Whatever You Say_A Highland Springs Romance

by Leigh Fleming

  “How about you?” he mumbled.

  “Sure thing. Come with me, little lady.” Kate followed Tucker to the end of the bar and disappeared through a door marked “Employees Only.” Brody watched them through the glass wall as they took in the towering vats, sharing a laugh. He finally took a good long look at her and he felt a stirring where he didn’t want to be stirred. Her long, elegant body was draped in a deep red, clinging dress with just enough cleavage exposed to leave him wanting more. Her thick, dark hair cascaded down her back, making his fingers itch to touch it. He drained the pint glass and walked behind the bar for a refill.

  A few minutes later, Kate settled onto her barstool and Tucker returned to his station behind the taps. She looked over her shoulder, surveying the scene.

  “So what’s the deal? Why does every man in this town have a beard?”

  “Well,” Tucker said as he looked at Brody, “I have a beard year-round because I have an ugly ass dimple in my chin. What about you, man?”

  “Hunting season.” Brody took a long draw on his beer.

  “Hunting season.” Tucker snorted and shook his head. “Man, you don’t hunt.”

  “I hunt. I went out last weekend.”

  “Shit, you don’t hunt. Sitting in your pergola doesn’t count as hunting.”

  “Hey, I have a great view from up there. Saw a ten-point buck.” He took another sip. “I hunt. I just don’t shoot.”

  “Pansy. You’re supposed to be in a tree stand, not on a damn treated lumber deck.” Tucker laughed to himself and carried two pints, brimming over with foam, to a couple sitting at the end of the bar.

  “So you’re a hunter, huh? That’s why you have the beard?” Kate propped her elbows on the bar and picked up another double shot glass of amber ale from the wooden sampler rack.

  “That’s as good a reason as any,” he said.

  “Hmm.” She set down her glass and spun her barstool around to face him.

  “What’s this pergola he’s talking about?”

  “It’s a travesty. That’s what it is.” Tucker had returned, wiping his wet hands on the towel tucked in his belt. “He took a perfectly good cowboy hide-out and turned it into an HGTV reality show.”

  “I’m confused,” she said, looking back and forth between the two men.

  “You’ll have to go out to his house sometime. He’s building a deck on a ledge we used to play on when we were kids,” Tucker said.

  “Stop. You mean to tell me you’ve been friends since you were boys?”

  “Yep. Met the big jerk in first grade,” Tucker said. “Been a thorn in my side ever since.”

  “This thorn is moving on.” Brody picked up his beer and walked to an empty table in the corner of the room. Kate picked up her wooden rack of samples and followed. She sat in the chair beside him, draping her sexy leg across her knee. He rubbed his forehead while resting his elbows on the table. They sat in silence for several minutes while he figured out what to say. This date was a stupid idea and he needed an out.

  “Tucker’s a hoot. I like him,” she said, breaking the silence.

  “Yeah, he’s funny alright.” He took a long drink and leaned back in his chair.

  “You get along, right?”

  “Like brothers.”

  She inched her chair closer to his and rested her hand on his arm. “Brody, before we pulled in…” She cleared her throat, concentrating on spinning one of the small glasses of beer. “The flowers were beautiful. Did you get my text?”

  “Flowers?”

  “The roses and lilies you sent. That was really sweet of you, but I can see you’re still upset about the other night.”

  “But I—” Liza strikes again.

  “I want to apologize for the hurtful things I said…and the awful way I treated you.” She stopped swirling the glass and he noticed her hand shaking as she picked up a glass of beer. After a long swallow, she said, “We’d had a really nice afternoon and I ruined it. I shouldn’t have taken out my frustration with my job on you, and I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve it. It won’t happen again.”

  A punch in the gut couldn’t have hurt more. While he was doing all he could to hold a grudge, Kate magnanimously took the blame for their fight, apologizing for her role. For the first time that night, he looked at his date, their eyes locking in a smoldering gaze. He scooted his chair closer to hers and draped his arm across the back of her chair.

  “It was just as much my fault.”

  “No. The things you said to me were—”

  “Hateful and I shouldn’t have said them. I’m sorry. I know what kind of pressure you’re under.”

  “Well…not anymore. I took a leave of absence until after the holidays.”

  “You did?”

  “You were right. I’ve been miserable. And it’s been harder and harder to keep up with my work. My focus needs to be on Gram, not my work, and I plan on making her my number one priority until she’s settled at home.” Once again she rested her hand on his arm. Brody thought there was no better feeling. “Forgive me?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive,” he said. He scooted to the edge of his chair, coming as close to Kate as possible without pulling her onto his lap. He played with the ends of her hair as he gathered his courage. “We might have a little problem.”

  “What would that be?”

  “This date of ours.”

  “It started off slow, but it’s getting better, don’t you think?” She nudged his shoulder, only making him feel worse.

  “The thing is…I was furious at you and decided to change my original plans.”

  “Which were?”

  “I was going to take you to this great Italian place in Clarksburg, but decided to punish you with a trip to the brewery and Sue’s Place, next door, for dinner.”

  “Who would want Italian when I can have beer and diner food?”

  What an ass he’d been. Here she was giving him that sexy smile, totally forgiving, accepting his terrible plans. He slipped his hand behind her head, sinking his fingers into her satiny locks, and pulled her lips close to his. “I’ll make it up to you.” He captured her soft lips under his and shuddered when she grazed her nails across the back of his neck, pulling him closer and deeper.

  “So, now listen, folks. Sorry to interrupt.” The spell was broken. Tucker had pulled up a chair and shoved in close to them. “I want to talk to you while I have a break.”

  “Now?” Brody sighed and sat back in his chair.

  “Yeah, now. Kate, Brody tells me you’re a lawyer, right?”

  “Come on, Tuck, not now.”

  “It will only take a minute.” He held up his hand, silencing Brody with the gesture. “We’ve had a generous offer from a big beer company.” He leaned in close to Kate and whispered. “I can’t tell you the name but it rhymes with thriller.”

  “Stop, Tucker,” Brody said.

  “Anyway, Brody thinks it’s a bad offer, but I say an offer like this might not come along again. I was wondering if you’d take a look at it.”

  “What is it? A proposal? A contract?”

  “It’s a shit load of papers. Buy-sell agreements, operating agreements, all kinds of stuff I don’t know anything about. Brody is skittish about selling, but I think we need another opinion—a professional opinion.”

  “Of course,” she said.

  “You don’t have to do this.” Brody gently took her hand in his and looked deep into her eyes. “We can handle this.”

  “No, I’d be glad to look at your shit-load of papers. I’ve got nothing but time on my hands.”

  “Atta girl.” Tucker thumped her on the back with his thick, beefy paw and stood up, pulling up his pants up under his protruding belly. “I’ll send over a couple of beers, on the house.”

  As soon as he walked away, she broke into an uncontrollable laugh. “He’s something, isn’t he?” She drained her last little glass of ale, still laughing to herself.

  “Yeah, he’s something alright. L
isten, you don’t have to do this.”

  “Really, I want to. It will be stimulating to read something other than depositions and witness accounts.”

  “You need to be stimulated, huh?” Brody wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his cheek to hers.

  “That wasn’t exactly what I meant, but since we’re on the subject…” She placed her hand on his knee and turned to face him. Her hand slowly glided higher on his leg. He could feel his face turning red as his body temperature surged. She seemed to love making him squirm. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

  “Sweetheart, you always make me uncomfortable.” He leaned in and gently nibbled her bottom lip. She broke the connection with a quick peck and short laugh.

  “Good.”

  NINETEEN

  “Watch your step.” Brody wrapped an arm around Kate’s waist, helping her up into the dark, cavernous covered bridge. The bright beam from the flashlight illuminated their path while casting shadows on the wooden trusses. Their footsteps echoed off the walls, competing with the reverberation of their voices.

  “Oh my gosh, this is so cool.” She tucked herself under his shoulder, slid her arms around his waist, and pressed against him. “But sort of scary.”

  “Nothing to be afraid of, except some bugs and maybe a few bats.”

  “Now you’re really trying to scare me.”

  As they walked into the center of the bridge, he scanned the interior with his flashlight, showing her black bats hanging from the rafters, tucked in tight corners. He told her stories of his teenage years, poaching beer from his dad and drinking it out here with Tucker and Travis. They stopped in the middle of the bridge and he snapped off the light.

  “What in the world?” She tightened her hold on him as he guided her to the side of the bridge, trapping her against the wall.

  “Ever been kissed inside a covered bridge?”

  “I’ve never been inside a covered bridge.”

  “Well, then, we need to make it memorable.” Earlier at Sue’s Place, while they dined on homemade venison stew, corn bread, and ham-flavored green beans, she had requested he show her the covered bridge Liza had told her about. Now, with only the light of the moon sneaking through the narrow cracks in the wood, she was able to see Brody’s beautiful smile and dark eyes as he slowly lowered his mouth to hers. He kept her plastered to the wooden wall for several minutes, while she savored his tender lips and teasing tongue. He unfastened the three plastic buttons of her coat and moved the wool aside as he snaked his hands around her waist, drawing her tighter to him. With a tiny moan, she welcomed his kisses, applying pressure to the back of his head, needing more. They continued like this, oblivious to their surroundings, until an owl’s screech echoed throughout the bridge.

  “What was that?” Once again fearful, she clung to Brody. She liked leaning against his thick, strong chest for protection. He quietly chuckled as his arms smothered her against him. She was usually brave in most situations, but that courage disappeared in the presence of a moonlit night and a few random wildlife sounds.

  “Just an owl. No worries.”

  “Let’s go back to the truck.” She tugged on his hand and charged back toward the entrance.

  Once back inside the pickup, she slid across the worn bench seat and placed her hands on either side of his face.

  “Thank you for my perfect date.”

  “You sure you aren’t disappointed you didn’t get a fancy meal by the river and a symphony concert?”

  “Didn’t even miss the crème brûlée.” She touched her lips to his and said, “In fact, I think I preferred Sue’s Place by the creek and country music on the jukebox.” He rested his elbow across the back of the seat and gathered a handful of her hair in his hand. Her lips were just touching his when she said, “Besides, there’s no way to top making out by a covered bridge.”

  That’s all it took. When Kate slipped her hands inside Brody’s jacket and pushed it off his shoulders, he couldn’t resist the invitation. He eased her down on the bench seat and pressed his body to hers, taking care not to crush her under his weight. He kissed her deeply, devouring her luscious mouth. Her long legs entangled his and the already staccato beat in his chest picked up speed when her long, slender fingers slid under his shirt. He slowly broke the kiss and set his concentration on pushing aside the clingy garment he’d had his eye on all evening, curious what wonder would be waiting underneath.

  She didn’t stop him; in fact, she helped him by lifting up so he could tug the zipper along the back of her dress. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt, released it from his shoulders, and tugged the cuffs over his hands. She shrugged out of the top half of her dress, letting it dangle freely between them.

  Her nails grazed over his chest as she kept her eyes locked on his. The swell of her breasts pressed against lace and he couldn’t resist lowering his face, tasting her creamy skin. She held his head in her hands and pulled him back to her mouth. His hand slipped around back and in one fluid movement unlatched her bra. She wiggled out of it and dropped it on the floorboard.

  “Kate,” he said as he nibbled up her neck, “we shouldn’t do this here.”

  “I like it when you call me Katherine.” She shifted below him, aligning her pelvis against his arousal, and wrapped her legs around his waist. “And why not do it here? Isn’t that what this old truck was made for?” She splayed her hands across his butt. He responded with a satisfied moan and smothered her in a deep, wet kiss.

  Suddenly, a shaft of light lit up the interior.

  “What the hell?” He popped his head up, just enough to peek through the passenger side window. A car was sitting perpendicular to the old Ford, headlights pointed straight at them. He could see by the size and spacing those headlights belonged to a large sedan, possibly even a police cruiser. What terrible timing. Or maybe it was good timing. If the car had shown up a few minutes later, he wasn’t sure they’d have been able to stop. With a last, longing look at Kate’s gorgeous face, he felt all their earlier passion drain away. She looked frightened, confused, and he was determined to shield her from any embarrassment.

  “Wait, don’t move,” he said as he reached for her bra on the floor.

  “Who is it?” The car’s bright light cast shadows on her face. “What’s going on?” She started to rise, but he pushed her back down on the seat.

  “I think there’s a cop car out there, shining his headlights on us.” Brody draped the top of her dress across her naked breasts. “Don’t get up. I’ll drive down the road so you can dress.” He sat up, easing her legs aside, and started the truck. With a quick wave to whoever was behind those headlights, he pulled onto the road. About a half mile later, he pulled over in front of a deserted gas station and dropped the truck in park. Kate sat up and quickly slipped on her bra, expertly latching it closed. She shimmied into her dress and he helped with the zipper.

  “I’m sorry about that,” he said.

  “It’s okay.”

  With his arm resting on the back of the seat, he moved closer, itching to kiss her again, to be sure she really was okay. The piercing glare of the same headlights illuminated his rear view mirror.

  “Damn it. What’s with this guy?” He pulled onto the road and headed back to Highland Springs.

  “Oh my gosh.” Kate buried her face in Brody’s shoulder, smothering her laughter in his leather jacket. “First of all, I’ve never made out in a pickup truck and second, I’ve never been caught. That was crazy.”

  “I wish you could’ve seen your face.” He was laughing just as hard. With one hand on the steering wheel and one hand across her shoulder, she felt lightweight, not a care in the world. They were cruising along a country road, heading back to Gram’s with a full moon lighting the way.

  “I would have died if he came up to the window,” she said.

  “Sorry, officer, I tried to tell her not to undress, but she wouldn’t listen.”

  “Funny.” She nudged him hard on the shoulder and then snu
ggled back in. “How would you have explained your missing shirt?”

  “Wouldn’t have mattered.”

  “Oh, yeah, a double standard.”

  “Cop probably would have high-fived me.”

  “Hmm. So that’s how it is around here, huh?”

  The rest of the ride home, she stayed pressed against him, laughing and talking so comfortably, like they’d known each other much longer than the six weeks since they’d met. It was crazy to think a couple of beers at a warehouse and venison stew in a diner would turn out to be the perfect date, but it had.

  Brody glided the old truck to the curb in front of Gram’s house and killed the engine.

  “Here we are,” he said. He climbed out and, as Kate followed, she caught her heel in a rut. She stumbled against him, bringing her face close to his. She didn’t wait for his lead but instead slid her hand around his neck and pulled him toward her for a kiss.

  “Would you like me to come in for a little while?” he whispered against her lips.

  “Ah.” She sighed and pressed her forehead to his. “That would be great, but…”

  “But?”

  “Walk me to the door.” She stepped back and looked at his confusion. Of course he’d be confused. Only minutes ago, they were near the point of no return and now she wanted him to kiss her goodnight. She intertwined her fingers with his and led him to the porch. Once she’d unlocked the door and stepped inside, he pressed her against the opened door and tempted her with another toe-curling kiss.

  “What happened between the covered bridge and here?” he murmured against her skin as he dragged his lips down her neck. She raked her fingers through his hair, savoring his tender kisses.

  “Nothing happened. It’s just that—” Kate placed her hands on either side of his face and reluctantly pulled his mouth from the base of her neck. “I have something to do.” She watched the ardor drain from his face, replaced by furrowed brows and pursed lips..

  “You’ve taken a leave, so you don’t have work to do.”