Chapter Six
Letty had no idea how to respond to Riley’s comment. Luckily, Val, Liam, and Vivian arrived before she had to. Vivian was in her father’s arms, bundled up to where all she could see were her eyes, mouth, and chubby cheeks.
“Hey, baby girl.” Riley immediately grabbed her out of Liam’s arms and placed a smacking kiss on her cheek, having her instantly giggling. Vivian adored her uncle as Letty had noticed on more than one occasion.
It always surprised her a little to see how natural Riley looked with a baby in his arms. Vivian had him wrapped around her baby fingers, but then all the adults in Vivian’s life were besotted with her. Herself included.
Riley was talking to Val and Liam as if he hadn’t just shocked the hell out of her. Letty knew she wasn’t ugly, but she believed the word ‘cute’ described her best. But damn, Riley had sounded sincere when he said she was beautiful.
She was making too big a deal out of it.
Obviously, it had been a casual, flirtatious remark.
She’d had other men say similar things, but by now she was skeptical about whether they believed it or were just trying to get in her pants.
But Riley? If this went on any longer, she was going to have a heart-to-heart with him and find out his true motives.
Maybe it would become apparent later that evening when they took in the Stroll.
“Letty, are you okay?” Val asked.
“Of course.” It dawned on her that she hadn’t said a word to them, being too caught up in trying to figure Riley out. “I wanted to make sure everything was going well with Santa. Aren’t you supposed to be in charge of the food trucks?”
“I am.” She held up her cell phone. “I’ve been fielding calls for the last hour since I left the area. I’m due to check in again in person soon.”
Letty turned to Riley and said, “My turn.” She held out her arms and he deposited Vivian in them.
She was busy playing with Vivian and not paying attention to the adults when she heard Riley say, “Letty and I need to get going. She’s determined to see everything the Stroll has to offer.”
“That sounds fun. Want some company?” Val asked.
“Nope.” He took Vivian from Letty and gave her to her mother. “See you later.” He took Letty’s hand and began walking away.
Letty looked back. “I’ll talk to you later, Val.”
“You sure will,” her friend said.
She scolded Riley. “That was rude. You not only blew them off, you also didn’t even let me say goodbye.”
“They’ll survive.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because I didn’t want my sister tagging along with us.”
“What are you doing, Riley?”
They’d reached one of the shops Letty had talked about wanting to see. “I thought that was pretty clear.”
“Not to me.”
He put his hands on her shoulders, leaned down and kissed her.
It was no peck on the lips, but an honest-to-God, full-fledged, panty-melting kiss.
And she couldn’t help responding. His tongue swept inside and tangled with hers before claiming every part of her mouth.
When he finally let her up for air, she could only stare at him.
He grinned and pointed upward. “Mistletoe.”
She looked up. Sure enough, he was right.
Then he opened the shop door and ushered her inside.
They entered nearly every store on Main Street, drinking hot chocolate or hot apple cider and sampling the goodies.
When she wasn’t looking at the displays, she spent the rest of the time trying to figure out Riley’s motives.
Did he really want to date her? If he did, did he want the two of them to get involved?
There were so many reasons they shouldn’t get involved. If they did and then broke up she could lose his friendship, and it was important to her. Not to mention, that would make things awkward with his family, who were the only family she had.
Riley had never acted toward her with anything more than friendship. Or if he had, she sure hadn’t noticed.
As for her, she’d thought she’d gotten over him a long time ago.
But had she really? She’d certainly gone on with her life but a part of her had always wondered what it would be like to be with Riley.
She didn’t think it would ever happen, so when Riley seemed to be showing interest she wasn’t sure she trusted it.
And that said nothing about trusting fate enough to risk loving someone, knowing it would devastate her to lose that person.
It hadn’t been that hard with most of the men she’d dated.
Even the cowboy who’d screwed her over wasn’t a man she’d thought to spend her life with.
She might have wanted him to be that man, but deep down she’d known he wasn’t.
Which while his actions had angered her, she hadn’t been heartbroken by any means. But Riley was a whole different matter.
If she were honest, if Riley was sincere, she didn’t think she could resist him for long.
The man was six feet plus of solid, good-looking, hardworking, honest cowboy.
From the top of his cowboy hat to the bottom of his cowboy boots, he was a sight to look at.
Maybe it would work if they just confined their relationship to a short fling.
No broken heart, no risk of what to do if she fell in love and then lost him.
But damn, that kiss he’d just laid on her was anything but platonic. Same went for the first kiss at her apartment several nights ago now. He’d said he thought he’d been pretty clear. And considering those kisses he’d given her, she had to agree.
*
Riley didn’t expect Letty to ask him to come over after the Stroll, but she did.
He was happy about that but also wary. He was pretty certain she didn’t intend for them to make mad, passionate love once they got there.
In fact, he wasn’t even sure she’d let him kiss her again.
She’d responded to him but he had a feeling she wished she hadn’t.
Plus, he’d taken her by surprise both times he’d kissed her.
The kisses had been good but he wondered what it would be like if she was as invested as he was.
They drove up and parked at the same time, and he followed Letty to her door. She let them in, yanked off her hat and tossed it aside, took off her coat and hung it up, then held out her hand for his.
He shrugged out of it and handed it to her.
She motioned for him to sit. “Do you want something to drink? I’ve got water and diet drinks.”
“I’m good. Did you enjoy the Stroll?”
“I did.” She took a seat on the couch too, but at the opposite end from where he sat. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What the hell is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“What is with this sudden interest you’ve apparently developed in me?
Asking me out, helping me bake pies, taking me to the Stroll, which as I remember you never particularly liked, and finally, kissing me?
What are you trying to do besides confuse me?
Because if that’s what you’re trying to do you’ve succeeded. ”
“It’s not that sudden.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s totally out of the blue. You’ve never been interested before. What brought this on?”
He wasn’t sure how to explain it. Or even where to start.
He’d been thinking about Letty more and more since Liam and Val’s wedding.
Probably even before that. That night at Grey’s, seeing her ready to leave with another man, had woken him up.
Blasted him out of his belief that he had time.
If he wanted her, and he did, he needed to do something quick.
“I’ve been thinking about you for a long time now, even if I haven’t said anything.”
“Which you haven’t,” she interjected.
He ignored that and plowed on. “I’ve been thinking I want to settle down. Have a serious relationship for a change. And you’re the woman I want to have it with.”
She cocked her head. “Settle down. You mean like get married and have a family type serious?”
“Well, yeah. Eventually.”
“What makes you think I’m this woman?”
“This seems sudden to you, but it isn’t to me. We’ve known each other a long time. I’ve always liked you and been attracted to you—”
“Phff. You were absolutely horrified when I kissed you on my graduation night.”
“I wasn’t horrified. But you were way too young, and you were living with my family. It wouldn’t have been right.”
“So now, twelve years later, you’ve decided you like me after all. Sounds like a crock to me.”
“It’s not a crock. I’ve changed in that time. So have you. For one thing, you’ve grown up. And I’ve thought of you as a beautiful, desirable woman for a long time now.”
“You have?”
“Don’t look so surprised. You know you’re beautiful. But never mind that. I think we’ve been getting closer ever since Val and Liam got married. Haven’t we?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“I want to date you. And at the risk of you clobbering me again, see where it goes.”
Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she looked anything but amenable. “You’re ready to settle down so it follows that I must be too?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Absolutely not.”
He stared at her. “Not?”
She shook her head. “Which you would know if you knew me at all. But you don’t. You assumed I’d be like ‘other’ women and want a long-term relationship and that’s not for me.”
“Is there a reason you’re so against a long-term or permanent relationship?”
“Does there have to be?”
“Seems like there would be.”
She gazed at him for a long moment. “We don’t know each other well enough to get into that.”
“We’ve known each other forever.”
“Superficially.”
Damn, maybe she was right. For all he’d thought he knew her, he clearly didn’t. “So this is a no to dating?”
“Not necessarily. But you can’t be thinking about anything serious between us. If you’re good with that then, yeah, maybe we can date. For a short time. Go home and think about it and then, if you want, we can talk about it some more.”
He stewed about their conversation all the way to the ranch.
The more roadblocks Letty threw up the more he wanted her.
Was that because he couldn’t have her like he wanted to or because he honestly wanted her?
She wasn’t playing hard to get. She was dead serious.
She didn’t want long term. But she’d indicated she might be willing to have short-term fun. Would that be enough for him?
He didn’t think so. But maybe, if he took what she offered, he could change her mind. When Riley wanted something, he persevered until he got it. His sister was known to say he was pig-headed and stubborn as a mule. He preferred to think of it as persistent.