“It’s a beautiful night. A walk would be nice.”
He popped a breath mint into his mouth and offered her his arm. She took it. It felt natural. Together, they strolled quietly down Main Street. Rows of quaint shops lined the sidewalk—the On A Roll bakery, The Three Sisters dress shop, the Dolce Vita gourmet grocery and Barbara’s beauty salon.
This was her world. All these places were familiar to her. Tonight he wanted to see her world through her eyes.
They passed an upscale restaurant with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that folded open. Customers dined alfresco at tables that edged out to the sidewalk and sported crisp white linens and small votive candles. Each table was occupied and it appeared that a small crowd was waiting for a vacancy. Soft strains of jazz and conversation drifted from the establishment, which obviously wasn’t hurting for business on this pleasant Sunday might.
“Bistro Saint-Germain,” Shane said, reading the restaurant’s name from the French-styled wall sign. The place was more sophisticated than Taco’s, but it smelled just as delicious. In a different way. “How’s the food?”
“It’s great,” AJ said. “I worked here when I first moved back to town, before I opened the catering company.”
The man who stood at the reservations stand just inside the door waved enthusiastically at AJ, then came outside to hug her. She introduced Shane to James, the owner of Bistro Saint-Germain. At once, Shane received the same genuine welcome that seemed reserved for locals only. It was a striking contrast to the cool, walls-up greetings he’d received before—if you could call those greetings. They were more aptly “I see you, stranger, and I want you to see me taking note” acknowledgments.
But tonight, with one of Celebration’s own on his arm, Shane was no longer the suspiciously regarded outsider.
Tonight, he was one of them.
“Why don’t you two come in for a glass of wine?” James offered. “On the house?”
“I’d love to, but we’re just talking a quick walk. I have a pretty big job tomorrow night—I’m catering a dinner at the Women’s Club. So I’ll need to be rested and have a clear head. By the way,” she added, “you’re closed tomorrow, right?”
James nodded. “Why?”
“Tomorrow, I’m short three servers. They bailed on me today. I was wondering if anyone who works for you might want to pick up a little extra cash helping me out tomorrow?”
James stroked his goatee and thought a moment. “Yes, I have a couple of people I could recommend. But don’t you dare think about stealing them from me, honey. You and I both know how hard it is to find good help these days.”
AJ and James laughed and murmured their agreement. “I’ve got their numbers right here on my BlackBerry,” James said. “I’ll text them to you.”
AJ thanked him and they said their goodbyes—a hug for her and a handshake for Shane. As they walked away from the sound of merriment, the delicious scents at their back, Shane found himself marveling...if AJ used to work here, how was it that she went from chic French cuisine to the tailgating fare he’d sampled yesterday?
Not that there was anything wrong with those sliders. On most days, given the choice, he’d take the sliders hands down over something French and fussy.
“So, what are you serving at this dinner tomorrow?” he asked.
“Why? Do you want to come?” AJ laughed.
He liked the sound of her laugh. He liked her smile and the way she tilted her head to the side when she looked up at him. “To a Women’s Club dinner? Probably not. But I might be able to help you out if you come up short on waitstaff.”
She looked at him as if his offer was the last thing she’d expected to come out of his mouth. Actually, he’d sort of surprised himself. But...yeah, he’d help her out. Why not?
“But you already have a job,” she said.
“I’m not looking for a job. But I do have evenings off.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked.
“You’d want to spend your evening moonlighting for a catering company? Does the army allow that?”
She slipped her arm through his again, and the gesture warmed him. He liked the feel of her small hand on his forearm. “Maybe we could file that one under don’t ask, don’t tell. Besides I wouldn’t expect you to pay me.”
She gazed up at him and knit her brow. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t expect you to work for free.”
“Then I’ll work for food. I don’t get very many home-cooked meals. What exactly does the job require?”
“I take it you’ve never worked catering service before?”
“Is this an interview?” He smiled to let her know he was kidding.
She waved her hand as if trying to erase her words. “That came out wrong. This is not an interview. I didn’t mean for it to sound like one. I’m sure you’re a quick study.”
It felt good walking so close to her, savoring the feel of her warm skin on his, the nearness of her body, the way that she swayed when she walked, which sometimes caused her upper arm to press into his. “Since I joined the army right out of high school, I haven’t had any opportunities to wait tables or learn the fine art of catering.”
“I see,” she said. “So you’ve never done time at the grill before?”
He shrugged. “Heartbreaking, I know, but I guess that’s life.”
“Seriously, is this project you’re working on in Austin typical of what you normally do for the army? Will you be based here for quite a while?”
Yesterday, they had joked about his job being transient, but that was for the benefit of her grandmother. Now, he sensed she wanted to know how much truth was there. But before he could answer her, a couple walking toward them began smiling and waving.
“AJ, so good to see you,” said a petite woman with dark hair, as she pulled AJ into an exuberant hug.
“Sasha, how are you?” AJ returned. “I want you to meet Shane Harrison. He’s in town working on a project for the army. Shane, this is Sasha and Patrick Green, longtime friends of mine. We all grew up right here in Celebration.”
Wow, did anyone leave this town? Not that there was anything wrong with staying or coming back here to live. Choosing to stay in the town in which you grew up didn’t mean a person was boring or unadventurous. It made them stable and...family oriented?
In fact the majority of the people he’d met seemed the sort he’d like to share a community with, if he were looking for that sort of life. Celebration would probably be a fabulous place to settle down and raise a family. After all, even AJ had left and found her way back.
“Hi, Shane, nice to meet you,” said Patrick. “How long are you in town?”
“Just until I complete the project I’m working on. Probably a bit shy of two months.”
AJ’s gaze shot to his. Something he couldn’t identify flashed in her eyes, but she glanced away and smiled before he could read her. Even in the short time he’d known her, he’d realized she had several different types of smiles: the way she smiled at the potential customers at the food fair; the carefree smile her friends elicited; the smile she mustered when she was dealing with her grandmother. He wanted to think she even had a special smile that lit up her face when she looked at him.
Right now, the way her lips curved up at the corners matched none of the expressions he’d seen before. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“Then where are you headed after your assignment is done?” asked Patrick.
“As it stands right now, Italy, but things can change.”
“Italy! We love Italy.” Sasha and Patrick oohed and ahed. “What part? We were in Venice last year.”
“Vicenza, in northern Italy. There’s an army base there.”
He wasn’t sure if they heard him, because they were exchanging a look that was reserved solely for couples who shared intimate memories and private jokes. In that moment, it seemed as if the entire world had fallen away, that he and AJ weren’t standing right in front of the starry-eyed couple.
&nb
sp; He glanced at AJ, who was still wearing her Mona Lisa smile. What had changed? Was she upset that his assignment in Celebration was only temporary? Maybe upset was too strong a word...but she seemed guarded, protecting herself. And that could only mean one thing: she, too, felt the chemistry that had been brewing between them tonight. At least until he’d talked about moving on to his next assignment.
He glanced at Sasha and Patrick as they resumed the conversation with AJ, shifting from their time in Italy to the here and now.
He’d never experienced what he sensed existed between this couple. He’d certainly gotten to know plenty of women. He’d been intimate with his share. Maybe even thought he’d been in love once or twice.
But he’d never had that with a woman.
It stirred something in him...loss? No.
Longing?
Let’s not go there.
Instead, he watched AJ as she talked to her friends about everything from AJ’s business to the new pottery painting shop that a former classmate of theirs was opening, to a meeting about forming a neighborhood watch program and how terrible it was that crime had found Celebration—and yes, all three of them would be attending the meeting.
As they talked, Shane glanced from AJ, to the Greens’ entwined hands, to the softly lit storefronts lining Main Street, to the square a little farther down the road.
Obviously people returned to Celebration for a reason...and this sense of friendship, this sense of community was probably it. He wondered what it would be like to belong. To not be a stranger who was poised to move along even before he’d unpacked in the city in which he was arriving.
He let his mind go and imagined what it would be like to shop in these stores for food and clothing and hardware. To instinctively know where to find anything he might need and walk right to it without wandering or asking someone to point you in the right direction.
For the most part, small town living—or at least life in a town this small—meant your life was an open book. Shane didn’t have anything to hide. So that’s not what made him squirm. What did was the thought of loving again and losing everything.
Been there, done that. It could all be taken away so easily.
Celebration was not so dissimilar from Burns, Oklahoma, where he’d grown up. Was this what his life might have been like if his family hadn’t died?
He clenched his fists, as if trying to tamp down the question. But it still popped up. Would he have gone away to college and come back to set down roots if he hadn’t known how easily roots could be extracted by the unmerciful hand of death?
He refused to even speculate. Probably because he couldn’t. His life was what it was. There was no sense in dwelling on a past that couldn’t be changed.
After Shane and AJ said good-night to the Greens, they continued their stroll toward the square. Only this time something felt different. AJ didn’t loop her arm through his; there was more distance between them as she said hello to several more people who were also walking through downtown tonight. But with the others, she didn’t stop and chat, she didn’t introduce him.
The park looked different at night with its subtle lighting and the absence of the white tents that had changed the landscape of the park yesterday. Tonight, the redbrick City Hall building, looking important and stately, was plainly visible on the west side of the square. Yesterday, it had mostly been obscured by the tents. In the center of the square, the cascading water of a large, lit fountain played a splashing symphony. He led the way to it, saying, “Let’s sit down for a minute.”
Wordlessly, she agreed, and took a seat next to him on the ledge.
“I’ve had a really nice time tonight,” he said.
“I have, too.”
He was trying to find the words to explain that even if he was only going to be here for a couple of months, he still wanted to see her. But every time he tried to put something together in his head, it sounded inadequate.
So he stayed silent hoping that the right words would come to him. Then as if in answer to his prayers, a streak of glittering light blazed across the sky. He leaned in so that his cheek was right next to hers and pointed at the sky.
“Look, there’s a shooting star,” he said. “Make a wish.”
* * *
AJ wished for Shane to kiss her.
The way he’d leaned in so suddenly, she thought he would. His face was so close to hers, she found herself inhaling his air. But he didn’t kiss her. Instead, he leaned back on his elbows and gazed into the clear, inky sky.
AJ stilled, reminding herself that kissing Shane was a bad idea. It had been a long time since she’d kissed a man who wasn’t Danny. Since Shane was leaving to go halfway around the world after he was finished here, it was probably better that she didn’t allow herself to fall for him.
Looking for something—anything—to break the silence, she heard herself say, “Shooting stars remind me of my father,” she said. “As crazy as that might sound.”
“It doesn’t sound crazy. It’s another piece to add the AJ Sherwood-Antonelli puzzle. Tell me more, so that I can keep filling in the missing pieces.”
She turned to him. “No, it’s your turn. I told you something, now you need to tell me something, because you, Mr. I’m-Here-for-Two-Months-then-Jetting-Off-to-Italy are just as big an enigma as you claim I am.”
He glanced over at her and smiled. His teeth looked breathtakingly white and perfect in the low light.
“My turn? I didn’t realize we were playing a game.” The shifting glow from the fountain caught the mirth in his eyes.
“You’re the one who called me a puzzle. Last time I checked, puzzles were games.”
He nodded, then returned his gaze to the sky.
It was so easy to banter with him. It felt almost like a sport. Or at least a match of wits.
“So what you’re saying is you’ll tell me something about you, but then I have to tell you something about me? Like an even exchange?”
“You’re smarter than you look.”
“Ouch! That was harsh.”
She cringed. “That came out completely wrong.”
What she meant was someone with his good looks was not usually quite so astute, but she sensed that if she tried to explain herself she’d end up digging herself in deeper.
No, much better to quit while you’re ahead—
“My family is gone.” He broke the silence. “I lost them all in an accident. So, I suppose, technically, that would make me an orphan.”
AJ stilled again. This time her heart clenched and ached for him. She wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I’m sorry” seemed so woefully inadequate.
So, she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder.
He sat up and drew her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. The gesture was so sweet, so tender, it startled her.
“Your turn,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers.
The intimacy—the puzzle piece he’d shared, the hand kiss, the awareness of her hand in his—it threw her off balance, messing up her equilibrium.
Dating again after all these years felt strange. She wondered whether that was what she should she tell him? Tell him he was the first man in nearly five years who had tempted her?
No. Even she knew one of the principle rules of Dating 101 was to not talk about your exes—especially not your dead fiancé. Well, not on the first date anyway. Especially when this man, who was very much alive, has somehow shifted closer and was now toying with a strand of her hair.
She could either pull away and call it a night or lean in and...stay?
“Are you okay?” he murmured.
Her skin tingled in response. A clear answer to the question of what she wanted. She nodded. He shifted closer, until his forehead rested on hers. His lips were whisper close and he moved his head so that they were cheek to cheek, his lips still a breath away from her skin.
Now, he was caressing her shoulders, and her last shreds of trepidation fell away to the feel of his
touch.
Until this moment, she hadn’t realized just how much she’d craved a man’s touch.
Not just any man’s touch.
The right man’s touch.
This man’s touch.
Her heart pounded. He was going to kiss her, and she wanted him to. She had no idea what would happen tomorrow or in the next hour, for that matter, but as he slipped his arms around her and pulled her closer, she gave herself over to the longing that blossomed inside of her.
His breath was minty-hot and inviting, eliciting a ragged sigh from her that escaped on a shudder.
His touch was so sure, yet heartbreakingly gentle. It felt safe and right—two things she hadn’t felt in ages. Here, in his arms, was the perfect refuge where she could fall head over heels and disappear into a place where life made sense, where she didn’t have to justify the choices she’d made or the person she wanted to be with.
She turned toward him ever so slightly and he turned to meet her, his lips brushing hers. The kiss started slow and soft. It was a whisper of a kiss, leisurely and slow, with brushes of lips and hints of tongue that made her heart pound and her body say yes! His lips tasted like heaven, and despite the vague buzz in her head, warning that she was kissing a man who was not Danny, she didn’t want Shane to stop.
As if reading her mind, the gentle brushes burst into a voracious hunger that had her parting her lips to deepen the kiss. She opened her mouth, fisting her hands into his shirt, pulling their bodies even closer, clinging to him as if her next life breath would come from him and him alone. He held her tight and deepened the kiss even more.
For a moment, she disappeared into the taste of him—an exotic mix of mint, a hint of margaritas, the salsa they’d shared and something indefinable—something male that threatened to drive her over the edge.
Feelings she thought had died with Danny were bustling and blossoming into a passion that eclipsed her once-logical rationale for protecting her heart. All those reasons why not began to contract and fall away until there was nothing left except raw need and desire.
AJ had no idea how much time had passed when they finally came up for air.
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