. Jackson had walked in at eight and found Reed sitting on the couch, staring at a dark screen. At his prompting, Reed had shared Kate’s ultimatum.
Jackson stepped to the fridge and returned with two beers and a soda for Reed. Then he sank into his seat and stared out the window in the backyard. Time slipped by as they both watched the rain.
“I don’t want to lose her,” Reed said, gripping the cold can in his hand.
“Then you have to break your promise to Aura,” Jackson said.
Reed released a long breath. “That promise has become everything.”
“I know,” Jackson said. “But which do you want more, a promise from the past? Or the promise of a future?”
Reed raised an eyebrow to his roommate. “Since when do you have poignant advice?”
“I’m not just a sports guy,” Jackson said, his tone indignant.
“Are you sure you didn’t read it on a fortune cookie?”
Jackson grinned. “Quote of the day, actually.”
Reed laughed, his amusement fading as thunder rumbled in the distance. As they continued to talk he reminded himself that he had a few weeks, and it was her turn to ask him out. They continued to debate his predicament until the dropping temperatures drove them inside.
Abruptly tired, Reed got ready for bed and then wrote a note to Harold and Pepper that included the money for the fuel pump. Distracted as he was, he didn’t want to forget. When he was finished he fished through his desk until he found a stamp and left it ready on his desk. Then he climbed into bed with his phone.
I enjoyed today, he sent to Kate.
Her response came quickly. So did I. But I was afraid of your response.
Why?
Because I didn’t know what you felt. Our challenge is fun, but we don’t really talk about those kinds of things.
Reed hesitated, and then said, I don’t want our challenge to end.
I’m ready to listen when you’re ready to talk.
I know. He said.
Reed waited for a response but none came, so he plugged his phone in and then put his head down. He watched the phone, hoping for another text, but the next thing he knew his alarm blared for him to wake up.
Over the next week he cancelled the only two dates not with Kate. He’d already stopped planning new ones because it wouldn’t be fair to another girl. It did mean he was only dating Kate, but they hadn’t advanced their relationship, so it wasn’t technically exclusive. He hoped.
A week after his date, he sat back and stared at his wall calendar of the year. Just four months ago it had been packed with dates, sometimes four in a week. Now his schedule just showed Kate’s name scribbled in. Although the calendar was open, it didn’t feel empty.
He stepped out of his room and shouldered his backpack just as Jackson appeared in his door, also shouldering his backpack. They shared a grin and stepped to the door together. Reed swung the front door open to reveal a bright sunrise cresting over the homes across the street.
“Looks like a nice day . . .”
Reed trailed off as he caught sight of his car. He’d parked it the previous night in its usual spot, right next to Jackson’s truck. Although it was obviously still his car, several objects were missing.
The wheels.
Set up on cinder blocks, the car looked like an aged brick. The steering wheel was gone, as were the seats and sections of the interior paneling. Wiring and steel fra
mework were visible like bones on a carcass.
Reed’s eyes flicked to Jackson’s truck, a far newer and more expensive vehicle, but it was untouched. He’d waxed it recently and it glimmered in the light. Shocked at the robbery, he turned to Jackson, who bore a smirk on his face.
“Need a ride to class?” he asked, sliding on his sunglasses.
Reed blinked in recognition. “Kate?”
“Who else?” Jackson asked.
Reed began to laugh and approached his stripped car. As he drew close he spotted a note on the front seat. He unlocked the door and swung it open. Picking up the note, he unfolded it to reveal a message written from lettering cut from magazines.
Your car has proven inadequate. If you want to see your car whole again, be ready on June 21st at 6:00. It’s time you drove a real car.
Jackson leaned over his shoulder. “She seems to have taken issue with your car breaking down.”
“But what does she mean by a real car?” he asked.
“You’ll find out on Thursday,” he said with a smirk. “Right now, we should get to class.”
“How did she do this?” Reed asked, sweeping a hand at the car.
“Marta’s cousin is a mechanic,” Jackson said.
“He did this?”
“Kate and her roommates came with him last night,” Jackson said. “Apparently they wanted to have a part in dismantling your car.”
“You saw it all?”
“I watched from the window,” he admitted. “I was supposed to keep you inside but you went to bed early. It was surprising how fast they finished.”
“When do I get it back?” Reed asked, finally turning away from his demolished car.
“I suppose when you agree to accept the date,” Jackson said, unlocking the door.
As they pulled onto the road, Reed took out his phone to text Kate, but hesitated, an idea forming in his mind. It had never occurred to him before, but then, he’d never had a girl ask him on a date before—not like this.
A sly smile spread on his face as he mulled it over, considering the ramifications of responding to the invite in such a manner. Kate clearly thought she had him figured out, but if he did this, it would make for an incredible surprise.