She looked up at him, the motion causing her hair to slip farther down her back and tickle the top of his hand. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Judd Hoffman.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“You said you had two left feet.” She arched an eyebrow. “That’s not true.”
He was amused. “It’s not?”
“No.” A teasing smile quivered on her lips. “You only have one left foot.”
“Ouch. That hurts.” He turned them fast.
“Not bad,” she chuckled.
The next song was slow, giving them a chance to talk. “So,” Judd began, “what’s the deal with Andy Roberts?”
It was concerning how quickly tension filled her beautiful face. She took in a deep breath. “As you know, Andy and I dated in high school.”
His insides laced into a taut knot. “I remember.”
“After we graduated, we promised to keep in touch as we went our separate ways. Andy stayed here to help his dad manage their conglomerate of restaurants. I went to UCLA. We drifted apart as people often do. Andy was married and has since gotten divorced. He and I have been Facebook friends for years. A little over two months ago, out of the blue, I got a Facebook message from Andy, saying he was looking forward to the reunion. I didn’t think twice about responding. We chatted back and forth a few times about insignificant things, mainly just catching up about old friends, etc. Andy asked for my phone number.” Regret colored her features. “I gave it to him. He called, and we spoke. Andy asked me out, but I turned him down. He seemed to take the rejection okay. He laughed it off, saying he hoped he could change my mind. I told him not to count on it. A few days later, I ran into Andy at the grocery store.”
“In Jackson?”
She nodded.
“What was Andy doing in Jackson?”
“Exactly.” She gave him a significant look. “He said he was there visiting a friend, but the situation felt weird. Andy started sending me six or more texts a day, trying to initiate a conversation. When I stopped responding, his texts grew hostile, accusing me of thinking I was too good for him. Once, I’m almost certain I saw him drive by my house.” She suppressed a shiver. “The whole thing’s creepy.”
“Have you contacted the police?”
Her face fell. “No.” She paused. “I probably should have … Tim asked me not to go to the police.” Resentment trickled into her eyes. “He was concerned that it would cause him problems. You know, with him being the mayor of Jackson.”
The breath left Judd’s lungs. “Are you and Tim Bradford still involved?” He’d assumed from what Whitney said earlier that she was available. He’d been flying high all evening with no safety net.
Whitney pushed out a heavy sigh. “We were, but I ended it.” She lifted her chin. “I decided if Tim cared more about his image than my well-being, then good riddance.”
“Good for you,” he punched out. He shook his head in disgust. “It’s a shame that Tim wouldn’t stand up for you.” Judd had met Tim Bradford a few times in passing at various civic events and hadn’t been overly impressed with the slick-talking politician. He was a good-looking guy and very charismatic, which is what probably initially drew Whitney to him. However, the man had zero substance.
“I was ticked at first. But, it’s for the best. Tim was ready to get serious, and I didn’t want that.”
His jaw tensed. “You don’t want a serious relationship?”
“Sure, I do,” she countered, “but it has to be with the right person.”
“Of course,” he breathed in relief, giving her a goofy grin. His mind went back to the problem at hand. “Has Andy Roberts been giving you a hard time since you’ve been here at the reunion?” That explained why Andy was putting off such contentious vibes during Judd’s speech. He had his sights set on Whitney and didn’t want anyone getting in his way.
“No, not exactly.” She paused like she was collecting her thoughts. “Andy hasn’t tried to approach me … thankfully. It’s just the way he looks at me.” She made a face. “I hope that once the reunion’s over, he’ll lose interest and move on. I’m sure Andy just wanted me on his arm to show off for his buddies. If he’s still anything like he used to be, appearances are super important to him.”
“If that’s the case, Andy should be more diligent about keeping himself on a good fitness program.”
Whitney burst out laughing.
Judd pulled a face. “Oops, did I say that out loud?” It was a cheap shot that he immediately regretted saying. Not that Andy didn’t deserve it. Still, that was beside the point.
“Yes, you did.” She shook her head. “They can’t all transform from Clark Kent into Superman like you did.”
The compliment sent a glow of warmth through him. “Superman, huh?” He kind of liked the sound of that.
“Yep. You started out gangly with those thick glasses. Now look at you—all that wavy, dark hair, rugged features, piercing eyes. Tall, muscular build.”
“Thank goodness for contact lenses and a gym.” Not to mention a personal trainer, he added silently.
She laughed. “It’s not just the looks. You have a sense of confidence about you.” Her expression was assessing. “And yet, I get the feeling that you’re still kind and caring. It’s rare to meet someone who hasn’t been totally corrupted by success.”
“Thanks,” he said sincerely. “If I let my accomplishments go to my head, my dad would tan my hide, and my mother would give me a royal chewing out that would, no doubt, be worse than any beating. Seriously,” he added when she giggled. “I may be an adult, but I’ve been brought up to respect my parents.”
“So have I. That’s a good thing.”
“Yes, it is.” He remembered the words his mother said about him and Whitney sharing the same values.
The song ended, and a fast one began. Judd wasn’t ready to let her go. He tightened his hold on her waist as she moved to pull away. She gave him a questioning look. “Would you like to take this conversation outside?” he asked. “We can sit in my dad’s truck.” A wry grin tugged at his lips. “I apologize in advance for how messy it is.”
“I see how it is,” she joked. “Borrowing your dad’s truck. Next, you’ll be living back at home.”
“No chance of that. My mother’s a drill sergeant. She’d have me up every morning at the crack of dawn and doing all the housework to earn my keep.”
Her eyes sparkled, washing the soft brown with hues of gold. “You know, I can believe that after spending a little time with your mom. So, out of curiosity, why are you borrowing your dad’s car?”
“I flew here, so I don’t have my own car.”
She looked perplexed. “You flew here from Jackson?”
He nodded.
She scrunched her nose. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just drive?”
“Yeah, if I were flying commercially, but I came in my jet.” He regretted saying the words as soon as they left his mouth. Her eyes turned to saucers, and he could tell she was bothered by the fact that he had a jet.
“Oh, okay,” she said slowly. He could feel a wall going up between them. His mind scrambled to come up with something to ease the tension. “Don’t let my wealth throw you off. I’m just a regular guy.” Judd was grateful for his company and all the luxuries and opportunities it afforded, yet it often threw monkey wrenches in his relationships. Either people were enamored with his wealth and wanted to ingratiate themselves into his world, or they were intimidated by him.
Amusement swirled in her eyes. “A regular guy with a private jet.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I’m not gonna apologize for who I am.” He searched her face, silently pleading for her acceptance.
She gave him a long look, her shoulders relaxing. “I don’t expect you to,” she acquiesced.
He motioned with his head. “Will you go outside with me?”
“Yes,” she said simply.
Reaching for her hand, he linked his fingers through he
rs, leading her through the crowd of people. They got lots of interested looks and a few wolf whistles, but Judd hardly noticed. All he was concerned about was spending as much time as he could with this incredible woman who’d captured his attention so completely that he could scarcely think of anything else.
When they were inside the truck, Judd blasted the heater. A musty smell bellowed out from the vent. “Sorry, about the smell.”
“No worries. I don’t mind.”
“Dad has several work trucks. I would venture to say it has been a while since he’s driven this one.”
“How’s your dad’s business going?”
“Really well. It keeps him busy, which he likes.” From the time he was a kid, Judd’s dad Mike had owned and operated a towing company. He kept the business operation simple, running everything off an old desktop computer, which Judd continually feared would give up the ghost at any minute. He’d tried to help his dad modernize the business, but his dad wanted no part of it. His motto was, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The towing business had always provided a decent living for the family, nothing extravagant but adequate. Judd was constantly trying to give his parents money, but they wouldn’t hear of it. Judd had insisted on paying off his parents and Doug’s houses. Finally, after months of pleading they allowed him to do so. Also, Judd started a college fund for his two nieces and nephew. Last Christmas, he took the family on a cruise to Hawaii. Aside from those conservative purchases, his family wouldn’t allow him to do more, asserting that they wanted to continue living normal lives. While Judd respected their views, it seemed shortsighted to him. Having money to do whatever he wanted was awesome. He didn’t want to go back to how he’d been before when he was scraping to keep his tuition paid.
On the other hand, wealth brought its own breed of problems, starting with his daughter Ellie. He wanted Ellie to have the good moral ethics that had been instilled in him, but Ellie had been brought up differently … with a silver spoon in her mouth. Ellie had no concept of having to work for anything. She was spoiled rotten, and Dominique fueled the fire because she was the same way. Maybe that’s why it was so refreshing to be around Whitney.
“How are your books going?” Judd asked to open up the conversation.
“Great. I mean, the deadlines are often brutal. I just sent a book off to the editor a few days ago and am waiting for feedback.”
“You write and illustrate them.”
“Yes.
“That takes major talent.”
“Or a streak of craziness,” she laughed. “On a serious note, I’m grateful to be able to do what I love … as are you, right?”
“Right.”
“How did you do it? Start a business from scratch like that?”
“Perseverance, elbow grease, and a whole lot of dumb luck.”
“I’m sure it took lots of skill as well,” Whitney said sagely.
He grinned. “Thanks.”
“You just can’t do it, can you?”
He cocked his head. “What?”
“Admit that you’re a rock star.” Laughter rang in her voice. “It’s okay, I’ll toot your horn for you.”
“How kind of you,” he teased.
The only light in the truck came from a nearby streetlight, adding an element of mystery to the setting. Judd soaked in Whitney’s beautiful profile, bathed in silver light. Before his brain could fully process what he was doing, he reached out and trailed the back of his index finger along the curve of her jaw. Her skin was smoother than satin. Her intake of breath was more of a sigh of pleasure rather than surprise. His hand moved to her hair. “You are incredible,” he murmured as he leaned closer. It ran through his mind that it was probably too soon for them to kiss, but then he proverbially tossed the intrusive thought out the window. “You know what I’m grateful for?”
“What?” she uttered in a hushed tone like she didn’t want to break the spell of the moment.
“That this truck has one big, long seat rather than bucket-style seats.”
Her mouth curved into an amused grin. “Oh, yeah, why’s that?”
“Otherwise, I couldn’t do this.” In a quick motion, he slid over and cupped her face with his hands. A flame of desire licked through his veins as his lips took hers. Slowly, deliberately, he drew in her sweetness. The scent of her light floral perfume blended with her natural scent for an intoxicating combination. Their lips moved together so seamlessly that they might’ve kissed a thousand times before. Only, everything was pristine and new. When she threaded her hands through his hair, he pushed her against the window. A blast of electric heat shot through him as he deepened the kiss. To his delight, she met him full force as they raced through tumbles of rapture.
“That was something,” he said a few minutes later, resting his forehead against hers.
Soft laughter issued from her throat. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
He caressed her jaw with his thumb. “Nope. Not anymore. I figured I wasted enough time back in high school.” He let out a groan. “You have no idea how much of a crush I had on you.” A smile stole over his lips as he lowered his hand and sat back.
She looked pleased. “Really? I had no idea.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, you did,” he countered. “Every guy had it bad for you.”
“That’s not true,” she giggled, but he could tell from her expression that she knew it was true.
“Pretty much.”
She grew thoughtful. “You were so quiet back then.”
“Yep, I was a total nerd. You don’t have to rub it in.”
Her eyes rounded. “I’m sorry,” she began.
He winked. “Just joking. I was painfully shy back then.”
“You’re so different now … I mean, I can definitely tell you still don’t like public speaking.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“It was to me,” she admitted sheepishly. “Aside from that, you’re so put together and confident. What happened?”
“Life.” He shrugged. “I always wanted to break out of my shell; but in high school, I felt so constrained by the person I’d always been that I didn’t know how to do it. In college, no one knew me. I could start over and reinvent myself.”
She gave him an appraising look. “Well, you did it.”
“My mom has always said I’m a late bloomer.” He shrugged. “I guess she was right.”
“Well, when you finally did bloom, you certainly did it right.”
“Thank you.”
A few beats passed before Whitney spoke. “Tell me about your divorce.” Sympathy touched her features. “It must be difficult with your daughter.”
The statement caught Judd off guard, making him wonder how Whitney knew about the problems he was having with Ellie. Then, it occurred to him that she was speaking in generalities about the difficulties of being separated from his daughter because of the divorce.
“Do you get to see her often?”
He took in a long breath. “I have shared custody and am supposed to get Ellie every weekend. However, due to Ellie’s busy schedule with all her extracurricular activities and friends, she comes to stay with me a couple weekends a month.”
“I’m sorry.” The sympathy in Whitney’s eyes was touching.
“Thank you.”
“How long have you been divorced?”
“Two years.”
She nodded like she was processing the information.
Judd sensed that Whitney wanted to ask him why he got divorced but was too diplomatic to do so. He decided to get it all out in the open here and now. Even though he’d only been around Whitney for a few hours, he wanted to continue seeing her. Being with her made him feel more alive than he’d felt in a long time. “I met Dominique when I was traveling in France. Our marriage was rocky from the beginning. The two of us are just too different to make a marriage work.” He paused, wondering how much more he should divulge. He didn’t want to throw Dominique under the
bus, but the truth was the truth. “Dominique had affairs—two that I’m aware of, but I suspect that there were more.”
Her head swung back and forth. “I’m so sorry.” She placed a hand over his and squeezed. “It’s a good thing you got out.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “Although, it has been hard trying to parent Ellie from a distance.”
“I can imagine.”
“Ellie’s going through a bit of a rebellious phase, I’m afraid. Dominique’s morals and values are much different from mine. It sends Ellie mixed messages.” He savored the feel of Whitney’s skin on his. Not only was the physical attraction off the charts, but it was nice having someone to talk to about Ellie and all the frustration he’d been going through.
“That’s a tough situation.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I’m sure you’re a terrific dad.”
He grimaced. “Not according to Ellie. Half the time I think she hates my guts.”
“How old is she?”
“Thirteen.”
“That explains it,” Whitney said wisely. “It’s a phase. She’ll grow out of it. My sister’s always complaining about how her teenage girls act.”
“I hope you’re right. Maybe Ellie will grow out of the phase sooner rather than later.”
Whitney chuckled. “She’s thirteen. Your troubles are just beginning.”
He groaned. “That’s what I’m afraid of. What about you? Why have you never married? I know it’s not for lack of suitors,” he added.
She gave him an appreciative smile. “You really are charming, Superman.”
“That’s what they tell me,” he quipped as he turned his hand over so he could link his fingers through Whitney’s. A comfortable silence settled between them as he gave her space to voice her thoughts.
Her tone grew recollective. “My senior year in college, I fell hard for my philosophy professor. Once I was out of his class, we began dating. He was older, sophisticated … everything I thought I wanted in a man.” She paused. “Then, I found out he was married.”
“Ouch! I’m sorry. What a scumbag.” It was interesting how protective he felt over Whitney in such a short period of time.
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