Chapter 6 – Harley
“ H e’s back. Again,” Jonathan observed.
I took a deep breath and ignored my coworker. There was no need for him to elaborate. I knew exactly who he was talking about. Every night he was here…in my section.
“He must really like the food here. Or maybe it’s the atmosphere ,” Jonathan teased, snagging the plates of food from the kitchen window and placing them on his tray.
My cheeks warmed. I glanced at the two-top, where one figure wearing a black tee and blue jeans sat. A local craft beer sat on a cocktail napkin, condensation dripping off the side. A confirmation flashed on the screen letting me know the order of burger and fries was logged with the kitchen. Quickly looking away, I exited out of the order window and checked to make sure the refills for table five were sent to the bar.
“What’s up with that, Harley?” Jonathan pushed.
I snorted. “We’re the only place to eat on the lake.”
“But he sat in your section. Again,” my coworker insisted. “He’s either stalking you or waiting to ask you out. Whichever it is, he’s here for you, Harley.”
Despite the sweat dripping down my back, a shiver rippled down my spine. But I wouldn’t let this snotnosed kid see.
“I’m going to confront him,” Jonathan decided.
I pinched his overworked, all for show, and therefore completely useless bicep. “Jonathan Remvicki, if you so much as dare say anything inappropriate to a customer, I will end you.”
The smirk on the kid’s face told me I just played into his hand.
Crap.
“You like him,” Jonathan insisted.
Sweeping my hand around, I glared at him. “We have a full house tonight. Don’t you have tables to check on?”
“So what? You’re telling me he hasn’t made a move?”
“There’s nothing going on,” I insisted.
“Buuuttt?” Jonathan drawled. “You want there to be?”
Did I? I faltered. We’d been swimming together regularly, except for the two mornings of rain. But Kole had been a patron at the Landing, never missing supper. Not one night in those ten days. There was something there; only an idiot wouldn’t notice.
But every objection in the book rose to the forefront.
The thought of how much swimming lesson money I’d already made pulsed in my mind. I couldn’t let anything interfere with that. Every little bit added up, meaning I could survive school without needing to take a part-time job or extra loans.
“Ask him out, Harley.”
“I’m not interested in a relationship, Johnny.”
He snorted. “Who said anything about a relationship? He’s from out of town. Have a bit of fun this summer.”
I scrubbed my forehead. “I don’t know,” I moaned.
“How long has it been?”
My fist dropped and banged onto the stainless-steel countertop. “Jonathan, I swear to all that is sacred!” Shaking my head, I took deep lungfuls of air. “I used to babysit you—which means I’ve wiped your ass. I’m not talking about my personal life with you of all people!”
“That long, huh? Let’s see if I can help you out!” And with that, Jonathan began to saunter toward my section.
Letting out a squeak of dismay, I lunged after him. “You will not—”
“Just see if he wants to go down to the Pine Lawn Tavern and knock back a few. That doesn’t mean you’ll do the dance with no pants.” The grin spreading across the snot-nosed kid’s face was wicked.
I pushed him aside, and mercifully, he moved away to bother other people. With a deep breath, I checked on my other tables first.
Going to the Tavern was out of the question. I didn’t go there on principle, and just because I had a small crush on my new neighbor didn’t mean I would entertain the idea of going to the hole-in-the-wall bar. The same jackasses who I went to high school with frequented the place. They slept around, knocked each other up, spread STDs, got married some of the time, and divorced just as quickly. While the locals might rub elbows with the rich, even bringing them to their secluded dive bars like the Tavern, the lake folk left with hangovers, while the locals stayed to repeat the cycle. I saw how lame it was ages ago, and my feelings on the subject never changed.
Looking at Kole, I doubted very much he was the adventurous cidiot jonesing for a trip down County Road 3 with a local girl like me.
But still…. There was something about this stranger, though I couldn’t put my finger on what made him different.
The way he watched me, even when he wasn’t directly looking in my direction, excited me. The glimpses of the man behind the stony, silent exterior, intrigued me. And holy cow, that body turned me on, unleashing the wildest fantasies in the dead of night.
Small crush? Minor attraction? Yeah, I had a full-blown infatuation with my neighbor.
I grabbed a frosty mug from the bar. What was the worst thing that could happen? If we had a fling, I could lose a few extra hundred bucks. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter. And if things were awkward, if swimming lessons were canceled, I could sleep an extra hour in the morning.
I should see if there is something there with him . I was in my mid-thirties. This was the time of life to do exciting things. I didn’t want to look back on this era of my life and regret that I hadn’t reached for every star. That was why I was going back to school. Who said I couldn’t have a second career? No one. I got to choose. Who said I couldn’t have a summer romance with the neighbor? Again…no one.
I’m doing this. Before I could change my mind, I walked over with the fresh microbrew.
“How did you like your beer selection tonight?” I asked, stopping a healthy distance away and keeping the other side of the two-top between us.
Those unwavering blue eyes studied me. “Hoppy.”
“Yeah, that’s an IPA for you.” Taking a deep breath and trying to calm my nerves, I opened my mouth—and began to babble. “Well, since I worked a double, I’ll be cut first tonight. There will still be a couple of hours before bedtime, so I might go do some fishing. Do you fish?”
“You asked me that this morning.”
I stifled a groan. I should cut my losses and run. “Your answer was inconclusive.”
Kole tipped his head to the side, considering me. “I’ve fished.”
“Have you gone fishing in the dark?” Good job with the not lame thing, genius.
“No.”
Seeming to chew on that answer, while really trying to judge how to extricate myself from the situation, I hummed, “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“You’re right, I don’t.”
Those words were a challenge. They dripped with something entirely different in nature. It was dark and seductive. He pulled me in with that focused stare, daring me to back down.
And damn me, I couldn’t. “I could show you.”
He studied me.
The air around me felt thick, every second stretching out like hours as I stood there, my hands clasped so tightly they ached. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat a heavy thud that seemed to echo in the silence. Crap…I wanted this. I could feel the sweat on my palms, dampening my fingers, and my breath came shallow and quick, catching just a little each time I exhaled.
“Maybe. Someday,” he finally answered.
It wasn’t a yes or no. “Okay then,” I stammered and quickly fled the area.
Orders needed taking, food and beverages were delivered, payments were collected—and the next half hour passed quickly. Someone else had delivered Kole’s meal, so I was able to avoid contact with him.
I’m going to have to go over there. I was a professional. I could do this.
And then tomorrow, I would see him shirtless…again.
My cheeks flamed.
Dropping my gaze to the floor, I hurried to the four-top with the fresh milk for the sweet little girl in pigtails. For a child diner, she was better behaved than many adults. After setting her refill down, I turned sharply but threw a smile to the mother. I would have to see if I could dig the toddler up a cookie or something special—
A hard touch snaked around my wrist. I was yanked sharply to the side.
“Harley! Watch out,” Carry yelped from under her fully loaded tray.
“Sorry!” I called after her, but she was already chugging through the packed seating area to her table.
That would have been horrible.
Breathing fast, I leaned against the hard wall behind me. The hard, warm wall—Kole. I knew his scent. Recognized his touch.
“You alright?” he murmured against the top of my head.
His touch loosened from my wrist, sliding up the inside of my arm and making my brain short circuit.
“Yeah,” I gulped.
Five more seconds. I could stay here, leaning against him, for just a moment more. Holy cow! The way he’d caught me had been nothing short of movie magic. The small, insignificant moment set it to the current roaring inferno.
His touch slid back down the sensitive area before falling away.
I took a step forward, keenly aware of how my skin burned from his touch.
“I left cash on the table. Didn’t want to bother you,” he rumbled.
Meeting his gaze made my heart flutter violently. “Okay, I’ll grab your change!”
He shook his head. “Nah, you’re good, Harley.”
It was probably because I wanted to hear the subtle warmth in his tone, but my insides turned to goo at the word good. We would be good, oh so good. Damn, but I couldn’t keep it together around him!
Things were only getting hotter the more time we spent around one another. He had to feel the impending explosion too. Right?
“Night,” he breathed.
I blinked, trying to come back from the haze of heat. “Oh, yeah, goodnight!”
A beat passed, and then he moved away, folding into the crowd and disappearing.