by Ellie Hall
My lips quiver as I try to hold back my laughter. It peals out of me in short bursts that shake my shoulders. Gavin could always make me laugh. The levity has the magical effect of dissolving the tension between us.
“So, how did you end up going out with Mac?” Gavin asks again.
I let out a long sigh. “Mom was trying to fix me up with a podiatrist from Mobile. I wasn’t gonna have her ruling my life, so I opted to go out with Mac instead.”
“Your stubbornness got you in a pickle,” he surmises.
“Pretty much.”
My stomach growls so loud that I feel like I have a tiger inside me. I clutch it, embarrassed.
“We’d better get you some food.”
It dawns on me that Gavin had gone into the restaurant to get something to eat, but then he’d come after me. “I’m sure you’re hungry too.”
A grin stretches over his lips. “Starving. How does the drive-in sound? We can get a cheeseburger, cheesy fries, and strawberry milkshakes.”
Gavin is listing my favorite things. “Sure,” I say indifferently. Then something occurs to me. “Do you really want to be seen with me at the drive-in? That’ll cause all sorts of rumors. I can see the headline of Nellie Kinsey’s blog now, Hardware store owner and fiancé of Collette Williams reconnects with his old flame over cheeseburgers and milkshakes.”
“Don’t forget the cheesy fries,” Gavin adds.
I blink several times, not sure what to make of his response. “So, you’re truly okay with going to the drive-in?”
He gives me a sidelong glance, his eyes sparkling with a challenge. “Are you worried?”
“Truth be told, yeah, I’m a little worried.” I just got back into town and don’t want to tarnish my reputation right off the bat, especially if I do decide to open a boutique. No, wait a minute, I culled that idea. Or maybe not. I don’t know what I want to do. I’m a bundle of hopeless confusion.
“Where’s the rebel I know and love?”
I nearly choke on my own saliva. Did he just say the word love? “For a man engaged, you don’t seem overly concerned about Collette,” I retort.
“You seem awfully concerned about her.”
The comment raises my hackles. “I couldn’t give a flying flip what Collette Williams thinks,” I spout.
He doesn’t skip a beat. “Good. We’re going to the drive-in.”
Yikes! My snake-fangled tongue has gotten me in a bind … again! Gavin knows me too well. He knows my weaknesses and how to work them for his benefit. He knows my instinct is to come out fighting—fake it till you make it.
He arches an eyebrow, his voice taking on the musical lilt of amusement. “Unless you’re chicken.”
Laughter circles my throat as I wag my finger. “Your goading might’ve worked when we were in junior high and you wanted me to skip chemistry to make out with you behind the gym, but not now.”
“You know you want a big, fat, juicy cheeseburger and some cheesy fries,” he urges.
I could eat ten cheeseburgers right now. My traitorous stomach growls again. “Okay,” I relent. “But when the tongues start wagging about the two of us fanning an old flame, it’s your own dang fault.”
“I’m a big boy. I can handle it,” he says as he makes a U-turn and drives us back toward town.
The cheeseburger is delectable, worth every calorie. I don’t want to even think about the pageant this weekend or how I’ll look in a swimsuit. I just want to eat and relax. I catch the interested glances from the people in the car next to us. I throw them an annoyed look, but they continue to stare. “Why’s everybody in Comfort so nosy?” I complain.
Gavin drapes on a smile before offering a friendly nod and waves to the people in the car. “Those are the Armstrong’s. Phil’s a handyman. He’s in and out of the hardware store a lot. That’s his wife Marcia with him.”
“Well, they’re certainly getting an eyeful,” I mutter. “This is when I start missing New York and how everyone minds their own business.”
“Speaking of New York … are you here to stay, or are you going back?”
His question is asked lightly, but I can sense the gravity beneath his words. I shove the last fry into my mouth before placing the tray in the empty bag. “Do you really care if I go or stay?”
He blinks in surprise. “Of course, I care. I’ve always cared.”
Anger explodes through me like a volcano erupting. “Would you stop?” I hiss.
His eyes narrow. “Stop what?”
“Stop acting like you care. When I know that’s a bunch of malarky.”
“Malarky, huh?” His eyes dance with laughter. “It’s good to see you getting your Southern accent back.”
The wounds inside me spill wide open, bleeding poison into my soul. “If you cared so much, then you wouldn’t have ended it,” I fume as I clasp my hands together to stop the trembling.
He places a hand over mine. I flinch, giving him a questioning look. His touch is as warm as it is thrilling. I can picture squiggles of lightning bolts zipping through my skin. My eyes seem to have a mind of their own as they drink in his chiseled features. Up close, I notice faint lines around the edges of his eyes. He has a dusting of freckles over his nose. They’re so faint that I wouldn’t have noticed had I not been so close. His freckles used to be more prominent. His brow is creased with a matureness that wasn’t there before. Gavin has transformed from a boy to a man. This knowledge reminds me of the years that have passed—years when we were apart, living separate lives. Rolled into my attraction is a sense of loss. The hurt is so familiar that it’s a part of me, imprinted into my DNA. Everything feels surreal. So many times I’ve dreamed of being with Gavin again, and now I’m here. My eyes move to his lips as my breath comes faster. Would his kisses still consume me as they did before? Being in Gavin’s arms was a heaven that I never wanted to leave.
A partial smile touches his lips. “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed us.”
“What’re you saying?” I croak.
He chuckles. “Do I have to spell it out for you?” His hand moves to my cheek. His touch is tantalizing as he caresses my skin with the back of his index finger. I know I should put Gavin in his place. Tell him he’s a two-timing louse for being here with me. And yet, I’m caught in his spell. Everything in me yearns for him. I want to feel his lips on mine. Gavin is my kryptonite. The ache to my soul.
He leans in closer. I feel his warm breath on my face. My cells are alive with anticipation as I part my lips. The instant before our lips touch, knuckles rap against the window. I jerk back, startled.
Gavin rolls down the window.
“Two strawberry shakes,” the teenage boy says in a bored tone. Then recognition slashes over his face. “Hey, Gavin.”
“Hey, Ben.”
The guy frowns when he sees me in the truck. “Who’s she?” he asks in an accusing tone.
“This is Albany,” Gavin says easily.
I force a smile. “Hello.”
Ben scowls, turning his attention back to Gavin. “Does my cousin know that you’re out with her?”
Hot, slimy guilt covers me as my cheeks flame hotter than the asphalt in July. I’m a slimebucket! No, Gavin is the slimebucket for bringing me here and for making a play for me.
“How much do I owe you?” Gavin asks, ignoring Ben’s question.
“Four thirty-five.”
Gavin pulls out his wallet and hands Ben a ten-dollar bill. “Keep the change.”
“Thanks,” Ben says with a large grin as he takes the money and leaves.
Gavin hands me my strawberry shake and a straw. Fury is scorching such a hot trail through me that I wonder if I’ll burst into a ball of flames. I yank the lid off the shake and slosh the ice cream onto Gavin.
He yelps as he draws back, holding his shake in the air. “What was that for?”
“For taking me here and making me care about you again!”
His eyes widen. “You care?”
“Was that you
r intent? To have me and Collette chasing after you?” I grit my teeth as I point a finger in his face. “Let’s get one thing straight here, buddy. I refuse to be the other woman!”
He shakes his head in bewilderment. “I can’t believe you dumped your shake on me.” He looks down at his saturated clothes. The empty cup is resting in his lap.
“Give me that.” I grab the shake and straw from his hand. I tear off the wrapper, toss it into the empty bag, plunk the straw through the hole in the lid, and began slurping on the milkshake. Yes, I’m drowning my sorrows in ice cream, but it tastes good.
“You are unbelievable.” He opens the door of his truck and gets out as the empty shake cup falls to the ground. He wipes his hands down his t-shirt and jeans to remove the ice cream. “Hand me that empty food bag, will ya?”
I do as he requests. He leans over, picks up the empty shake cup, and throws it into the bag.
Meanwhile, I’m sucking down the milkshake with a vengeance, mostly because I can’t believe that I actually threw strawberry ice cream all over Gavin. He leans in and grabs the unused napkins resting on the console, using them to wipe off his clothes. Luckily, the bulk of the ice cream got on Gavin rather than on the cloth seat of his truck. Still, there’s a trickle of pink along the edge of the seat. He blots it with a napkin, tosses the napkin into the bag, and leaves it on the shelf underneath the metal menu screen before getting back into the truck.
He turns and gives me a blistering look. “You haven’t changed one bit,” he fumes.
“Well, you have,” I fire back. “I never pegged you as a two-timer.”
He swears under his breath. “I’m not.”
“Huh?”
“I said I’m not,” he growls.
I lower the shake to my lap. “What do you mean?” I ask carefully. A curious hope springs in my chest as I wait to hear what he’s about to say.
“Give me that.” He grabs the shake out of my hand and begins sucking on it.
“Hey,” I protest. “That’s mine.”
He gives me a thin smile. “Actually, it’s mine.” He brings the straw to his lips and takes a long swallow. “Just as I thought.”
“What?”
“It tastes much better than it feels.”
I hiccup a choked laugh as he starts the truck and backs out. I look at his clothes, remorse stinging me with the venom of a thousand hornets. Questions are percolating in my brain. “What did you mean about not being a two-timer?” My voice sounds small in my own ears.
Rather than answering, he stares straight ahead, one hand on the steering wheel, the other hand holding the shake as he sucks the liquid through the straw.
“Fine,” I grumble. “Don’t answer me.” I fold my arms over my chest and shift away from him to stare out the window.
Several minutes later, I’m surprised when he turns into his neighborhood. “Where are we going?”
“To my house. You didn’t think I was gonna wear this for the rest of the night, did you?” He reaches for his garage door opener and clicks it as he pulls in.
My mouth goes dryer than a tub of cotton balls. It feels intensely intimate to be going into a garage with Gavin. Somehow, I manage to find my voice. “I guess I assumed that you would take me home, and that would be the end of it.”
He turns off the engine and angles to face me. An enigmatic smile pushes over his lips. “Oh no, Featherstone, you’re not getting off the hook that easily. You and I are gonna finish our conversation.”
At a loss for words, I just shake my head. He gets out, comes around, and opens the door. His chivalry makes me feel even more guilty for the milkshake episode. A part of me wants to apologize, but then I remind myself that it’s too soon for that. I need to hear Gavin’s explanation first. If he is engaged to Collette, then throwing a milkshake on him was small potatoes in comparison to him making a move on me. He places his hand on the small of my back as he leads me up the steps that go to the kitchen.
Gavin’s closeness is intoxicating. Our eyes meet, sending an inferno of heat whooshing through me. All rational thought flies out the window, and I can’t resist the temptation any longer. I fling my arms around Gavin’s neck and stand on my tiptoes as I pull his face down to mine. All I want is one kiss … for old time’s sake. Then, I’ll somehow summon the strength to let him go.
My lips nuzzle his with featherlight persuasion, swirling delicious sensations around my spine. His arms encircle my waist as he pulls me to him. I press my body against his wet shirt and jeans as my hands slide into his hair. Our lips meet in an explosion of fire as we kiss long and hard. I’ve wanted this for so long. The real thing is even better than the daydreams. He deepens the kiss, sending me soaring into euphoria. When we pull apart, we’re both breathing hard.
Ever so slowly, a quirky grin tugs at his lips. “We’ve still got it,” he brags.
I giggle in surprise. “That’s all you can think to say right now?” I nestle my finger around a lock of his hair. “I’ve missed you.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret saying them. Hurt batters my insides. “You hurt me.” I can feel tears coming on as I blink rapidly to stay them.
Regret simmers in his eyes, turning them to dull coins of mossy green. “I know.”
I jerk, not sure if I heard him correctly. “You know?”
He nods.
“But you said at the grocery store that you wanted to give me space.”
My back is resting against the kitchen counter. He cradles his arms around mine. “I got cold feet. I was scared. I forced your hand by claiming that I wanted to give you space, and you broke up with me.” His haunted expression calls to the wounded part of me. This time, I can’t stop tears from pooling in my eyes.
“I’m sorry that I hurt you,” he says tenderly. “Losing you is the biggest mistake of my life.”
His admission startles me. Is he really saying these words, or am I only imagining this whole scenario because I want him so badly? “What?” I shake my head. “Why didn’t you come after me?”
He gives me a sad smile. “How could I? You were living your dream in New York. My home is here in Comfort. I could never ask you to give up your career for me.”
“So, you were just gonna marry Collette?”
“I was never going to marry Collette.”
My head begins to spin. “But she said y’all were engaged.”
“Collette proposed to me, but I turned her down. It happened several weeks before you came home.”
I’m happy, relieved, and outraged at the same time. “W—why didn’t you tell me?” I sputter.
A cheeky grin fills his face. “And miss out on seeing you seething with jealousy? No way could I turn down that opportunity.”
Laughter tickles my throat. “You are a menace. I wasn’t jealous,” I bluster.
“Oh, yes. You were jealous. I’ve got the remains of the strawberry shake to prove it.”
“Okay, I was a little jealous,” I admit and then scrunch my eyebrows. “I can’t believe Collette put on that whole charade about the dress and you taking her to Maui on your honeymoon.”
It’s Gavin’s turn to be surprised. “What? I never told Collette I’d take her to Maui. That’s our spot.”
“I know,” I assert heartily. “Collette was goading me about Maui, digging in the knife, so I jabbed her with the pin.”
“Well, it sounds like Collette got what she deserves.”
“I still can’t believe you dated her.”
He heaves out a heavy sigh. “She’s persistent, and I caved.” His eyes search mine. “Now that you know the truth, where does that leave us? Will you stick around this time or head back to New York?”
A smile tips my lips, and I feel deliriously happy. “You know, I’m thinking about sticking around for a while. Maybe open a boutique. I heard through the grapevine that there might be a spot opening up beside the dance studio on Main Street. Would you happen to know the owner?”
His eyes sparkle with the zest of
the stars as a broad grin fills his face. “I might know a guy.”
“There’s only one little kink in my plan.”
Wariness settles over his features. “What’s that?”
“I need to win the beauty pageant this weekend, so I can get the ten-thousand-dollar prize for seed money.”
He gulps out a startled laugh. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Do you not think I have a chance?” I’m a little miffed by his reaction.
“Of course. You’ve already won it twice.”
“I know. I’m hoping that works in my favor.”
“If money’s the issue, then don’t worry about that. I can give you the ten thousand dollars.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not a charity case.” It’s good to know that Gavin is so successful. While I appreciate his offer, I need to do this on my own. Let’s face it. If push came to shove, Dad would give me the money, but that’s beside the point.
He laughs. “Down girl. I’m only trying to help.”
“I know.” I cup his jaw with my hand, stroking my thumb over his skin. “We’ve been apart for years, living separate lives. And just like that, you’re willing to give me the money to start my business?”
He doesn’t bat an eye. “Of course.”
I’m dumbfounded. “We can’t just pick right back up where we left off.”
Laughter streaks through his eyes. “I beg to differ. Remember how you reacted when I asked you to the school dance in the seventh grade?”
“You approached me in the cafeteria … embarrassed me in front of my friends. We were in junior high.” I wrinkle my nose. “I was supposed to hate boys. I couldn’t let any of my friends know that I had a huge crush on you.”
“And what did you do?”
I roll my eyes. “You already know the answer.”
“I know,” he hums, “I just like hearing you say it.”
“Fine,” I huff. “I’ll say it. I did the only thing I could to save face. I dumped my plate of spaghetti on you.”
He gives me a checkmate smile, his eyes raining laughter. “Case in point.” He steps back and motions to his clothes. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” He gives me an astute look. “I didn’t see you throw beer on Mac, even when he was being a bozo.”