Chapter 24
24
The last hour seemed to go by in mere minutes. Keith didn’t want their time to end, but he was expected in Boone that afternoon for introductory meetings. He noticed Michelle’s eyes cut toward the door.
“Everything all right?”
“People are starting to come in. The chance of you being recognized is increasing by the second.”
“We need to get on the road anyway.”
“Were you serious about taking a picture with Amber?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to do it before she gets too busy.”
Keith nodded as Michelle waved Amber over. The girl trembled as she stood by the table.
“Amber, I’m going to ask you not to squeal, scream, or cry, okay?” Michelle looked at her expectantly.
“Of course.”
“You know who this is, don’t you?”
“Uh-huh,” she squeaked.
“He’s offered to take a selfie with you if you’d like, but we need to do this quickly before any more people come in here. Can you step outside with him?”
“Yes.” Amber’s voice was so high Michelle was sure dogs in the neighborhood were barking.
“Leave me the check, and walk outside with Mr. Mason, Chip, and Max. I’ll tell Ms. Carol what’s going on.”
“Thank you, Michelle.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank Mr. Mason.”
Amber left her the ticket as she walked out with Max, Chip, and Keith bringing up the rear. Michelle looked at the bill and grinned at what she was about to do. She left the autographed napkin for Amber with a nice tip on the table, then walked over to Ms. Carol. She handed the older woman the other napkin, thanking her for the hospitality of sharing their family restaurant with her and her friends. Michelle paid the check, and pride radiated off her with how far she’d come.
Ms. Carol leaned toward her. “Michelle, that man can afford to buy you breakfast. What are you doing paying for theirs?”
“I want to, Ms. Carol. This morning was my treat. He doesn’t have anyone who does that for him, and I want to do something that shows that I don’t care how much money he has. I can stand on my own two feet and buy someone a meal if I choose to.” Michelle smiled.
“Oh, that’s so sweet. You’re a good girl.”
“Thank you, Ms. Carol. Now let me get out of here before anyone else sees him.”
“Amber is going to be on cloud nine all day.” She finally looked at the check and saw the napkin. “Oh goodness, I didn’t expect that. I’m going to have that framed.”
“He’s a nice man. I’ll see you soon.”
Michelle walked out as Amber and Chip were returning to the restaurant. Michelle looked at him. “Forget something?”
“To pay the bill.”
“It’s taken care of.”
“What? Really?”
“Yep, so no need for you to cause a disturbance. You need to get your boss in the car.”
“He won’t budge until he tells you goodbye.”
“Then, it’s a good thing I’m on my way out.”
Chip held open the door for Michelle. When she walked out, Keith was leaning against her Jeep with a casual air that comes from a man who’s confident in himself. Max wasn’t far away, and Chip veered toward their SUV.
“Bye, Chip. It was a pleasure meeting you. Y’all be safe on those mountain roads.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you again,” he chuckled.
She ambled toward Keith, who pushed off her Jeep. He held out his hands for her. As soon as she laid hers on top of his, he bent his fingers, capturing hers. His thumb slowly stroked the back of her hand.
“Can I call you tonight?”
“Yes. I’ll be home all night.”
“What are you doing today?”
“Sundays are my days, so the rest of the day will be low-key. I may go for a walk to work off this breakfast.” She smiled.
“I’d much rather hang out with you than drive for hours.”
“Hopefully, before you go home, we’ll get to spend more time together.”
“Count on it. I’d love to see your house.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing compared to yours.”
“I’m not comparing. I just want to see your space.”
“We’ll work on that.”
“Promise?”
“Of course.”
The stroking on her hands became more urgent. His grip tightened on her fingers as if he were barely keeping himself in check. He closed his eyes, surrendering to whatever was controlling his body. “I’m going to kiss you, Michelle. Tell me now, cheek or lips?”
Michelle gasped. She hadn’t kissed another man in thirty years. Bill was the last man to kiss her lips. Her stomach tightened as indecision coursed through her. If there were going to be another man kissing her lips, why shouldn’t it be Keith Mason? She swallowed. “Lips,” she whispered.
“Thank God.”
When Keith gently placed his lips against Michelle’s for a chaste kiss, his heart felt as if it’d beat out of his chest. He wanted to deepen the kiss but didn’t want to scare her into running for the hills, both literally and figuratively. He pulled back to see her slowly open her eyes before finding her rapid pulse at the base of her neck. When her gaze met his, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as a rush of pink flooded her cheeks. He watched her every reaction and waited for a response.
“Keith . . .”
“I won’t embarrass you in public, but I couldn’t leave you without a small taste.”
“You’re the first man since . . .”
“Good to know.” He squeezed her hands. “I’ve got meetings this afternoon, but I’ll call you tonight.”
“Looking forward to it.”
He stepped aside and opened her door. “Have fun today.”
“Be careful.”
Keith and Max moved so she could leave. And for the second time in as many days, he watched her drive off. This time, he saw the direction she went, and it took everything in him not to follow her to see where she lived. When she was out of sight, they walked to their vehicle.
Keith slouched in the backseat of the SUV. Every time he was with Michelle, he felt happier than he’d ever been. And with every passing minute, he related more to his character in the movie. He leaned his head back on the headrest. Please don’t let her be strike three. He couldn’t keep the thought out of his head.
Several minutes elapsed with him staring out the window at the passing scenery. He didn’t know why he wanted to know, but he did. “How much was breakfast?”
“Why do you want to know? You never ask.”
Keith shrugged. “It’s a small place. They were nice. I’d like to do something for them.”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that Michelle said the bill was paid. She wouldn’t let me back inside, so I don’t know.”
“Chip, we can’t let those nice people cover our meal. I wanted breakfast with Michelle to be my treat.”
“You could have picked a nicer place, Keith, like that coffee shop.”
“I wanted someplace out of the way. She found what I asked for.”
“Then I guess you’ll need to ask her.”
“Can you guess? I didn’t even look at the menu. I just ordered the same as her.”
“Okay, buddy. You said to let you know if you do something too soon. That’s too soon. Look at the menu and order your own damn food.”
“I just asked for her recommendation. She gave me information about the food. I didn’t want a fifteen hundred calorie breakfast.”
“Fair, ‘cause I’m going to feel that biscuit sitting in my gut for days.”
“Did she pay for it?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“Damn it, Chip!”
“Ask her when you talk with her. You can make it up to her if she did.” Chip looked at Keith in the rearview mirror.
Keith went back to quietly staring out the window.