Chapter Two #3
“Yep, but we call them Tilly, Maddy, and Lenny, so that simplifies things,” he said. “Another question for you: When is your birthday?”
“December twenty-fourth, and I’ll be thirty-two years old,” she said. “I don’t mind telling you or anyone how old I am.”
“I just turned thirty-two on April first,” he said. “My sister, Maribelle, is seven years older than me and was born on Thanksgiving. According to Mama, we are her holiday presents.”
Holly smiled and shrugged. “I hear the same thing from my folks. I was the Christmas present. When and if you ever have kids, will you want to name them all with the same letter, and if so, what would it be?”
“No, ma’am,” he answered emphatically. “There’s enough M names in the family. I won’t do that kind of thing to my kids—if I ever have any. What about you?”
“If I ever have one, then I’ll have two or three. I always wanted a sibling,” she answered. “But that’s on down the road. I haven’t heard the biological clock ticking just yet.”
Holly had been all over the entire region with her job, but the GPS on Bubba’s phone took them to places she never knew existed.
One moment she was in town with the Houston skyline in sight, and then it was gone, and she could see cattle behind barbed-wire fences.
Then Bubba was doing an excellent job of parallel parking in front of a place called The Hole in the Wall in a small suburb that she didn’t recognize.
Suddenly, she was worried. What if this sexy guy was not who he said he was, and she wound up in a sleazy hotel tomorrow morning with no memory of what happened the night before?
You’ve been watching too many cop shows, she thought, and put the idea of Bubba being shady out of her mind. She’d always been an excellent judge of character, and her gut told her that he was a decent guy.
“We are here,” Miles said, and wished he had done more research than just asking Paul and Eva for a good burger joint in the area.
Normally, he wouldn’t take anyone, especially on a first date, to a place like this.
Usually he would make reservations at a fancy hotel.
The tables would be covered in white linen.
Candles and flowers would make up a centerpiece, and the wine list would be extensive as well as expensive.
“The smell of grilled onions is calling my name,” Lula Ann said.
Miles had never been out with a woman who liked onions in any form. “I hope you aren’t disappointed.”
“Not if they taste as good as they smell,” she told him.
He waited for a couple of cars to pass and then quickly got out of the truck and rushed around to open the door for her.
A middle-aged waitress was taking money from an elderly couple who were paying their bill and waved at Lula Ann and Miles when they were inside the restaurant.
“Have a seat anywhere you like, and I’ll be right with you. ”
Miles guided Lula Ann, his hand on her lower back, across the room and to the only empty booth at the very back. “Looks like they’re busy tonight.”
Lula Ann slid into one side of the booth and pulled the menu out from between the ketchup bottle and napkin dispenser. “That means this is a good place to eat, right?”
He nodded and picked up the second menu, scanning it for a bit. “What looks good to you? I’m having the double-meat bacon burger, fries, and a beer.”
“I’ll have the same, and maybe an order of fried zucchini sticks to share?”
“What kind of beer do you like?” he asked.
“Whatever you are having is fine,” she answered.
The waitress brought over two glasses of water and set them on the table. “What can I get you, or do you need a few more minutes to decide?”
“We’ll each have the number four meal deal and a long-neck Coors,” he answered.
“And an order of zucchini sticks to snack on while we wait on our food,” she answered.
“Make that two,” Miles added.
“Sharing?” she asked.
“No, ma’am.” Miles flashed one of his brilliant smiles. “We each want one.”
“Gotcha.” The lady nodded and wrote it all down on a pad. “I’ll get those appetizers right out. We’ve got hand pies for dessert—apple, chocolate, cherry, and coconut are still in the case if you want to get them ordered now. They don’t last long.”
“Let’s have two of each,” Miles said, “and make them to go.”
“You got it,” she said, and hurried back to the cash register.
Miles put both menus back where they belonged. “The popcorn is free at the park’s movie night, but we might want something more than that.”
“I love fried pies or hand pies, whatever you want to call them,” Lula Ann said.
“What’s your favorite?”
“Cherry, coconut, and pecan, but I’ve never met one I didn’t like.” Her blue eyes lit up. “What’s yours?”
“Chocolate and apple. I don’t like blueberry, but I love strawberries, especially dipped in chocolate.
” He filed her answer away with everything else he had learned about her that evening.
He was already starting to have feelings for her, which was a major shock to him since he had never cared about getting to know the likes and dislikes of his previous dates.
The waitress brought their appetizers and topped off their water. “I’ll have your food out here in a few minutes. Until then, enjoy.”
“Thank you,” Lula Ann and Miles said at the same time.
She picked up a zucchini and dipped it in ranch dressing, then popped it into her mouth. “Ha … ha … hot,” she said as she fanned her mouth with her hand and then took a sip of her cold water. “But delicious.”
“You got that right, but not as hot as you are tonight.” He grinned.
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she quipped.
“How about the truth?”
“Depends on whether I believe it or not,” she answered.
“I’m an open book with the title Honesty written on the cover, so ask me anything you like,” he said.
Never before had he said something like that to a date, but then he’d never felt white-hot sparks anytime he was around a woman before, either.
He did not believe in love at first sight, but he very easily might change his mind.
“Okay, then, what is your favorite pet?” she asked.
“It used to be Tinker, the ranch dog …” He hesitated for a moment before he went on. “But Tinker died a couple of years ago. The ranch where I’ll be working north of here has a dog named Turbo. I think the two of us are going to get along fine. How about you?”
“Never had a pet,” she answered. “But I do love going to the animal shelter when I have time and getting a puppy fix.”
“They are a lot of fun, aren’t they?”
“Oh yeah.” Lula Ann grinned. “I just sit down and let them romp and play all over me. Puppy breath can only be outdone by the smell of a newborn baby all swaddled up in a soft blanket.”
Miles was mesmerized by Lula Ann, and at that moment he would have sold his playboy cape in a garage sale to get to spend more time with her.
The park was already full of kids running around when Holly and Bubba arrived. He spread the quilt out on a grassy slope and set the paper bag with the pies in it to one side. “Just let me know when you want popcorn, and I’ll go get it for you. They’re also selling cans of soda, if you want that.”
Holly sat down on the quilt and patted the place beside her. “I couldn’t eat another bite after those enormous burgers, so let’s just watch the movie. I’m guessing with all these children that it’s going to be PG.”
“I didn’t ask what was playing,” Bubba admitted. “Maybe we should leave and go to a regular movie theater.”
“And miss this experience? No, thank you. I’ve never been to a showing in a park.”
The lights above the jumbotron screen at the end of the park flashed.
Kids came running from all corners to flop down on quilts, blankets, and even a few blow-up mattresses with their parents.
A scene flashed on the screen that Holly hadn’t seen since she was a little girl.
“Oh my!” She stopped before she said that her nanny had let her watch the movie so many times when she was a little girl that she practically knew the dialogue.
Bubba rolled his eyes and sighed. “This is a disappointment. I had at least hoped for a chick flick. You won’t ever go out with me again.”
“Disappointment? Never!” Holly squealed. “It’s perfect. I haven’t seen this since I was a little girl. It’s a classic, and all the kids here tonight are going to love it. I bet very few of them have ever heard of it.”
“Then I didn’t do too bad, and you might consider a second date?”
She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Absolutely. This has been an awesome evening.”
“Will you go out with me again on Tuesday?”
“No, I won’t, but I will stay home and cook for you,” she answered. “It’s my turn to treat. I’ll expect you at seven. You can bring a bottle of wine.”
“Red or white?”
“Both. I haven’t decided what to make yet,” she answered, and then tried to concentrate on the movie, Homeward Bound.
Basically, that was a useless endeavor with Bubba sitting so close to her that his body heat sent delicious shivers dancing up and down her spine.
She kept stealing glances to study him every few seconds.
When the cat and two dogs that were trying to get back home had to deal with a raging river, a picture of Bubba diving into deep water to rescue her popped into Holly’s mind.
She shook her head to get the vision out, but every nerve in her body was at attention with wanting to know what it would feel like to have him carrying her out to the bank.
She focused on the movie and told herself that this was only a weeklong romp.
She would go back to her apartment sometime over the weekend and quite possibly be off to check out another site for an oil well by the first of the week.
As much as she liked Bubba, there was no place for him—or anyone else—in her busy life.
“That was a cute movie,” Bubba said when it was over. “I was so taken in by it that I forgot all about our pies. We can split ’em up when we get back to your house. They’ll be really good for breakfast tomorrow morning.”
“You aren’t cooking for me?” she teased.
“Not on the first date,” he answered. “You are a lady, and I’ll treat you like one.”
She reached over and patted him on the cheek. “That was a test, not an invitation for you to spend the night.”
“Did I pass?”
“Yes, you did. Your mama raised a gentleman.” Holly had to fight hard not to swoon. Why did she have to be so damn attracted to a country boy who would never understand her workaholic ways? “FYI, I was joking. I don’t let guys sleep over until I know them much better, like maybe on the tenth date.”
He stood up and extended his hand to help her.
The steamy, hot vibes between them started again when she put her hand in his.
Even when he let go, she still felt shivers chasing down her spine.
He handed the brown bag of pies to her. Then he folded the quilt and tucked it under his arm.
He laced his fingers with hers, and she wasn’t a bit surprised when a fresh bunch of sparks skipped around in front of them like they were lighting the way to his truck.
“I really have had a wonderful time tonight,” she said when they were inside the vehicle again, “and I’m already looking forward to cooking supper on Tuesday.”
“Would it seem too eager if I asked for tomorrow night instead?”
“Not at all,” she answered. “Seven still good for you?”
“Yes, it is. I’ve got several things to take care of tomorrow, but I can get cleaned up and come around by that time. Do you have a preference for that wine?” he asked as he opened the truck door for her.
“Not really,” she answered. “You pick.”
“Can I bring a six-pack of beer for me?”
She set the bag of pies on the floorboard in the back. “Yep. No problem.”
Thirty minutes later, he parked in front of the house and walked her to the door. When she unlocked it, he kissed her on the forehead. His warm breath so near to her lips made her yearn for more.
“Goodnight, Lula Ann. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed an evening so much,” he said.
“Me, either,” she said, breathless. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”
Like a perfect gentleman, he waited on the porch until she was inside and had flipped on the lights. She slid down the back of the door, took her phone from her purse, and called Darlene.
“Are you still ready to go to jail for murdering me?” Darlene asked when her face popped up on the phone.
“No, but I may send you a cheesecake tomorrow morning. He’s perfect, and I can’t have him,” Holly whined.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m Lula Ann, and I’m only here for a week, and can’t you see my mama if I brought him home?” She changed her tone. “Mama, this is Bubba Jones. He’s a hired hand on a ranch. She would faint dead away, and Daddy wouldn’t speak to me for a month because I upset her.”
“She wouldn’t care if you brought home a homeless man if you were happy,” Darlene argued. “I didn’t know you were a respecter of persons. So he works on a ranch. What’s wrong with that? Was he good in bed?”
“I only got a kiss on the forehead, and damn it …” Holly swore. “We forgot to divide the fried pies. I was supposed to get half of them.”
“Back up, girl, and tell me all the details,” Darlene said.
Holly started with the bouquet of wildflowers and walked her through everything she could remember up until Bubba kissed her on the forehead. “Then the most perfect date I’ve ever been on was over.”
“What made it so great?”
“There were no airs. I didn’t have to worry about him being with me for my daddy’s money. We laughed and talked and enjoyed a movie that must be more than thirty years old.”
“Maybe you should come clean about who you are,” Darlene suggested.
“I might at the end of the week, but not before. I want to have this whole time to make wonderful memories, and from now on, I plan to judge every man by Bubba Jones’s yardstick.”
“Want me to dig into social media and find out what I can about him?”
“No, I do not. That could break this lovely bubble that I’m living in right now.”