Arms of Serenity (Rock Services) (10 page)

BOOK: Arms of Serenity (Rock Services)
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Eva got a glint in her eye and squared her shoulders.
“I was doing the Tush Push.”

Becca watched Nick’s face.
He smirked and asked Eva, “You do mean the dance, right?”

Eva laughed and blushed again
. “Yes, the dance. It’s so much fun wiggling your hips like that. I was having a grand time dancing around until I pushed my tush a little too far, and I toppled over like an old tree in a wind storm.”

Nick chuckled and gave her hand a quick squeeze
. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything more serious.”

Becca remembered how frail Eva
had looked when she was lying on the dance floor. Her cries of pain had ripped at Becca. She was certain she had broken every bone in her body, and she turned to scold Eva over her lack of concern for her own health. “It could have been much more serious, Eva, and you know it. You need to keep yourself seated and off the dance floor.”

“Oh now stop your worrying.
I was fine and just having some fun. Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy life, which is something you should be doing more often.” She turned to Nick again. “Speaking of having fun, weren’t we trying to find you someone to show you around?”

“Actually
, Eva, I had just asked Becca out on a date.”

“Oh good, then how about you pick her up tomorrow evening and after she shows you around she can bring you out to the house for dinner.
How does six sound?”

“Eva!”
Becca couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The two of them were acting and making plans like she wasn’t even standing there. “I never said yes to Nick, and what if I have plans for tomorrow?”

“Don’t be silly.
If you have plans, just cancel them. This handsome young man might not be around for very long, and you should take advantage of his company while you can.” Eva winked at Nick, and Becca felt the battle slipping through her fingers. She could never win against the two of them.

“Anyway, I’m sure my Henry would enjoy meeting Nick.
Consider it a favor to me.” Eva looked up, and Becca surrendered. The white flag had officially been run up the pole and was flapping around in the wind for all to see. She could never turn down Eva when she asked for a favor. She was beat.

Becca sighed
. “You know this is blackmail”. She turned to Nick and added, “Again”. He just shrugged his shoulders and put up his hands in mock innocence.

“Dinner at six sounds good.
What can I bring?”

“Wonderful
!” Eva continued as she put her gloves back on. “Nothing, but I will take some brownies now. Chocolate makes my Henry frisky.”

Nick chuckled while Becca groaned and boxed up a dozen brownies.

Nick grabbed the box when Becca handed them over and offered to carry them outside.

Smiling, Eva
thanked Nick before turning to Becca. “This one is so charming. We must keep him around. See you tomorrow, dear.”

Becca watched as Nick followed Eva out of the shop and as they stood on the sidewalk talking.
She could see the two of them smiling and knew they were conspiring against her even more. She had been right, and her butt had gotten a chunk taken out of it. That didn’t stop the giddy feeling that had settled into her stomach though. She was going out on a date and not just with any guy. She was going to spend an evening with Nick.

Gone was the panic
, and she admitted to herself she was excited. She was actually looking forward to having dinner with him. She watched him walk back and smiled when he popped his head in the door. “What time should I pick you up?”

Chapter Eight

 

Becca checked her appearance in the mirror once more.
She nervously fidgeted with her sweater pulling it up then down, off the shoulder, on. Her stomach was in a knot, and she was a jittery mess.

The four coffees she had
weren’t helping to calm her down much either. The extra caffeine punch was needed after her restless night. Sleep had not been an option as her mind had raced over Nick and the date.

After he
had left and the initial excitement had worn off, her thoughts had gone into overdrive as she’d ripped apart the situation, analyzed, twisted and then put it back together just to rip it apart piece by piece again. Panic, anxiety, and fear had settled back in as she’d worried and stressed over how much she was excited, happy, and even hopeful over seeing Nick again, the last being what scared her most of all.

Hope was something she had long given up as a pipe dream.
There was no hope for a future that didn’t and wouldn’t exist. Why dream about a happily-ever-after when that’s what it was a fairy tale? Love didn’t conquer all. It was an express lane to heartache. In the end, you were back to where you started … alone.

The emotional gauntlet she had dragged herself through had taken a toll as she
had finally fallen into bed drained and exhausted in the early hours of the morning.  Becca had woken a few hours later and called Anne for an emergency girl’s meeting at the shop.

A couple cups of coffee and a double chocolate muffin or two later, the therapeutic session with Anne had worked its magic.
Her friend had found a way to calm her to where Becca had been able to allow herself to look forward to the evening.

Becca shook her head at how off-the-charts she had become over spending time with Nick.
He just had an inexplicable way of making her world tilt and spiral around her. Every emotion she felt seemed to be amplified when he was around.

No other guy, even Mike, had ever caused her to react the way she did with Nick.
It was more than attraction. He was like a force of nature or a vortex spinning in the ocean tempting her to swim closer until she reached the point of no return and was sucked into the abyss that was all him. Instead of swimming away like she normally would do, this time Becca was determined to float along and see where the current took her.

Becca looked in the mirror again.
Even with her new resolve, she couldn’t help being nervous, a good nervous. She had the jitters that came along with the excitement of a first date. She had changed three times, trying to remain casual for Henry and Eva’s while still looking nice. The sweater she had finally chosen was a green that set off her eyes and gave a hint of cleavage. Becca had to fight the urge to pull it up. What was she worried about? Nick was already fully acquainted with the girls.

A
darn fine introduction it was, too!

She wore her favorite jeans and a black belt that matched the knee-high boots she
had found in her closet still in the box. She was no fashionista and didn’t have a pile of shoes cluttering up her closet, but when she had seen the boots she couldn’t help but buy them.

Her hair was down in soft waves
, and she had applied some make-up. The subtle green on her eyelids added to the color of the sweater making her eyes sparkle. She smiled at her reflection knowing that sparkle had less to do with the color and more to do with the man picking her up in a couple minutes.

Becca had to admit she liked her new attitude.
She didn’t know what direction she was heading in, but at least she felt like she was finally taking a step forward. 

Her phone started to buzz
, and she grabbed it off the stand. Not recognizing the number, she wondered who could be calling her and hesitated before answering.

“Hello?”

“Hey
, beautiful, you ready?” Becca heard the familiar deep voice.

“Nick?
Do I even want to know how you got my number?”

Nick laughed through the phone.
“I’m a man of many talents. I’m downstairs parked outside the bakery.”

Becca smiled at the thought of his talents.
The man didn’t exaggerate. He had mad skills including a tongue she still thought should be bronzed.

“I’ll be right down.
Pull around back. There’s another door for the apartment.” She grabbed her jacket, locked the door, and hurried down the steps to the back entrance.

When she opened the door, she had to close her eyes and open them again to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
He was leaning against an older Jeep Wrangler wearing a blue and black flannel shirt with a blue thermal underneath, jeans, and black work boots. He couldn’t look more perfect if she had dressed him herself. It was like a picture of her dream man had come to life and was standing in front of her.

She was always attracted to the outdoors type.
There was something about a man in a flannel shirt and work boots that made her want to rip them off. It was the rugged look that drove her crazy. She shook her head as she walked up to him.

He opened the door for her and asked, “What?”

“Nothing, just not what I was expecting.” She jumped in to the passenger seat. “I took you more for a BMW kind of guy. Maybe even a Hummer, but definitely not a Jeep.”

“Oh
, I like the sound of a Hummer. Do you know where I can get one?” He cocked his head and lifted his brows at her.

She couldn’t help but laugh.
“Not tonight, I don’t.”

He closed the door laughing and came around to slide into the driver seat. “Before we start our evening, I have something for you.”
He reached in to the backseat and then handed her a bouquet of roses. There were eleven white roses surrounding one single red rose. It had to be one of the most perfect roses she had ever seen. Fully bloomed, its vibrant red color was stunning.

She turned to Nick and said in almost a whisper, “They’re beautiful.
Thank you.” Becca hesitated. She wasn’t sure how to ask, but she had to know why he placed one red rose in the middle. “Nick? Why the one red rose? I mean they are gorgeous, but…”

Nick cut her off.
“In life, we are surrounded by beauty. The people we meet, a sunset and flowers just like these.” Becca watched as his hand skimmed over the white roses. “Sometimes, though, we get lucky, and we catch a glimpse of a rose where its beauty surpasses all others. Its perfection calls to you. Its delicate petals beckon to be touched, and its sweet scent intoxicates you until you can think of nothing but that rose. It stands out against all others, and you would give anything just to be able to look upon its perfection once more.” He put his hand under her chin and lifted until she was level with his eyes. “You, Becca, are that rose.”

Becca swallowed the lump that gathered in her throat and fought the tears that had collected.
That was the most incredibly romantic gesture she had ever received. She didn’t know what to say. This amazingly sexy man had just told her she was beautiful and stood out from other women. She felt special, wanted, and desired. His words had made her breathless, and she could feel the tug on her heart.

His thumb stroked along her jaw
, and he cupped his hand to her cheek. She leaned in to his touch wanting to get closer to his warmth. She closed her eyes enjoying the moment and the feel of him against her skin. Too quickly, he had pulled away, and she opened her eyes to look at him.

His eyes had grown more intense
, and his voice was husky when he reached again into the backseat. “I have something else for you.”

There’s more?
Becca wasn’t sure she could take anymore gestures without becoming a blubbering mess in his seat. She already felt dangerously close to an emotional meltdown.

That’s always the perfect way to start any date.
Yeah, not so much!

He handed her a box with a red ribbon.

“What’s this?”

He chuckled and said, “Just open it.”

Becca slowly untied the ribbon, trying to hide her trembling hands. She opened the box, unfolded the tissue paper, and burst out laughing when she realized that it was her forgotten panties. “You are full of surprises. Thank you.”

Nick turned in his seat and started the engine.
“We are just getting started. There might be some more surprises in your future. Ready?”

She nodded her head.
Becca wasn’t sure she was ready for everything he had planned. What she was sure of was that she was interested in knowing more about the surprise of a man who was sitting next to her.

Their tour had been limited to a few places that were lit at night.
She pointed out a few local historical sites and then directed him to drive out of town. They passed a pond that was used as a fishing hole during the summer months and an ice rink during the winter. When she told him to turn onto the dirt road that led to Henry and Eva’s, he told her he had already been out to their house during the day.

“You went to their house?”

“Yep, I helped Henry fix a hole in their barn this afternoon.”
He shrugged. “Eva asked if I would come out and lend a hand. She has a knack at getting her way.”

Becca snorted.
That was understatement. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble. I’m glad she asked though. They’re both stubborn, and they think they can handle anything that a twenty-year-old could. They refuse to acknowledge that being over seventy has some limitations, even for them.”

Nick shrugged
again. “I enjoyed fixing the barn. I don’t get a chance to work with my hands that often, and it felt good to put on the tool belt. They are a great couple, and they only had great things to say about you.”

Becca was going to ask what they said
, but her thoughts went in a different direction when she imagined Nick in a tool belt. She could see him shirtless with a slight layer of sweat glistening on his body, his tool belt hanging loose around his hips as the muscles in his back rippled when he methodically swung down with a hammer over and over again.

She yanked herself out of her fantasy and squirmed in her seat.
A warm wetness was beginning to collect between her legs. She looked over at him, worried he might have guessed where her thoughts had been but relaxed when she saw him watching the road.

Nick made one last turn and stopped the Jeep when they reached the house.
Becca frowned when she saw that there weren’t any lights on.

“Aren’t they home?”

“Nope, they went to visit Henry’s brother for some poker and beer.
I thought they were joking until Eva told me that she usually won her milk money on poker nights.” He laughed at her confused face. “Don’t worry. You won’t go hungry. Oh and ‘us kids’ are to make sure we have fun.”

Becca shook her head and laughed.
That sounded like Henry and Eva. “Well, if they aren’t here where are we going to eat? Are we invading their house?” Becca couldn’t be mad at them even though she was obviously there under false pretenses. She did have an uneasy feeling though. It didn’t feel right to be there while they weren’t, and her nervousness came back in full force at the thought of being alone with Nick all night. She was expecting Henry and Eva to be the buffers and help ease her nerves.

“Nope, we aren’t going in the house.”
He jumped out and quickly made it around to open Becca’s door and help her out of the Jeep. “Come on, I have another surprise for you.”

She placed her hand in his and gave him a questioning look.
He just smiled and started leading her around to the back of the house. When they came around the corner, she noticed there was a light on in the barn. He led her to the doors and asked her to close her eyes. She heard the door squeak open, and he came behind her to place his hands over eyes.

“No
peeking.” His body gently nudged her forward, and he removed his hands after they stopped moving. “Ok, open them.”

BOOK: Arms of Serenity (Rock Services)
11.64Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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