Chapter 1 #2
Temperance stood at the end of the booth, the corner of her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she shifted from foot to foot. “H-hi,” she said hesitantly, almost nervously.
That one word was a punch to the gut, throwing me back in time.
Christ, she still took my breath away. There hadn’t been a day that passed in all those years where I hadn’t thought of her, but seeing her now made me realize just how much her image had faded in my mind.
She was even more beautiful than I remembered.
Something I used to think wouldn’t be possible, but there it was.
Those clear blue eyes, the palest blue eyes I’d ever seen, had the power to warm you to the core or chill you to the bone, depending on what she was feeling at the moment.
I’d been able to tell her mood just by looking in her eyes.
Back then, I had a knack for turning that ice to liquid whenever she was mad or upset.
Hell, there were times I intentionally pissed her off just so I could watch her eyes when I pulled her close and ran my fingertips along her jaw down to that sensitive skin beneath her ear.
At that simple touch, she’d shiver and the chill in those baby blues would disappear right then and there, allowing that amazing light to shine on me. After that I’d press my lips to that same spot until her body melted against mine.
And that was it. That was all it took to get my girl back to sweet.
The memory of those embraces, those kisses, was as vivid now as it was back then, and as I looked up into those eyes of hers, I thought my body might actually catch fire.
“Temperance,” I spoke in a voice that came out gruffer than I’d expected.
I scanned the length of her just like I did back at the cemetery.
My Tempie had been a looker, no doubt about that, but this older version carried herself with a confidence she hadn’t yet discovered back when she was in high school.
Her curves were more pronounced now. The apron tied around her accentuated the dip in her waist that led to the womanly flair of her hips.
She’d had the best rack in the county back then, and it had only gotten better with time and age.
Her skin was still the same creamy alabaster, completely free of lines even though she was toeing the line to forty, making her look at least five years younger than she actually was.
Another thing that was obvious was that she had a defter hand at applying makeup.
The bit she was wearing just now highlighted her gorgeous face in a way that was more subtle than attention grabbing.
I never minded the way she wore it when we were together, but I liked how she did it now a whole hell of a lot more.
My gaze drifted to the apron around her waist once more before returning to her face. “Didn’t realize you started workin’ here again.”
“Oh, uh….” Her head dropped down and her hands came up to brush nonexistent wrinkles from the front of the apron.
“Yeah. Ralph offered, and well, I thought it might be a good idea. You know, to keep me busy. It’s gonna take longer than I expected to get Aunt Reenie’s stuff in order, and the thought of just sitting in that house all day every day…
.” She trailed off, visibly shaken and unable to finish the sentence.
Moving on instinct that I thought was long dead, my hand shot out and wrapped around hers.
The need to offer her comfort, no matter how big or small, was the only thing drifting through my head right then.
It was an impulse I thought had been snuffed out after so many years apart, but clearly I’d been very fucking wrong.
“I’m sorry, Tempie. I know how much Reenie meant to you. ”
She gave me a pathetic attempt at a smile and shrugged a single shoulder, and fuck if seeing her pain didn’t cut me to the quick. “It’s for the best. She was hurting.”
“Doesn’t make it hurt any less for you, sweetheart.”
Those crystal-clear pools began to glisten with tears and emotion she struggled to fight back. “Yeah.” Her voice came out as a croak, and she had to clear it before saying more. “You’re right. It really doesn’t.”
“Reenie was an amazing woman. Nothing wrong with bein’ sad she’s gone. World’s worse off without her in it.”
She sniffled, and for a moment I thought she was going to lose the battle against her tears. It took her several seconds, but eventually she prevailed and gave her head a shake as if to send the melancholy away.
“So… you want to order, or you need a few minutes?” she asked in a chipper voice that didn’t match her sorrowful expression and the tense way she was holding her body.
If she wanted to pretend it was all good, I’d give her that.
Honestly, it wasn’t my place to try and make her feel better.
Hadn’t been for a hell of a lot longer than we’d been together.
And truth was she’d be leaving soon. Just like she had last time when she took my heart with her.
And I’d be damned if I put myself in the position to be crushed all over again. I barely survived the last time.
“Club sandwich. Chips instead of fries.”
Her face dipped in a funny frown as she looked at the mug on the table. “Coffee and a club sandwich? Doesn’t sound like a very appetizing combo.”
“Coffee’s a necessity. It’s either live on the stuff or risk passing out at my desk.”
She opened her mouth to speak, only to freeze solid as those blue pools drifted to the file I had lying open on the table. Temperance sucked in a startled gasp at the sight of the pictures lying fanned out on the right-hand side of the file. Martin Henderson’s crime scene photos.
“Shit.” I slapped the file shut and glanced back up at her ashen face. She looked like she was about to be sick. “Tempie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“No. No, it’s….”She stuttered uncontrollably, trying to find the words. “My god,” she breathed. “Was that Martin Henderson?”
I hesitated, worried something like this could trigger painful memories. “It was. He was killed several weeks back. I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s fine,” she cut in, waving her hands in front of her manically. “I just… it’s fine. Totally. I should get your order in anyway. Holler if you need anything.”
Then she bolted before I could say another word, rounding the counter like her ass was on fire and shooting through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.