Would that be stupid of us or romantic?
“Sophie, it’s so great to see you. You look really good.”
They pulled away. “You do, too.”
Now that they’d got past the hugging stage she thought about giving him a kiss on the cheek for old times, but he made the first move and kissed her lips instead.
She closed her eyes. How long had it been since they’d kissed? Seemed like eternity. Sophie thought it would be just a quick peck. She wasn’t expecting anything more, but Wade’s lips lingered on hers.
Sophie had always loved the way he kissed. No other guy, including her ex-husband, had kissed quite like Wade. He was the first boy she’d ever kissed, and it had been the summer of her sixteenth birthday. Yes, they’d kissed before, play sort of ones, quick ones where their lips smacked together for a few seconds. But on that birthday things had gotten more serious, and the kiss had been longer; mouths had opened, and eager tongues had slipped beyond their lips. When they’d finally pulled away Wade had said something she still remembered to this very day.
“You’re going to be my only girlfriend, and I’ll be your only boyfriend, so we won’t have any other first kisses, which officially makes that our last first kiss.”
Wade had finally pulled away, and Sophie smiled, remembering his words verbatim. He hadn’t broken that promise. She had.
“You look so mature,” he said, running his hand down her left cheek.
“Does that mean old?”
“No, it means you’ve turned from a pretty girl into a beautiful young woman.”
Wade had always had a way with words. Compliments seemed more special when they spilled off his tongue.
The buzzer on the carousel sounded, and it began moving.
“I guess we should get your luggage and start the journey home. You must be tired.”
He put his arm around her waist as they walked along.
“Yeah, I was up at 5 a.m. this morning because I started work on a new client’s living room at seven. Well, at least it’s only 10 p.m. in Seattle, so my body doesn’t think it’s quite time for bed yet.”
“I’m betting your head will hit the pillow fast and hard once you get back to Greenville. Hey, do you still snore?”
Sophie playfully smacked him on the arm but then suddenly felt sad. Sad about all the years that had gone by and the fact they hadn’t even spoken to one another. Embarrassment washed over her, too. She’d done a really shitty thing to him.
Has he forgiven me? I hope so.
“You still crazy about clothes? I mean how many bags are we waiting for here?” He asked as they stood in front of the carousel.
“Just the one.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“I can always buy more things while I’m home.”
“Ah, ha, I knew it, Soph.”
Only Wade had ever called her that, and it took her by complete surprise hearing it after all these years.
An oversized black suitcase with a red stripe running down its middle slid down the chute and headed toward them.
“That’s my bag,” said Sophie, pointing to it.
“Just the one bag she said, but failed to mention that it’s big enough to fit a man inside.”
Wade being six feet three inches in his stocking feet was able to extend his reach and grab its handle long before it approached them. He eased it off the metal ledge and set it on the ground.
“And it feels like you have a man inside here, too. Yep, you’re still a girl who loves her clothes. Okay, I think I’ve spent enough time in Casper airport. Let’s hit the road.”
He put his hat back on and smiled. Wade was one fine looking cowboy. Sophie had always had a weak spot for a man in a cowboy hat and boots. Unfortunately sightings of them in Seattle were far and few between.
“How’s Grans doing?”
“I think she was a little upset when she realized that she was going to jail and not just to the police station to have her photo taken.”
“Will I be able to see her tomorrow?”
“Sure, and I know she’s going to be real excited when she sets eyes upon you.”
“How did she get into this mess?”
“Beats me, but that’s what she’s hired me to find out.”
The sliding glass doors opened, and Sophie enjoyed the first of the Wyoming air. She took a deep breath. She wished she’d come home under better circumstances, but nevertheless she was happy to be back in the state where she’d been born and raised.
“I’m parked over in that ramp,” he said pointing across the street.
“You said she’s hired you,” said Sophie while they waited at the crosswalk.
“Yes, guess you haven’t heard that I decided to become a private investigator when I moved back to Greenville.”
Sophie smiled and turned to look at him. Wade a private eye. A cowboy PI. She could imagine him on surveillance wearing his hat, sitting on horseback and looking through some binoculars.
“How many clients do you have?” she asked as they crossed the road.
“Don’t tell anyone, but Emily’s going to be my first client.”
“My lips are sealed, but I know you’ll do a great job. If anyone can get Grans out of this stupid mess you can.”
“That’s my SUV,” said Wade pointing to a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. He put the bag down and popped open the trunk. First he loaded in Sophie’s suitcase, and then took the bag off her shoulder and placed it on top of it before closing the back door.
“What happened to your black, what was it, a Camero?”
“That bit the dust years ago.”
He opened and held the passenger door for her, and she climbed onto the running board and slid into the seat.
“Do you remember we used to take it to the drive-in movie theater?” she asked him when he got in beside her.
“Yep, a movie and popcorn for two for just $5,” he said sticking the key into the ignition.
“You always were a cheap date,” said Sophie settling back down in the seat.
Wade backed the car out, stopping momentarily to let a car pass.
“I was not.”
“You were, too. Remember those flowers you bought me?”
Wade laughed as he checked the traffic and then merged onto the road leading back to the freeway. “Edith told me I could take whatever I wanted from her garden.”
“She was smarter than you gave her credit for because her garden was always overgrown with weeds.”
“Yeah, so she got some free weeding done that day,” said Wade.
They both burst out laughing. Sophie knew the reason she was in this very situation, sitting here, being taken back to Greenville was because her grandmother was in trouble, but nevertheless she couldn’t help but feel joy inside her. Something in the pit of her stomach made her feel good. She had Wade beside her again. Nothing bad ever happened when he was around.
Sophie turned on the radio and was about to switch stations.
“Hey, I like that music. Don’t tell me you’ve gone from country to rock and roll since you’ve been on the West Coast. What do they call it in Seattle, Gringe?”
Sophie laughed again. “It’s actually Grunge, and no, I still love country music, but that song was all about crying in your beer.”
“Crying in your beer, what’s that all about?” he asked momentarily taking his eyes off the road to look at her. “Well, young lady, you’ve become a cynical country girl since you’ve been in the big city. Nothing quite like listening to a cry your heart out in your beer ditty as you travel the highways.”
They both burst out laughing. If this kept up all the way home, her cheeks were going to ache like hell tomorrow.
She attempted to change stations again, but Wade put his hand on top of hers. He obviously didn’t do it to stop her because he just let his fingers rest on top of hers before running one of them over her knuckles. It tickled and felt good.
Sophie closed her eyes wanting to t
urn her hand over and hold onto his. He didn’t move his hand when he asked, “Are you seeing anyone?”
She looked at him.
Why is he asking me that? Does he think there’s still a chance for us?
“I’ve been seeing someone off and on for a couple of months, but it’s nothing serious, more friends than anything else.”
It was true. She and David went out at least once a week, but she never thought of him as serious boyfriend material; and she guessed he felt the same way about her, too. They were just two people who enjoyed one another’s company every so often.
“How about you?” asked Sophie, not sure why she’d asked.
“I’m…”
Sophie looked at him, her heart slowly sinking because she knew what was coming next.
“I’m dating a woman who’s not from Greenville. She just bought the beauty salon.”
Sophie nodded and then looked out of the window. So he hadn’t asked because he thought they’d get back together. He was just making polite conversation. And why would he want to renew a relationship with someone who’d committed the ultimate hurt?
“That’s nice for you,” she simply said, now unable to look at him.
“Her name’s Cathy Moran. She’s older than me, divorced and has a four year old boy.”
She didn’t answer, couldn’t answer, because she didn’t want to hear about the woman who obviously had his heart. Sophie leaned her head against the pane of glass in the SUV and closed her eyes, almost on the brink of tears. Yeah, it was silly, but when it came to Wade…
“You okay, Sophie?”
“Just tired.”
“Why don’t you take a nap? No snoring though.”
She almost laughed, almost.
Chapter Four
Wade tried to keep his eyes on the road ahead of him, and but every now and then he was tempted to take the odd peek at Sophie. Seeing her again had been rougher on him than he’d ever imagined possible. He’d turned on the cruise control and glanced sideways at her.
Even as a child she’d been pretty, but her beauty had literally taken his breath away when he’d turned and spotted her at the airport. He hadn’t been able to catch it for a couple of seconds as she’d hurried toward him.
Sophie wiggled a little, and then her head fell down further onto her chest. He hoped she wouldn’t get a kink in her neck. However, he didn’t want to wake her because she looked so peaceful.
He snickered a little when he heard a faint snore escape her lips. The first time he’d found out she was a snorer was one hot summer day when they’d built a tree house on her grandmother’s property, and both of them had fallen asleep. He’d heard her snore now and then, and they’d become more frequent and a touch louder. When she’d finally woken up he’d teased her big time.
“I do not snore,” she had said.
“How would you know what you do when you’re asleep?”
“I’d know if I snore. Grans would tell me because her bedroom is opposite mine, and we both leave our doors open so the dog can sleep on our beds when he wants.”
“She’s too polite.”
“I bet it’s you who was snoring, and you’re blaming me.”
“How could I be snoring if I was wide awake?”
“Then it’s one of the horses because it wasn’t me.”
She’d folded her arms across her chest and pushed out her lower lip, and he’d burst out laughing.
“Don’t worry, Soph, because you’ll be marrying me, sleeping next to me for the rest of your life, so no one ever has to know your secret.”
Wade took in a deep breath. He wondered if her ex had heard her snoring and what he’d thought. He shook his head. He didn’t want to go down that road and think about Travis right now.
When he’d set eyes on Sophie at the airport he’d fallen in love with her all over again. Nope, that wasn’t true; he’d never fallen out of love with her. As they walked to his SUV he’d had the strangest thought about the two of them reconnecting while she was home, becoming lovers even. But then he’d realized maybe that’s not what she wanted, and he’d get hurt again. They’d be embarrassed, and not speak to one another for the next eight years. He never wanted that to happen ever again. Now they’d reconnected he wanted it to stay like that.
And then there was Cathy.
He’d told Sophie about her for one reason, and it wasn’t to let her know he was off limits while she was home, but more as a reminder to himself that he wasn’t available. He and Cathy had connected one night when they’d both been lonely and dining alone at one of Greenville’s cafes. He had to admit that up ‘til now it had been more a physical thing rather than a real romance.
While he and Cathy hadn’t moved into the serious zone in their relationship, and he wasn’t sure if they ever would, he wasn’t the kind of guy who’d drop a woman at a moment’s notice when another one stepped back into his life.
Not any woman. Sophie, you idiot.
He had a tough road ahead of him. Being around Sophie and not wanting to hold her hand, kiss, her, and yes, make love to her would be a killer. They’d never gotten to the having sex bit before. Now she’d only been back in his life less than twenty minutes, and the blood was already rushing to his groin and cock. Just like it had been when he was a teenager and she was turning into a young lady.
Wade signaled right and turned onto the road leading into Greenville. Just another couple of miles, and she’d be home. He assumed she’d want to stay at Mountainview. He could of course take her to his place. No, the temptation would be too great for him. If he drove her there, he’d just carry her inside, put her on the bed, and… Mountainview it was.
He took the back road into the B and B and turned off the lights when they got to the main parking lot. Judging by the number of cars there, a few more guests had obviously checked in since he’d left earlier that afternoon.
Sophie was still asleep. He hated waking her, but she couldn’t spend all night out in his SUV. Not that he wouldn’t mind spending it with her, but by morning they’d probably both be paying the price with stiff backs and legs.
“Sophie,” he whispered. He gave her arm a slight nudge.
“What, where am I?” Her head shot up so fast, even he heard it pop. She put her hand on the back of her neck. “Ouch,” she said.
“Hey, you okay? I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“I’m fine. I just forget where I was at, and my neck cracked.”
“Yeah, I heard it.”
Without thinking about the consequences, he put his hand on the nape of her neck and began massaging it. Her body relaxed and melted into his palm.
“That’s the exact spot,” she said.
“You’ve always had the softest skin I’ve known.”
Wade leaned in, his mouth just inches from her ear. He could smell her perfume. If he wasn’t mistaken it was the same one she’d worn since she’d been a teenager. She asked for the same one every Christmas. It was light, smelled like fresh flowers with a touch of something exotic. Yeah, that was the smell of his Sophie, all right.
It made him lightheaded, pushed his defenses down, but he needed to control himself. He took away his hand.
“Let’s get you up to your room so you can get a good night’s sleep.”
Sophie went ahead of him. He got her bags out the back of the vehicle and followed her inside the back entrance that lead up to the owner’s section of Mountainview. He hadn’t been through this particular part of the building since the day…
He froze on the spot.
Can I do this?
Could he see the bedroom where he’d learned firsthand of her betrayal? And right now he was standing by the very bush he’d thrown up underneath when he run outside hoping it was all a horrible nightmare. He hadn’t even bothered to drive his car back home. He’d just run a mile down the road to the safety of his house and never returned to Mountainview. His dad had had to come back and get the car for him the following day.
<
br /> Things were different now. It was water under the bridge as they said, and they were moving on.
When he stepped inside the owner’s apartment Wade tried not to look anywhere in particular, hoping that would be enough to stop any bad memories from surfacing. He took a deep breath when he got to Sophie’s old room.
He stepped inside and put her bags on the bed.
The place looked exactly the same. The bed was the same. Well, two people weren’t in it making love.
“You okay, Wade?”
He nodded.
“Shit, I hadn’t thought about asking you to come in here,” said Sophie. “You haven’t been back since that day, have you?”
“It’s okay, Soph, really it is.”
She stepped toward him, arms outstretched, and pulled him in close.
Now he was a goner. He put his arms around her. They looked at one another, and then it happened.
He kissed her.
Not a welcome home kiss this time, but the beginning of an old lovers’ reunion type of one.
She opened her mouth to him, and he couldn’t resist letting his tongue slip by her lips. Fire burned in his groin, smoldering hot. He never held Cathy quite like this. In fact, he never felt this worked up about her either.
He drew Sophie in closer, no longer embarrassed that he had an erection and that it was impossible to hide. The room was spinning, and he was thinking about letting his hand slide to her breast when Sophie pulled away.
“Your girlfriend…Cathy, wasn’t it? I don’t think you should hurt her like I hurt you,” she said looking up at him with those beautiful blue eyes, rimmed by the long lashes that had always held him spellbound.
She was right. They shouldn’t be doing this.
Wade simply nodded.
“How about I come by in the morning, pick you up and take you for breakfast at one of Greenville’s fine establishments? After, I’ll take you to see your grandma,” he said.
“That would be the beginning of a perfect day.”
He turned to leave, thinking it best that he didn’t even give her a peck on the cheek goodnight after what had just happened between them.
“Wade.”
He turned to face her again. “Yes.”
Last First Kiss Page 3