Barbecue and Bad News (21 page)

“Glad you like it.”

The mood was lightening up again, and Savannah was relieved she hadn’t ruined the whole evening with that talk about the mural. He’d started brooding when she brought it up. Unfortunately for him, that just made her more curious to learn everything about it.

She pushed her plate away from her. “I’m stuffed.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He started stacking plates and pans.

Savannah pushed her chair back and helped.

Scott held the screen door open for her with his foot, and they made quick work of getting everything cleaned up and put away together. “Thanks. I didn’t mean to put you to work,” Scott said.

“It’s always easier with more hands.”

“Want to walk down to the dock?”

“I’d love that.” She rubbed her stomach. “I could use a walk after that meal.”

The slope to the water was steep. He steadied her by taking her hand in his. When they got about twenty feet from the boathouse, a big black Lab came loping up the lawn toward them.

“Hey, Maggie.” Scott let go of Savannah’s hand and clapped. The dog ran toward them with her tongue lolling to one side. Her tail wagged so hard she looked like she might lose her balance, or lift right off the ground like a helicopter.

Savannah stooped down and scrubbed Maggie’s ears. “Such a pretty girl.”

By the time Savannah realized Scott had kept walking while she and Maggie got acquainted, he was far enough ahead that they had to run to catch up.

He was already on the dock, toying with a rope on one of the boats.

“Does Maggie ever go out on the boat with you?”

“Oh, yeah. She loves the water. In it, on it, near it . . . you name it. I’m pretty sure that dog has river water running through her veins.”

Savannah held her arms out to steady herself on the floating dock. “Love the party boat!”

“The pontoon boat? Yeah. It’s fun. Mom likes that one. It’s more her speed. She and Dad used to take it out all the time. I got it when he passed on. The fishing boat is my favorite. She’ll really scoot.”

She cocked her head slightly. Dad would have liked him. “Just like your hot rod cars.”

“Yeah, guess so.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Especially when you can get out of the tickets.” She sat on the dock and pulled off her shoes and socks. When her toes hit the water, she let out a loud gasp that ended in a rather high-pitched squeal. The shock of that water dulled her focus on her dad. Missing him. And part of her wished she could jump right into the river and wash that sorrow away with the current. People said time would make it easier, but it didn’t.

He sat down next to her. “The water stays cold in this part of the river.”

“It’s nice out here,” she said, swishing her feet. The water splashing against the bottom of the dock was soothing.

He looked around and then back at her. “Yeah, it is. I’m a little biased, but I love it here.”

“I can see why.” She lay back on the dock, looking into the night sky. “It’s a good place to be.”

“It’s a great place to be. And quiet,” he added.

“Is that your way of telling me to quit talking?”

“No. I’m enjoying your company.”

She sat back up. “I wouldn’t say it was quiet out here. Don’t you hear all of that? The water lapping at the dock. Frogs. Crickets. A couple of neighborhood dogs. I’m not sure what all we’ve got going on here, but it isn’t quiet!”

“Well, it’s a natural quiet. No traffic. No jets. No lights. No crime to really speak of.”

“It’s peaceful.” She lifted her chin to the sky and took in a deep breath. “I’ll give you that. I feel like I could reach out and touch those stars. Definitely peaceful.”

“Fair enough.”

“I’ve enjoyed tonight,” she said.

“Me too.”

“You were right.” She saw the cocky gleam in his eyes. “I mean that you were right that you make an awesome grilled chicken. And those veggies. Do you always cook up that many veggie side dishes, or did you do that just for me?”

“I had a feeling the veggies might be your favorite part.”

“You were right, but with cooking like that, I might have meat at every meal.”

“Thank you, ma’am. Are you offering me a full-time job?”

“Careful. I might.”

“Wait until you try my steak. I’m known for my steaks.” He reached over and put his hand on top of hers.

It caught her by surprise. She looked up and made eye contact. “Only if you promise to cook it. I don’t like those steaks that seem like they could still be mooing.”

“Medium-well it is.”

“Is that how you eat yours? Medium-well?”

“Oh, heck no. I like mine still mooing.”

“Ick. Make mine well done, please.”

“Deal.” He pulled in a deep breath. “That means we have another date, right?”

She turned her head, her shoulder lifting nearly to her ear in a self-conscious shrug.
A date? Is that what we’ve just had?
“Another one?”

“Or a first one,” he said. The beginning of a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

She wasn’t the only one feeling the connection tonight. She tilted her head back and gazed into his eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, I could totally do that.” And more . . . She’d love to see what that mouth felt like on her own, but as quickly as she wished for it, her mind turned to nervousness too. “Next time let me help in the kitchen. I love to cook. Haven’t done it in years, so I’m a little rusty, but I’d like that.”

He stood and reached his hand toward her to help her up. “Come on. The mosquitoes are buzzing. Let’s head back up to the house. Then we can talk about that next date, because I’m looking forward to that.”

She looked at his hand, but didn’t take it. With not a move to get up, she said, “Me too. Ya know, there’s only one thing that would make tonight even better.”

“I was going for perfect. I didn’t succeed?”

“You were close.”

“What’s that one thing?”

He was staring at her mouth. His hand was still extended toward her. And the way his mouth moved when he spoke, she knew his kisses would be soft, tender.

He leaned down toward her. If his lips ever touched hers, and his kiss was half as sexy as he was, there’d be no forgetting this night. Instead, she tucked her feet underneath her and said, “A ride in that cute Mustang with the top down.”

He caught her around her wrist just as she got halfway up.

Pulling her the rest of the way up, he brought her tummy to tummy with him, but she began to stumble, off balance.

He caught her. His large hand steadied her at the lower back.

She gasped.

His other hand slid down her arm, leaving a trail of chills as he sought her hand and then wove his fingers between hers.

She tipped her face to his. God, how she wished he would kiss her. For all the silly playfulness, she really wanted him to.

But he didn’t. No, he was giving her a taste of her own medicine. Instead, that row of perfect white teeth caught in a smile and he leaned close into her neck.

Her heart pounded, and her eyes closed in anticipation. The scruff on his chin danced in her hair, making it tickle.

Then, he gave her shoulders a squeeze and dropped a gentle kiss on her mouth.

His lips felt perfect against hers. Warm, tender . . . and then he pulled back and said, “Come on. Last one to the car has to pump the gas. Which will be you.”

“Me?” She leaped forward. “No! No fair.” She pushed past him and ran as fast as she could to the front yard, then jumped into the driver’s seat, since it was closest.

Scott slid to a stop at the driver’s-side door. “Good Lord, girl. You’d have given Hillcrest Joyful Kixx a run for his money.”

“I might be a little competitive,” she said between gasps for air. “And out of shape.”

“A little? I guess I’ll be pumping the gas,” he said. “You don’t look that fast!”

She laughed so hard her shoulders shook. He dug the keys out of his pocket and tossed them in her lap. “You drive.”

“You’re going to let me drive this car?” Did he really trust her that much? He loved this car.

“Sure. It’s made it this many years. I don’t think some lead-footed city girl who drives a Mini Cooper can hurt her.”

“Awesome!” She laid her cheek against the steering wheel and placed a gentle hand on the dashboard. “I hope you’re ready for this ride, girl,” she said, but those words were more for herself than for the car.

“Give me a second to put the top down.”

She sat in the driver’s seat, feeling extra special as he went through the process to put the ragtop down on the old Ford.

“Not quite as easy to put a top down back in the day, was it?”

“No button to push on this baby, but it’s worth it.”

He probably knew all the right buttons to push. She reached down and sprung the lever to pull the seat forward. As she stared into the dark night sky, the words just came out. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”

“Me too.” Scott got into the passenger’s seat and reached over and twisted the key in the ignition. “Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“I have just the place.” Scott pulled one knee up and leaned against the door. She looked beautiful under the moonlight. “Back out and go to the end of the street and then turn left.” He rather liked having lost that foot race. It hadn’t been the plan, but the view from the passenger seat was certainly to his liking.

She took it slow through the neighborhood and made a left.

“Follow this road around the bend and then turn right. You’ll be able to open her up on that road.”

“You’re giving me an okay to gun the engine?”

“Let her rip.”

“You’re not going to give me a ticket if I break the law, are you?”

“Try me.”

She wiggled her eyebrows as if she was up to the challenge. Once she turned right, she put her foot on the gas and let out a squeal. “This car can roll!”

The wind was whipping her hair in a thousand directions, and he couldn’t help laughing at her apparent glee. It was always the little things that meant the most. This little moment wouldn’t be one he’d soon forget. If someone had told him a few days ago that this pain-in-the-ass city girl was going to grab his attention and make him want to take days off work, he’d have said that person was crazy. But there’d been something that day when he’d pulled her over. Something that had tugged at him.

Maybe Pearl Clemmons had passed along her matchmaking skills to his mom. This was the first time she’d ever been even close.

Savannah let her foot off the gas and slowed the car to a stop at the edge of the road. “Scott, that was amazing!” She let out a loud whoop. “I
knew
I should’ve bought the convertible model.”

“Girl. There is no way that little car of yours would ever perform like this.”

“You don’t think it’s sporty enough?”

“Or at all! There’s nothing that could make that little Mini Cooper of yours a muscle car.” He laughed. “I’ve never been the passenger in this car before. It was cool. You’re a good driver. I think you’re driving the wrong kind of car.”

“Or maybe I’m driving the right kind of car, else you’d be writing me tickets all the time.”

“We may have met sooner.”

“True. My daddy loved cars. I used to sit outside while he tinkered on them. When I was little he would take my mom and me out every Saturday night for a ride. We would have the windows down, the wind just blowing. I’d come home and it would take, like, an hour for my mom to comb all those snarls out of my hair. It was worth every single teary-eyed tangle. Those rides were pretty awesome.”

“You and your dad are close?”

“Oh, yeah. I was a total daddy’s girl. Always.”

“Was?”

“He died when I was eighteen.” She looked down, twisting her hands in her lap. “Both my parents died when I was eighteen.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“I don’t talk about it much. I still miss them like crazy.”

“I’m sorry.” That explained the Kevlar she shielded that heart with. He couldn’t even imagine losing a parent at that age. Losing Dad just five years ago had still been one hell of a blow, but at least they’d had a lifetime of memories together.

“Thanks for reminding me just how much I loved those rides.”

He reached over and ran his hand along her cheek. “I’m glad I could help you remember some of the good parts.”

She lifted her shoulder to his hand. “The best parts.”

Her vulnerability was unexpected, but it made him more attracted to her than ever. It’s impossible to realize how quickly life can change until it does. He was sure not going to waste any time now, and if spending a few of his evenings with his mom made her happy, it was worth his time to give them to her. He was sure Savannah would understand that. She probably wished she’d had that chance. “Why don’t you switch seats with me?”

“Sure.”

He got out and walked around, and she slid over the console into the passenger’s seat.

Without a word, Scott pulled back out on the road and peeled out, causing the tires to squeal and the car to swerve in its own wake before powering ahead.

Savannah threw her head back, laughing the whole way.

He didn’t slow down until they neared Bradford Junction Road.