“I noticed you, too. Why else would I come to a coffee shop where the counter girl screws up my order every single time?”
“For the lemon muffins?” I asked.
“No, not the muffins. I throw those out as soon as I’m down the street. I hate lemon.”
I raised an eyebrow, confused. “Then why the hell do you order them all the time?”
He raised his hand and pushed my bangs out of my face before stepping back. “I don't.”
Unreal. I couldn’t believe how humiliating this was. “So why come here?”
He chuckled again and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, it sure isn't for the sugarless coffee or the stale muffins.”
“I heard that!” Mari yelled from the back room. I should've known she’d be eavesdropping on me. The bitch.
“Is that your mom?” he asked.
I laughed, loudly. “Oh my God, I love you!”
As soon as the words flew out of my mouth, I was back to plotting my own death. My hand flew up to cover my evil flapping lips, and my eyes bugged out of my head.
He raised an eyebrow, and I could see the amusement in his eyes. He was having fun with this.
“I didn't mean it that way. I mean, well, that was funny because Mari is old and I got carried away. I don’t love you—well, not yet. I like you, or I will, probably. Shoot me now! I’m rambling again.”
“So, what time do you get off, Paisley.”
Well, that was a loaded question.
“At two,” I answered.
“Are you busy tonight?”
“So soon? Now?”
I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth and bit down. I had to try to act like I wasn't in need of some sort of help around him.
I hadn't expected him to ask me out for the same day. It caught me off guard, and I wasn’t sure I was ready. I needed time to prepare, to talk myself down. To shave my legs and things!
He looked at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. It was a make-or-break moment at that point. I didn't want to make him think I wasn't interested just because he made me act like a dork.
So I smiled. One of those eyelash batty ones. A flirty one.
“Actually, tonight is good. Great.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded.
“Will seven o’clock work for you?”
Again, I nodded. Seven, six, five…now.
“Give me your number. I’ll call you when I’m on my way and get directions.”
I couldn't stop smiling. I'd done it. I had a date with Boone Walker.
There weren’t adequate words to describe how nervous I was about my date with Boone. I’d never wanted something so badly. That scared the crap out of me. I had a history of putting huge expectations on things, only to be disappointed in the end. I didn’t trust many people and hadn’t had a lot of reason to, frankly. Plus, bad luck followed me around like a feral cat, no matter how optimistic I tried to be.
Something about Red River felt different, and that went for Boone as well. He wasn’t some punk boy ready to get down my pants. He was a man—sweet, charming, and gorgeous.
I had to admit all my fantasies about him were off. With his gruff voice, thick beard, and muscular build, he reminded me of the type of guy that would throw you over his shoulder and drag you off to his lair to screw you six ways to Sunday.
After talking to him, I found him much softer, almost a gentle giant. He had a good sense of humor, a beautiful smile, and great eyes—the kind that really looked at you when you spoke.
I loved all of that, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to hang out in his lair. Because I did.
This was why I wanted to look nice for our date. I was no Supermodel, but I wasn't a schmuck either. I had pretty eyes, great hair, straight teeth, and clear skin. Sure, I was short and a little skinny, but I did have some boobs, and they made up for my lack of ass…or so I’d been told.
I wanted a second chance at a first impression with him. I’d always been a talker, but around him my mind and body worked in different directions than usual. It was maddening. I wasn’t used to being so off-kilter.
I’d already fallen for the guy. There was no way to explain how or why. I just had.
There was so much I wanted to know about him, and I wondered where he’d take me. He was a bit older than I was, so I was sure he had plenty of experience with dating. I had not. Right off the bat, it didn’t seem like we had a lot in common, but I hoped somehow that wouldn’t matter.
After pulling everything I owned out of my closet, I sat on the edge of my bed and sighed.
“Just be Paisley. He asked you out in that stupid coffee uniform; he's not going to care what you're wearing.”
I agreed with myself. In my experience, guys had no idea what girls had on most of the time anyway. Most of the guys I’d dated were only concerned with getting me out of what I had on. Plus, he didn't seem that shallow. He usually dressed casual. Those damn torn t-shirts gave me all the flutters.
I gave myself a nod, hopped up, grabbed one of my go-to outfits, and that was that. Cute, date-worthy, and totally me. I was ready to go.
I bopped around the house while I waited for him to arrive like I had ants in my pants. The anticipation was killing me. When the doorbell rang at ten minutes to seven, my heart took off like a launched missile.
“Holy shit!”
I leaned my head against the door, and looked out the peep-hole to get a good look before I let him in. There he was—handsome as ever in a brown leather jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans. I sighed a little, glad that I hadn't thrown on something stupid and inappropriate to impress him. Just as I'd thought, he wasn't that way. The guy in the coffee shop was the guy on my doorstep, and I was making him wait.
“Crap!”
“Paisley,” he said. “Are you going to open the door?”
“Oh, right. The door!” I said to myself.
I pulled it open and held my breath. When I looked up at him, I could have sworn he was surrounded by rainbows, stars, and hearts. I was plain old stupid for the guy. The tiny glimpse through the peephole gave me chills, but the whole package up close blew me away.
“I brought you flowers.”
He smiled and pulled a bouquet out from behind his back, thrusting it toward me.
I let out a little giggle. “I see that. Thank you. So, this is like a real date?”
He scoffed. “As opposed to a fake one?”
Embarrassed, I lowered my eyes and took the flowers, bringing them to my nose and taking a big whiff. They were wildflowers—colorful and fragrant. My favorite flowers.
My knees buckled.
“I wasn't sure what this was. I mean, I was in rare form earlier. I'm not usually so spastic, and I didn't know if you just felt obligated to say yes because you caught me talking to myself or...”
He shoved both hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “I don't do anything I don't want to do, Paisley. I've been trying to get up the nerve to ask you out for months. You beat me to it.”
“Oh.”
“So, are we doing this?” He said, nodding over his shoulder.
I nodded and grabbed his hand, pulling him inside. “I want to put these in water so they don't die. I kill everything, so I should at least give them a shot.”
He laughed and stumbled in behind me. I felt him giving my place the once-over and concentrated on finding a damn vase in my messy kitchen.
My apartment wasn’t what you'd call cute, clean, or big. Honestly, it was just a place to lay my head. I'd lucked out with cheap rent thanks to Mari and her husband, Tommy, but it was kind of a hole.
It hadn’t been painted in ages, and before I moved in, they’d used the space for storage. It had that funky, musty smell of dust and dirt, and no matter how much incense I burned, it still wasn’t pleasant.
Then there was the crap I’d acquired since I’d moved in. I had a soft spot for trinkets, tchotchkes, and things. As a kid, my mom and I moved around so much that I had to leave a lot behind.
Before moving into that tiny apartment, I’d never even had my own bed. My little things were important to me, and I loved seeing them out and around my space. I hoped he did too.
Boone was quiet as he milled around my room. I busied myself, shoving the flowers in a vase I’d salvaged from a ceramics class a few months back, and went in to get him so we could leave.
“Okay, I'm ready!”
He turned slowly, smiling. “Your place is nice.”
I rolled my eyes. It so wasn't nice. “Thanks. It’s a mess, but I didn’t figure you’d come up tonight, so I didn’t clean. Tomorrow’s laundry day.” I pointed at the heap of clothes in the hallway and ducked my head.
I was such a slob.
“No, I like it. I'm glad to see you like flowers.”
He nodded toward my failed attempt at floral arranging and smiled. Again, I wanted to curl up in a ball.
“Oh, uh, those are from my floral arrangement classes. I was going to get rid of them.”
Of course, he smiled. “You want to be a florist?”
I shook my head and laughed under my breath. “I did for a while, but it wasn't for me. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be.”
He hummed and looked around some more. “Well, I like them. They're nice.”
No, he was being nice. They were pretty terrible, but it'd taken me forever to make the horrid things, and I couldn't bear to get rid of them just on principal.
I started chewing on my fingernails, so unsure and nervous; I could've flown right out of my skin. I wanted to escape. My apartment was starting to feel like a torture chamber.
He turned around and ran his hand over his hair. “I'm embarrassed to admit I don't really have anything planned. I figured we could go back to the ranch. Have some dinner.”
My heart started thumping like a bunny caught in a trap. His ranch? Holy hell.
“I'm good doing whatever. I'm easy.”
His lips pulled up into a playful grin, and I realized that once again I'd put my big fat foot in my mouth. “Not like that!” I snapped. “I mean, I'm not a prude, either. I have sex, but not all the time, and not all the way. We don't have to do that, or we can. Whatever.”
He took two long strides across the room, grabbed my hand, kissed it, and wrapped an arm around my waist.
“I'm going to have fun with you, aren't I, Paisley?”
Paisley gawked at my truck like it was a UFO. She sure was a tiny one, but we weren’t going to have any problems getting her into my truck. Come hell or high water, I was spending the evening with this little treat, even if we had to hoof it to get there.
“Come on, now,” I grumbled. I picked her up, causing her to squeal, and just as I thought, she weighed no more than a kitten. I opened the door, dropped her in the seat, and tried to avoid staring at the way her skirt slid up her thigh.
She was a little skinny—at least I thought she was—but my mama’s cooking would fix that right up.
“See? We’re all good, baby girl. You ready?”
She nodded, and her eyes were as wide as a doe. I wanted to grab her up and put a kiss on her that would knock her unconscious. I knew the day I saw her she was going to be the one to tie my heart up in knots.
And damn if she hadn’t already started.
Things were quiet as we drove through town and out onto the road that led to my property. I honestly couldn’t wait to spend time with her, but I wasn’t one to spend a lot of time in restaurants or bars. It made me happy she was agreeable to a quiet dinner at the ranch. I wanted to get to know what made those big brown eyes come to life. A crowded restaurant wouldn’t afford me that chance.
I couldn’t stand not touching her anymore, so I reached over, put my hand around her waist, and dragged her across the seat so she was snug against me.
“So, Paisley, tell me all about you.”
She let out a nervous giggle, and I squeezed her side. I didn’t want her to be afraid of me, and the quicker we got down to the facts, the quicker we could relax and have fun. Besides, I loved the way she went on about things. It made me smile—something I did too little of nowadays.
“Well, I moved here in June. My car broke down, and I liked it, so I stayed.”
Interesting.
“Where are you from originally?”
She sighed. “Here, there, and everywhere. I was born in New York, but we never really stayed anywhere for a very long time. My mom’s an artist, and she mostly sold her art at festivals and fairs, so we moved where the buyers were. If she liked a town enough, we’d hang out awhile, but it was never for long.”
There was sadness in her voice. Something about that bothered me. If I had it my way, she’d never leave Red River. No one should feel like they don’t belong somewhere. Home was important, and it broke my heart that she felt like she didn’t have one.
“Must have been hard moving around like that. Where’s your ma now?”
She shrugged. “She shacked up with some rich guy and decided to finally settle down. Well, as settled as she gets at least. I didn’t like him, so I headed out on my own for a while. Fate dropped me down in Red River, gave me a job, and here I am.”
I smiled down at her. It was like she read my mind. “Well, I’d have to say I’m glad it did.”
“Me too.”
It was quiet enough to be a whisper, but I heard it. Loud and clear.
“Do you ride a bull?”
I barked out a laugh and shook my head. “No, no bulls for me. I rode bronc’s.”
“Bucking Bronco,” she muttered under her breath.
Damn, the girl had no care for what came out of her mouth. It was refreshing, and something I looked forward to hearing more of. Most girls were giddy around me. They tried so hard to look pretty and act stupid, and I found nothing about that particularly appealing. It was damn boring, if I was honest. I had years of buckle bunnies throwing themselves at me, and I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t catch a few, but I’d never met a girl as refreshing as Paisley.
Or as pretty.
She was young, too. I left the coffee shop the first time I saw her and wondered if I’d lost my mind. She had to be at least ten years younger, so I tried to fight off my attraction to her. Day after day I watched her reaction to me; the shy dip of her chin, the nervous mix-ups, and the sweet smiles. After a time, the fighting stopped, and the lust kicked right in.
Age was only a number as far as I was concerned.
”Why would you keep coming into the shop when I screw up your order?”
I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and grinned. “Pretty sure if you think hard enough you’d figure it out, sweetheart. Had more to do with the girl giving the coffee than the coffee itself.”
She looked down at her lap and fiddled with her hands. I loved when she blushed, and the hint of pink on her cheeks caused a stir in my pants.
Everything she did caused a stir in me.
I turned off the main street and onto the road leading to the ranch. I couldn’t wait to show her my land, hoping like hell she’d take to the way we lived out there.
I could only hope.
The ranch was my sanctuary. There was nowhere in the world I felt so much peace. I had simple needs, and everything I wanted was on that land. My family, my horses, and the ability to build on something my family had created over four generations.
All that was missing was someone to come home to at night. Someone to make me smile and keep me warm.
Someone like Paisley.
“It’s beautiful out here. I love the way the hills look in the evening. You can see all the stars. Like holes in a blanket!”
My heart swelled. Lord, I could picture sitting on the long wide porch after supper with her head in my lap as we counted the stars. I wanted to kiss her, badly. My mama raised a gentleman, but it was taking every spec of control not to slam on the brakes, take her in my arms, and press my lips to hers.
“Wait until it gets real dark. It seems like you can reach up and grab one
in your hands.”
She sighed, scooted closer to me, and leaned into my shoulder.
I liked it a lot.
Like she was made to be there.
Once we cleared the gate, I wanted to cuss out loud when I saw my dad’s truck parked in front of my house. My parents lived on the other side of the property in the main house, so I’d asked my mama to cook up something for us to eat.
That was a bad plan. She apparently wasn’t going to wait to meet Paisley like I’d asked.
Was it romantic to have your mom cook dinner for your girl on the first date? Probably not, but I wasn’t good at this shit, and I couldn’t cook to save my life. I didn’t want to poison her, and you can be sure anything I tried to cook would surely make her sick.
I should’ve known my mom would stick around. Damn it all.
I pulled up behind the truck, shut off the ignition, and turned in my seat to face Paisley.
“This is where you live? Holy shit! No wonder you looked at my apartment like I lived behind a dumpster! That’s a huge house!”
She shook her head slowly, looking at the house like she’d never seen one before. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was a nice house. I built it several years back, knowing I’d come home one day, and had no interest in living with my folks when I did.
“Before we go in, I gotta warn you. My mama’s here. I want to start off being truthful. I can’t cook, and I asked her to make us supper.”
Her eyes went soft. “You asked your mom to make me dinner?”
“You mad?” I asked.
“That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”
She got up on her knees, and I watched, paralyzed as her face got closer and closer until her lips were on mine.
It was a quick kiss, more like a peck, but I felt the burn, and that sweet softness lingered. I decided right then and there we’d be doing plenty more of that before I had to take her home.
If I ever let her go.
“Are you real?”
I laughed. “And here I was worried you’d be insulted. I think if that’s the reaction I get, I’ll be asking ma to make us dinner every time.”
Our eyes locked, and for a long moment, everything stood still. There was a lot you could learn from someone’s eyes, and in hers I saw a yearning—one I recognized a little too well. She wanted someone to rely on, a person to call her own and be her home. Someone to love her, and take care of her.
What the Heart Wants: An Opposites Attract Anthology Page 2