She paused in the reception hall, staring at the unopened boxes of Christmas decorations. Maybe Cruz would be willing to help her with those—she could always threaten to do them alone after he left. She smiled, imagining his protests.
Talia grabbed a box marked manger with her mom's writing. Somehow after saying what had happened out loud, seeing her writing was a little easier. She adjusted her hold and went outside. The side of the building was clean—not a single stray piece of the board was in sight. In fact, the string of icicle lights wasn't hanging down, either.
She looked up, noticing they were up on the eaves. She glanced around for the ladder, not seeing it, when something bright caught her attention. The icicle lights had just turned on. Cruz had to have plugged them in.
He walked around from the front. "There you are. What do you think?"
"They're beautiful." And they really were. It really made the church shine, and this was the ugly side that still needed a lot of work. In the yard, at least. "You didn't have to hang them, though."
"And let you finish the job?" He arched a brow and then took the box from her. "What's this?"
She snatched it back, giving him a playful expression. "The manger scene. Well, this one is the actual manger. The people are in other boxes. Are you going to do this for me, too?" she teased.
"Someone's feeling better." His face was flushed, presumably from finishing the lights.
"And someone's warmer."
"Where you want the manger scene?" he asked.
"In front, near the steps."
"You mean under that one big window?" he asked.
"Yeah. Exactly."
"Perfect." He grabbed the box from her again and ran around the corner.
"Hey!" Talia called, laughing. She ran to catch up.
They got the entire manger scene set up in record time, and it was even more fun joking and teasing each other. At one point, Talia couldn't find one of the wise men, and Cruz offered to stand in. He jumped into position next to the other two. Talia laughed until her stomach hurt.
She discovered that decorating the trees outside with lights was also more fun with him. When they'd finally gotten all the decorations set up, she glanced around. "It looks even better than I imagined."
"That's because you took my idea about which way to wrap the lights around the tree." He winked.
"Yeah, I'm sure that's it." She saw a pile of snow under one of the trees and let herself fall backwards onto it, looking up at the brightly lit, now multi-colored tree.
He collapsed next to her, scooting so that their arms touched. Talia's heart fluttered. She had never enjoyed being so close to anyone before.
"This is a nice view," he said.
Talia turned to him, finding that he was staring directly at her. She shoved him. "You're supposed to be looking at the lights."
"Why? What I'm looking at is much more desirable."
"Stop." Her cheeks warmed.
"You don't know how to take a compliment, do you?" He tilted his head to the side.
"No, yo," she teased, trying to get the attention off herself.
"Don't disrespect the yo," Cruz said. "You don't say it with no."
Talia leaned on her side, propping her head with her hand. "Then how do I use it, yo?"
"That's better, but you'll just have to spend time with me and learn by listening."
She pretended to think about it. "I could probably put up with that."
"Put up, huh?" The corners of his mouth twitched.
"Yeah, yo."
"You're really going to need to spend a lot of time with the teacher."
They both burst into laughter and rolled onto their backs again. Cruz took her hand and slid his fingers through hers. Talia's breath caught. She squeezed his hand and they stayed on the pile of snow gazing up at the tree lights. Their kisses replayed in her mind. Her heart raced. She couldn't have asked for a better first kiss. It had been well worth the wait. And now she wanted more.
A car pulled up in front of the church.
Talia groaned, not wanting anything to interrupt her time with Cruz.
The car's engine cut and then a door slammed.
"What's this?" came her dad's voice. Footsteps crunched on the snow.
"Maybe we should get up," Cruz whispered.
Talia didn't move. "I'm happy here."
He glanced over at her. "That's your dad. The pastor." He let go of her hand.
She reached for his hand and clung to it. "Oh, don't worry about him. He has a romantic side. He used to look at my mom the way you've been looking at me all day."
"But I'm lying here with you. Holding your hand. Next to you."
She giggled at his nervousness. "We're in the snow, wearing our winter coats. What are you? A prude?" She gave him a playful smirk.
Cruz laughed aloud and shook his head.
"There you two are," her dad said, appearing beside Talia. "It looks like you've been busy."
Cruz's face paled. "Sir, no. We—"
"I meant the decorations." Her dad gestured toward the church, smiling. He shook his head, clearly amused by Cruz's nervousness. "And I keep telling you to call me Allen. How's the view from there, anyway?" He positioned himself next to Talia. "Oh, nice. The snow's kind of cold, though."
They all stared at the lights for a few minutes. Cruz's breathing was fast, and his coloring hadn't returned to normal since her dad had shown up. She squeezed his hand and smiled at him.
Her dad sat up. "Well, I'd better get inside. Plenty to do to get ready for tomorrow's service."
"Tomorrow?" Cruz asked, turning to him.
"The entryway and sanctuary are ready. It might only be the two of us, but we're going to initiate the building with a long-overdue service."
"And your first sermon as the lead pastor," Talia exclaimed.
"It's just you two?" Cruz asked, sounding confused.
"When two or more gather together, there He is." Her dad smiled and patted Talia's arm.
"What time?" Cruz asked.
Talia whipped her head around and stared at Cruz. Was he planning on going?
"Ten, but that might not be the official time."
"I'll be there." Cruz sat up.
Her dad smiled. "Wonderful. See you then." He went toward the front steps.
Talia sat up. "You don't have to."
"Your dad shouldn't have his first preaching only for you—not that there's anything wrong with you."
She laughed. "I know what you mean." She squeezed his hand, staring into his gorgeous golden-brown eyes. They seemed somehow brighter than usual. "Am I keeping you from anything? I know you weren't planning on coming over here."
"There's no place else I'd rather be."
Talia's heart swelled and warmed, and she beamed. "Me, too. I'm hungry, though. Want to come to my house? I can make us some lunch."
"Maybe we can go out to eat? So you don't have to make anything. My treat."
"After everything you've done?" She shook her head. "No, it's mine."
He sat up. "I don't want you to pay. I—"
"Don't tell me you're chivalrous, too."
A funny look crossed his face and then he laughed. "I'm full of surprises. Why don't you let me take you somewhere to eat? I know of a nice little place that makes the best soup. Maybe we can even get a seat by the fireplace."
Talia shivered, realizing how cold it was on the snow. "That sounds nice." And even nicer with him there.
Cruz got up and dusted snow off himself. Then he held his hands out and helped her up. Would she ever get used to the feel of his hands? Being with him felt strangely… right.
"I don't suppose you want a ride on my bike?"
Her heart raced as she glanced over at it. "I've never ridden one."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he teased, his eyes sparkling.
"Hey!" She laughed. "I don't have a helmet, anyway."
"I always keep a spare."
"You do?"
Cr
uz nodded. "But if you're not comfortable, we could take your car. Or walk, even, but that would be cold."
A breeze blew snow into her face as if proving his point. Talia wiped her eyes and then glanced back over at the motorcycle. "Is it safe?"
"Of course. Look at the roads. They're clear now, despite the snow on the grass. I promise you'll be safe."
She took a deep breath.
"And it's definitely safer than falling from a ladder, yo." He grinned.
"Well, I guess you have me there. All right. I'll give it a try."
His face lit up. "Really?"
"How bad can it be?" Especially if she had to wrap her arms around him.
He chuckled. "There's nothin' bad about it. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to his bike.
Talia giggled, but her pulse raced in her ear. She'd always thought motorcycles were dangerous—and the guys who rode them even more so.
He unlocked what appeared to be a small trunk and pulled out two helmets. He set the large one on the seat and then handed her the other one. A strand of long red hair sat in the helmet. Talia pulled it out, a wave of jealousy running through her. Who else had he ridden with? Probably a lot of pretty girls. Who wouldn't love to wrap their arms around him?
Cruz glanced at the hair. "That's my cousin, Dakota's. I gave her a ride last time I visited some relatives in Oregon."
"You don't have to explain anything to me."
"I just—"
"How do I get this thing on?" Talia checked for more hair—there was none—and then she pulled out her elastic band and stuffed it in her pocket. She brought the helmet to the top of her head and slid it down. Cruz helped her adjust the straps and then slid on his.
"I'll get on first, and then you climb on and hang onto me."
She couldn't help smiling. "No problem."
The corners of his mouth twitched and then he got on. Talia swung her leg over just as he'd done, but couldn't quite get her balance. She squeezed onto his jacket to keep from sliding. He turned and helped her on. She wrapped her arms around him, taking in the strong leathery smell of his coat mixed with his cologne.
She remembered back to the night he came over to her house. His coat had reeked of cigarette smoke. This was much nicer. She breathed his scent again. Definitely better.
His arms jerked, and the engine roared to life. Talia tightened her grip around him and thought she felt him laugh. A moment later, they sped by the church. Talia thought she saw her dad standing on the step. She was sure to find out what he thought of that later. Not that she minded either way. She was with Cruz, watching everything in Kittle Falls speed by.
Eighteen
Cruz watched the crackling fire as he waited for Talia to return from fixing her hair in the bathroom. He thought she looked beautiful either way, but on the way in, she'd seen her helmet-pressed hair in a reflection and had been horrified. It had been adorable.
She sat across from him in the booth, still tugging at her hair. "This is the best I can do."
"You were gorgeous before, and you still are now." He smiled, unable to help himself.
Pink crept into her cheeks and she started to look away, but didn't. "How can you be so nice to me?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, surprised.
"Well, you know. We didn't exactly get off on the right foot, and—"
"And nothin'. No more feeling bad about before, okay? We obviously come from two different worlds, but I'm glad they collided."
Talia's mouth gaped a little, almost as if she was going to say something, but she didn't. Her lips formed a slow smile. "Crashed with a thunderous roar is more like it."
He laughed. "Still, I wouldn't have it no other way."
"Me, neither."
The waitress came over. Cruz recognized her. Jessie, one of his sister's old friends. "Can I take your order?" She glanced up. "Oh, Cruz, hi." She fumbled with her pad of paper. "Haven't seen you in years. Sorry about Sophia."
Cruz sighed. He didn't know which was worse, being the tattoo artist freak who was trying to destroy the town or always being viewed as brother to the dead girl. Why was it so hard for people to see he was a person? These people had all known him his entire life. He realized the awkward silence. "Thanks. How are you doing?"
She shrugged. "Just waitressing, really. You guys want the soup of the day? Half off."
"What is it?" asked Talia.
"Portobello mushroom soup with blue cheese toasties."
"That's a mouthful," Cruz muttered. He turned to Talia. "Order whatever you want."
"The soup sounds good," she said.
Cruz didn't want a fungus in his soup. "You still got that minestrone one?"
Jessie nodded. "Always. It's our most popular."
"I'll have that. Can we get sourdough bread, too?" He glanced at Talia. "Or we can get something else. Whatever you like."
"Cruz has gotten that as long as I can remember." Jessie told Talia and giggled. "Mom put me to work as soon as I turned twelve, and he's ordered that every time."
"Sourdough sounds perfect." Talia smiled.
Jessie scribbled notes on her paper and darted away.
"So, you like sourdough bread?" Talia asked, grinning.
"Creature of habit." He shrugged.
"I like to try new things. I get bored easily."
"Now who's the surprising one?" Cruz teased.
She arched a brow. "You think I'm boring?"
"Hey now. That's not what I said. It's—"
Talia laughed. "I'm just joking. I didn't think you'd be so easy to rile up."
Cruz joined her laughter and by the time they settled down, Jessie came back with their food. "Any hot chocolate? Fresh cider?"
"Mmm," Talia said, "cider sounds wonderful."
Steam rose from the soups. Cruz didn't need anything else to burn his tongue. "I'll just stick with my water, yo."
Jessie nodded and ran off again.
They ate in a comfortable silence for a while, and then Talia made eye contact with him after receiving her cider. "I had my doubts about coming to Kittle Falls. I mean, I knew we needed a fresh start, but the thought of completely starting over—no friends or anything—I really wasn't sure after living in the same place my whole life."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I kinda felt that way when going to UCLA. It was like that expression, you know. Big fish in a little pond becoming a little fish in a big pond or whatever."
She nodded, sipping her drink. "What brought you back? You seem like you'd do well down there."
"It was fun, but between my dad's health and wanting to open my own place, it just seemed like the right move."
They finished their food and headed back to his bike. "You okay with riding her?"
Talia smiled. "Her? Yeah. That was a lot of fun."
"Good. Want to go somewhere we can really ride?"
Her smile disappeared. "What do you mean?"
"Just a quick ride on the freeway. I know you probably need to get back, but it's a thrill at higher speeds."
Talia's eyes widened, but Cruz couldn't tell if she was excited or nervous. "Or if you'd rather—"
"No. Let's go for it." Her eyes lit up. "It sounds like fun."
He helped her with the helmet again and then they got on. She wrapped her arms around him—he loved the feel of having her right there with him on his motorcycle. He started the engine and she tightened her grip. "Hang on," he teased. "Ready?"
"Yeah!"
Part of him still couldn't believe he was giving the pastor's daughter a ride, but he also wasn't sure what surprised him more. The fact that she wanted to or that he was so happy to have her with him. It was obvious from earlier that they both felt the same about each other. A smile formed on his face just thinking about their embrace and then lying on the snow together.
Those sweet, brief kisses had left him breathless in a way that he'd never experienced before. He released an appreciative sigh, pressed his palms against the cold handleb
ars, and then pulled out of the parking spot, headed for a road leading out of town. Talia readjusted herself and her grip around him several times, and Cruz was aware of every movement. He'd given plenty of people rides, but barely paid attention to his passengers. His attitude had always been hang on if you care for your safety. But with Talia, it was different.
Cruz pulled out of town, and he picked up speed until he got on the freeway. Then he went even faster. Usually, he'd go quite a bit over the speed limit, but he kept it slower, not wanting to scare her.
Talia's grip tightened a bit, but lessened as they went along. He loved the feeling of the wind against him, and it was all the better with her there. His mind replayed the entire day. He hated thinking about her hanging up near the roof. So much that he pushed it out of his mind.
The way she'd looked at him once they were both on the ground, now that was something he wanted to remember. She'd made him feel like a hero. He'd done what anyone would have, but he was glad that it was him and not someone else. Especially not that weasel, Julian.
After a while, he pulled off the freeway to turn around. He could hear Talia saying something, but he couldn't tell what she said. He pulled into a parking lot and stopped. "What was that?" he asked.
"I just asked why you were stopping."
"We should head back. Shouldn't we?" He turned around and arched a brow.
She smiled, lighting up her whole face. "Probably. This is a lot more exciting than I thought. I see why you prefer it to a car."
"Well, anytime you want a ride, just let me know."
Her cheeks turned pink. "Okay."
"We should get back," he said. "I don't want your dad to worry."
"Even though I live with him, I am an adult, you know." She grinned.
"I know. He's just a nice guy and I don't want—"
"I was just kidding." She gave him a playful poke. "You really are easy to rile up."
Cruz shook his head. Only she had that effect on him. Almost no one else could ruffle his feathers. "Hang on. You wanna see how fast she can go?"
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped, but she didn't say anything.
"Now who's the easy one to mess with?"
Talia laughed. "Show me what you have."
"Hang on." He turned back around and waited for her grip to tighten. Then he peeled out of the lot, though not at top speed. He wanted to gauge her reaction first. She squeezed him tighter, making his pulse race—faster than his bike was capable of moving. She definitely had an effect on him that no one else did.
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