Waiting for You (A Contemporary Romance Novel)

by Abigail Strom

  She was stunning.

  Her transformation wasn’t a total surprise. He’d seen a hint of what was to come the night of her sixteenth birthday. But he’d been remembering Erin as a teenager, and the woman he was looking at now was all grown up.

  He didn’t make a conscious decision to move. He was out of his chair and making his way towards her before he had time to think about it.

  The song ended with a flourish and everyone paused to clap for the band, including Erin and the guy she was dancing with.

  He reached out and put a hand on her bare shoulder.

  He must have startled her, because she spun around to face him. Her gray eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink, and she looked so damn pretty it was hard not to stare.

  “Jake,” she said blankly, as if she couldn’t believe he was there.

  “Hi, Erin. It’s nice to see you again.” He glanced at her partner, wondering if this was her husband or boyfriend. “I’m Jake Landry,” he said, holding out his hand.

  The guy nodded. “I remember you from high school,” he said, shaking hands. “I’m Seth Irving. I was in Allison’s class, so you were a couple of years ahead of me.” He turned to Erin with a smile. “Thanks for the dance,” he said. “Are you going to the reunion this year?”

  She nodded. “I’ll be there. I’m trying to talk Beth into coming, too.”

  “I’ll see you in a few months, then. Have a good night, Erin.”

  “You, too.” Seth disappeared into the crowd as couples parted and regrouped, getting ready for the next dance.

  Not her husband or boyfriend, then.

  Erin looked back at him, her cheeks still pink. Jake was concentrating on keeping his eyes on her face and not letting his gaze dip down to all the bare, creamy skin revealed by her dress. It was silver gray, the color of moonlight, and matched her eyes exactly.

  Erin was the first to speak. “It’s good to see you, Jake. I’m sure you hear this a lot, but…I’m glad you’re home safe. Everyone is.”

  “It’s good to see you, too.”

  And it was true. He’d run into plenty of old friends and acquaintances since coming back to Iowa, but this was one of the few times he’d felt honestly happy to see someone again.

  “How have you been?” he asked after a moment.

  “Fine,” she answered. “And you?”

  “Fine.”

  The band had started up again, this time playing an R&B song. It was something slow and sexy, the kind of music it was hard to dance to unless you were with someone you wanted to hold close.

  Erin looked uncomfortable. She glanced at the couples near them and then back at him. “We don’t have to dance,” she said. She tucked a loose curl of golden hair behind her ear, and he followed the movement of her fingers.

  “I don’t mind,” he said.

  She smiled faintly. “No, it’s okay.”

  It occurred to him that I don’t mind probably wasn’t on the list of things women dreamed of hearing on the dance floor.

  “It really was nice to see you,” she said, taking a step back.

  He knew an exit line when he heard one. In another moment she’d be gone.

  Once again he acted without thinking, reaching for her hand.

  “One dance,” he said, even as he wondered what the hell he was doing. He didn’t like to dance, he wasn’t interested in starting something with a woman, and he’d been avoiding social interactions for the last four months.

  But as his hand closed over Erin’s, he realized that the numbness that had become a part of him had given way, just for a moment, to something else.

  A spark of curiosity. Erin Shaw had been an unusual teenager, and he wondered what kind of woman she’d become.

  And he wondered what it would feel like to hold her in his arms.

  Chapter Two

  Her heart thumped against her ribs. Blood rushed to the surface of her skin, making her feel warm all over.

  “Okay.” When her voice squeaked a little she cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said again.

  Standing this close to him, she could see details she’d missed from across the room. The beginning of crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes. A faint scar that ran from his right temple to his jaw.

  And his eyes…his eyes were so different. They used to show what he was thinking and feeling, but now they showed nothing at all.

  That was why she’d started to leave the dance floor. Jake’s expression was so remote it was hard to believe he really wanted to be here. She assumed he’d only said hello to be polite, and that with his obligation to a family friend out of the way he’d want to get back to his table, his drink, and his solitude.

  Now she was acutely conscious of Jake’s strong, callused hand as he pulled her towards him. He slid his free arm around her waist, and goose bumps prickled her skin.

  She couldn’t believe this was really happening. It was so completely unexpected—one minute she was talking with an old high school classmate, and the next she was dancing with her old high school crush.

  She felt lightheaded, and she wasn’t sure if it was Jake or the three glasses of champagne she’d drunk—or both. The music was slow and sultry, the kind that lured you into a fog of sensuality with every beat.

  Jake was so much taller than she was. Her eyes were level with the middle of his sternum, which meant she was staring at his chest. Specifically, she was staring at the third button down on his crisp white dress shirt.

  A minute went by. Stop looking at the button. She needed to look up at Jake and say something casual, to show him how comfortable and relaxed she felt right now. But the longer she stared at the damn button the more self-conscious she felt, and the less she could imagine meeting Jake’s eyes. Ever again.

  She took a slow, shaky breath. What was wrong with her? She was dancing with Jake Landry, something she’d never done before and would probably never do again, and it was time to stop worrying and enjoy the moment.

  She didn’t look up. Instead, she turned her head and rested her cheek against his chest, smiling a little when she felt the button press into her skin.

  His arm tightened around her.

  His body was so warm, so solid, so strong. She breathed in his scent, clean and masculine, and let her eyes drift closed as memories surfaced.

  She’d met Allison’s family when she was thirteen, and they welcomed her the way they welcomed everyone: with open arms. She loved their farm from the first moment she saw it and helped out with the chores as often as they’d let her.

  Allison’s brother Jake was three years older, and the cutest boy she’d ever seen in her life. She was too shy to talk to him at first, even when he talked to her. But he was always relaxed and easy-going, teasing her like he did his sisters, and before long she could carry on a conversation with him without turning bright red and stumbling over her words.

  But she hadn’t fallen in love until the day she saw him with Pepper.

  She’d come over to the Landry’s like she did most Saturday mornings, and found Jake lying on the living room sofa. He was wearing gray sweatpants and an Iowa Hawkeyes tee shirt, and there was a small black kitten curled up on his chest.

  No one else seemed to be around, and Jake looked relieved when he saw her.

  “Hey, Erin. Would you grab me the TV remote from that chair over there?”

  She brought it over to him, and he thanked her. “I didn’t want to disturb Pepper here,” he explained, and Erin realized he meant the kitten.

  She must have let her surprise show in her face, because he went on. “We found him out in the fields a few days ago. We brought him home but he’s been a little wild, not really letting us pet him, you know? Then I came back from my run this morning and laid down for a second, and he hopped up on me and started purring like crazy. And now he’s sound asleep.”

  He grinned. “I guess I’m a sucker, but I don’t have the heart to disturb him. So thanks for getting me the remote.”

  She jus
t nodded, watching him turn on the TV and flip through the channels until he found ESPN. She stayed there a minute, watching the gentle way he stroked the kitten as he watched the sportscaster talk about college football. Then Allison came running down the stairs and the two of them went outside.

  It wasn’t until that night, lying alone in her bed, that she admitted the truth to herself.

  She was in love with Jake Landry.

  If she hadn’t fallen in love with him then, she would have in the ninth grade when he stopped a bunch of older kids from teasing her. She’d gotten so good at being invisible that it didn’t happen very often, but that day in the lunchroom one of the seniors, Mike Schuster, had gotten the idea of stealing her baseball cap and playing keep away with it.

  She was nearly in tears when Jake showed up. Mike took one look at Jake’s face and handed the cap back to her without a word.

  “I hate guys like that,” was all Jake said afterwards.

  She could hear in his voice how much he really did hate it—the cowardice and cruelty of bullies. She remembered his expression when he’d come into the cafeteria and saw what was happening.

  And in that moment she was sure she’d love Jake Landry for the rest of her life.

  The song was coming to an end. First the percussion dropped out, then most of the brass, leaving the piano and a lone saxophone. Finally it was just the sax, low and haunting and sweet.

  She and Jake were swaying together in perfect rhythm. There was no stiffness now, no awkwardness. She was pressed against him, his arm tight around her and her hand clasped in his, and everywhere their bodies touched she felt heat.

  She couldn’t be the only one feeling it. As the music ended she pulled back, smiling as she looked up into his face, never doubting she’d find awareness and warmth in his eyes.

  Her smile slowly faded. Jake was looking down at her impassively, his expression just as cool and distant as it had been before they’d started dancing.

  She went still, staring at him. Was it possible he’d felt nothing when he held her in his arms? Had she only imagined the connection, the electricity?

  She turned away, focusing on the band instead and clapping mechanically. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jake clapping, too. He seemed detached, aloof, and it was obvious that whatever she’d felt during their dance had not been mutual.

  She took a deep breath. That was how crushes worked, right? One person felt something and the other didn’t. She and Jake might be adults now, but the dynamic between them hadn’t changed.

  It was still one-sided.

  She was glad she’d had a chance to welcome him home, and she was glad she’d danced with him. It had been a walk down memory lane and a wake-up call at the same time. And the ice had been broken. If they ran into each other around town, she wouldn’t feel nervous or awkward anymore.

  But it was time to put her old feelings behind her. She’d probably always be attracted to Jake, but she didn’t have to pine over him like the silly teenager she’d once been.

  The bandleader’s voice broke into her thoughts. “All right, ladies and gentlemen, one of the guests has requested the chicken dance. So if you’re game, come on up here!”

  She glanced at Jake, and this time his expression showed actual emotion. The emotion of a man who would rather be hung upside down in a pit of rattlesnakes than do the chicken dance.

  At least in that they were on the same page.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “If we get off the dance floor now, we won’t be sucked into the vortex.”

  It was time to make her exit. She’d been planning to leave the reception a little early in any case, since she was meeting a client in the morning. Now was as good a time as any.

  She cleared her throat. “So…thanks for the dance, Jake. Maybe I’ll see you at your parents’ house sometime.”

  People were starting to crowd the floor, and Jake glanced around before looking down at her again. There was a slight frown on his face.

  “Okay,” he said after a moment. “It was nice to see you again, Erin.”

  She nodded once and then hurried off through the crowd, looking for Beth to tell her she was heading out.

  Beth hugged her goodbye. “You did say you had to leave early. Are we still on for lunch tomorrow, before my flight?”

  “Definitely. I have that appointment in the morning, but the rest of my day is free. Do you want a ride to the airport after we eat?”

  “No, I have a rental. Are you sure you don’t want to stay for the chicken dance?”

  She smiled. “I’m really, really sure. See you tomorrow, Beth.”

  She was crossing the lobby towards the coat check counter when she got her first glimpse out the big glass windows.

  It was snowing.

  The weather stations had been split fifty-fifty on this one. Half had predicted rain, the other half snow.

  Erin had been hoping for rain. Her car was lousy in the snow, and it was coming down thick and fast out there. It looked like three or four inches had already fallen.

  Should she stay the night at the hotel? She’d much rather not—her computer was at home, and she’d hoped to do a little more prep work tonight or tomorrow morning before her client meeting. On the other hand—

  “I heard there might be snow tonight.”

  She turned quickly at the sound of Jake’s voice.

  He was wearing an overcoat over his suit, his hands thrust into the pockets. He seemed to be studying her, a slight frown on his face. It was the same way he’d looked at her after their dance.

  He was standing close, and a shiver went through her. She hugged herself around the waist.

  “I heard that, too, but I refused to believe it. It’s almost April.”

  “At least it won’t be on the ground very long.”

  There was a burst of laughter and applause from the ballroom, and they both glanced that way.

  “Aren’t you staying for the rest of the reception?” she asked, even thought it was obvious he wasn’t.

  “No. They’ll be winding down pretty soon, and I figured it wouldn’t matter if I left a little early.”

  He didn’t say anything else. They looked at each other in silence for a minute, and Erin was struck again by the difference between this hardened ex-soldier and the teenage boy she remembered.

  She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered what had changed him. But looking into his cool blue eyes, it was hard to imagine ever asking.

  She looked away, wondering if the Army trained its soldiers in hypnosis techniques. The longer she stared at him the more drawn in she felt. It would be all too easy to get lost in those eyes, trying to see behind the mask.

  And that was the last thing she needed to do. Already she was too aware of him, of the effect he always had on her. He was standing so close she could imagine the heat coming off his body. She remembered resting her head against his chest, and a spark of electricity went through her.

  This wasn’t helping. She was supposed to be distancing herself from Jake, not imagining getting closer.

  “What about you?” he asked her after a moment. “Are you leaving, too?”

  She nodded. “I have an early day tomorrow.” Since tomorrow was Saturday, she added, “I have a meeting with a client.”

  “What kind of work do you do?”

  “I’m a web designer. I have my own business.”

  His eyes warmed a little as he smiled. “Do you really? That’s great. I remember how good you were with computers, and how you always talked about being your own boss someday.”

  He remembered that? A warm feeling spread through her and she spoke quickly to cover it. “I remember how good you were with anything mechanical. It seemed like you were always working on someone’s car. You fixed my dad’s truck once, remember?”

  He nodded. “Engines are still my thing. I’ve been working at a friend’s garage since I got back, and I’ve started building custom motorcycles. I’m thinking about turning i
t into a business.”

  “Do you still have your Harley?”

  “Sure. Of course I drove my pickup tonight.” He paused. “I’d offer to give you a ride home, but you probably came in your own car, right?”

  His words hung in the air for way too long. She had plenty of time to tell herself how crazy it would be to—

  “I’d rather get a ride home with you,” she heard herself say. “My car’s terrible in bad weather.”

  He nodded again. “My truck could drive up a mountain in a blizzard. I’ll take you home, and tomorrow morning I’ll pick you up and bring you back here for your car.”

  “That would be great,” she said, wondering what in the world she was doing.

  Driving home with Jake was not the way to put her feelings behind her. But there was a buzzing in her ears, a shimmering in her veins, and she was starting to think that some impulses were stronger than logic or common sense.

  Not that this would lead to anything. Jake was just being nice, and she was grateful for that. Aside from any other feelings she might have, she really would rather go home in his truck than try to navigate through the snow in her car.

  A sudden rush of goose bumps reminded her that her arms were bare. “I’ll get my coat and meet you back here, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  ***

  As soon as Erin was out of sight, Jake rubbed a hand across his eyes.

  What the hell was he thinking? He’d been five seconds away from getting out of here, free to head back to his apartment and stare at the TV until he fell asleep, and now he’d offered to give Erin Shaw a ride home.

  The woman who’d been in his arms a few minutes ago. The woman he hadn’t wanted to let go of.

  She’d smelled so good, like violets and silk. When she rested her head against his chest a surge of something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time had come over him.

  Everything about her was soft. Her hair, her skin, her dress. He’d wanted to touch all that softness, to rub his face in her hair and kiss every inch of her skin.

  If he’d known he would react like that he wouldn’t have gone near her. He wasn’t in the market for a relationship, but it had been so long since he’d felt any kind of spark with a woman that it hadn’t been an issue for a while. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to feel this tempted.