Chapter 4
Rocket took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart as he drove toward Winnie’s house to pick up Jayme for another date.
Over the last two weeks, he’d talked to her every day and he’d seen her three times.
He’d have preferred to see her more, but his schedule was hectic, and because of events overseas, he’d been working long hours on the Army base’s helicopters to keep them running in tip-top shape.
But he’d gotten the afternoon off, and he’d planned something pretty over-the-top for their date today. He wasn’t sure how Jayme would feel about it though, so he was taking a chance.
He’d taken her out to eat once and their conversation had felt a bit stilted.
He’d had a good time but hadn’t been truly relaxed.
And that sucked because he really liked Jayme.
Wanted to see where things could go between them.
Didn’t want to fuck anything up. Jayme was pretty, practical, and he really liked how devoted she was to Winnie.
He didn’t have a close relationship with his own family, more his fault than anything his parents had done.
He’d just gotten busy with his life and before he knew it, he hadn’t seen his mom or dad in years.
The next time he’d taken Jayme out, he’d given her a driving tour of Killeen.
He’d been a little more relaxed that time and things between them had seemed more laid-back, more like when he’d eaten dinner with her at Winnie’s.
And on date three, Rocket had brought her onto the Army base and given her a tour of where he worked and introduced her to his coworkers.
He’d loved how down-to-earth she was and how she laughed and joked with his friends, not caring about shaking their oily hands or the fact that most of them were rough around the edges.
The more Rocket got to know Jayme, the more he liked her.
He pulled into Winnie’s driveway and climbed out of his old Chevy Blazer.
The car might be ancient, but she ran perfectly, thanks to his mechanical abilities.
Rocket gave Winnie’s next-door neighbor, Brain, a chin lift in greeting.
The man was outside washing his girlfriend’s car.
He and Aspen had introduced themselves one day while he’d been visiting Winnie, and Rocket had to admit it made him feel better that her neighbors were watching out for her.
She might think she was perfectly able to look after herself, but at ninety-one, she was vulnerable. Aspen had also said recently that she was happy Jayme had moved in so she could help keep an eye on the spunky older woman.
Jogging up to the door, Rocket lifted his hand to knock but it opened before he could make contact.
“Hey,” Jayme said, smiling up at him.
And just like that, Rocket’s day was made.
“Hi,” he returned, leaning down without thought. One of his hands rested on her bicep and he brushed his lips against her cheek in greeting.
She blushed, but her smile never dimmed.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Yup. Memaw left about half an hour ago for lunch with one of her friends. The senior bus picked her up.”
Rocket nodded. “I think it’s great that she’s still getting out and about so much.”
Jayme rolled her eyes. “If she didn’t, she’d be a pain in the ass.
She needs her gossip time. Hang on a sec, let me grab my purse.
” She ducked back inside the house and Rocket waited patiently on the front step.
Today was his day off, and two weeks ago he would’ve been doing yard work or puttering around his garage, working on the old Harley he’d picked up a while ago.
She was back in less than a minute, and when she turned around to lock the front door, Rocket couldn’t help but let his eyes stray to her ass. The woman had one of the finest backsides he’d ever seen, and it took everything he had not to reach out to touch her.
She turned and caught him staring, but instead of getting irritated, she simply chuckled. “You’re such a guy,” she said.
Rocket shrugged. “Guilty.”
Her cheeks were pink, which made Rocket want her all the more. He knew she was thirty-two, but sometimes she reminded him of an untried teenager. He liked that she wasn’t jaded and didn’t flaunt her sexuality. She didn’t need to. All she had to do was smile at him and he was putty in her hands.
“Now that we’re on our way, are you finally going to tell me what we’re doing today?” she asked.
“Nope. Not yet,” Rocket said, amused that she was so easy to tease.
“Okay, but you should know that there’s a freshly baked cheesecake waiting on Winnie’s counter that I made this morning…and I’m still deciding if I’m gonna let you have any of it.”
“Oh, you’re cruel,” Rocket said, holding a hand to his chest as he opened the passenger door to his truck with the other.
She chuckled. “Nope, you’re the cruel one. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out why all the secrecy for our date and where you might be taking me.”
“I thought bakers were supposed to be patient,” Rocket said as she got settled in his truck.
“Not this one,” Jayme told him.
Rocket couldn’t help himself, he brought a hand up to her hair and smoothed it back.
She’d left it down, which he loved, and the thick locks curled around her shoulders, drawing his eyes to her chest. She had on a V-neck T-shirt that showed just a hint of cleavage.
Her jeans molded to her legs, caressing her curves.
His mouth actually watered with his need to explore her, to peel off her shirt and worship her. “Hang on just a bit longer, my curious baker, and you’ll see for yourself what I have planned. But know, if you hate it, plans can easily be changed.”
Tilting her head, Jayme studied him. “You’re nervous,” she stated.
Rocket shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to have fun. I want to impress you. The last thing I’d ever want to do is scare you.” He sighed. “And I’m nervous because I like you, Jayme. I don’t want to do anything that would make you second-guess going out with me.”
She stared up at him for a long moment before saying, “You have nothing to be worried about, Rocket. I’m the one who’s unemployed.
Who’s living off the generosity of her grandmother.
You’re…you,” she used her hand to gesture toward him, “and I’m me.
” She shrugged. “Anyone who sees us together is probably wondering what the hell you’re doing with me. ”
“Wrong,” Rocket said immediately. “They’re likely jealous as hell that I’m with you and they aren’t.
Buckle up.” He stepped back before he did something stupid, like kiss the hell out of her.
He hated that she was insecure. If anyone in this budding relationship should be insecure, it was him.
He knew without a doubt that he’d hit the jackpot.
And he’d do whatever it took to make sure she never wondered if she could do better than him.
He hurried around his truck and climbed behind the wheel. After he pulled out of the driveway, he looked over at Jayme. She was staring at him and smiling. “What?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m just happy,” she said. “I have no idea where we’re going or what we’re doing, but being around you is relaxing. I don’t have to worry about getting lost or being harassed, or even what to say.”
Without thought, Rocket reached for her hand, sighing in relief when she didn’t hesitate to wrap her fingers around his own. “You never have to worry about those things when you’re with me. You’ll always be safe with me.”
“I know,” Jayme said softly. “Thank you.”
He squeezed her hand in reply.
Within ten minutes, they were driving through the gates of Fort Hood and headed to the hangar where he worked.
“Did you forget to show me something when we were here last?” Jayme asked.
Rocket loved that she hadn’t guessed his plans.
“Not exactly,” he told her. He parked his truck and took hold of her hand again as he led her toward a helicopter sitting out on the tarmac.
He stopped a short distance from the machine and turned to her.
“I thought I’d take you for a helicopter ride today. ”
Jayme’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. One of the pilots is doing a test ride today—don’t worry, I got all the approvals I needed to take you up, and it’s completely safe, I guarantee it.
He just needs to test out some of the fixes we’ve done on the engine.
I wouldn’t take you up in a bird that I didn’t know was one hundred percent reliable. ”
“And you did the work on it?” Jayme asked.
Rocket nodded. “Yeah.”
“Then I know it’s safe,” she said quietly.
Her instant confidence in his abilities made Rocket feel as if he was ten feet tall. “If you’re scared or nervous, we don’t have to do it. I just thought it might be a fun way for you to see more of the area. And get a free helicopter ride in the process.”
“I’ve never been in one,” Jayme told him, looking over at the chopper. “I’m nervous, but excited too.” She looked back up at him. “Thank you. This is amazing.”
Rocket relaxed a bit. “It’s okay?”
“More than okay,” Jayme told him. “And that cheesecake I threatened you with earlier?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s all yours. And I’ll even throw in the double chocolate chip cookies and the loaf of chocolate banana bread I made for Memaw too.”
Rocket chuckled. “Awesome. Although you know you don’t have to keep baking for me. I like you without the bribes.”
“I want to. I tend to bake more when I’m happy. And I’ve been very happy in the last couple of weeks.”
“Good.” Rocket wanted to kiss her. Really kiss her.
But he also knew the pilots of the chopper were watching.
And the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass Jayme.
But it was extremely difficult to do nothing more than smile down at her.
“Come on, I can’t wait to see what you think of your first helicopter ride. ”