Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
CASEY
I woke up to an empty bed, the sheets cold to my touch. I could smell coffee, and I heard Thorne’s voice outside and Miller’s excited bark. I sat up, drawing my legs to my chest and looking around.
Thorne’s bedroom was simple. It was painted a creamy coffee color, the trim a bright white. The floors were the original hardwood, and he’d obviously had them stripped and redone, the gleam of the dark stain working well with the wall color.
His bed was heavy wood. Masculine. Simple white sheets and a plaid comforter with browns and greens mixed in were all he had on the bed. No extra pillows, no shams.
The rest of the furniture was the same. Simple, substantial—no adornments. His closet was open, his clothes neat and orderly. His en suite had a huge shower I enjoyed using. No bathtub.
And the room smelled like him. Clean, crisp, and pleasing. His scent was always warm in my nose, making me want to be closer to him.
I sighed, thinking how I kept waking up here. We weren’t following the rules. Either his or mine.
Yet, I didn’t want to stop.
Thorne was a surprisingly good listener.
He rarely interrupted me, only making a few comments to prompt me or sympathize.
He’d held my hand the whole time I’d told him about Lou and growing up.
Stroked my leg in comfort, played with my hair.
He had a thing for it, it seemed. I noticed how often he touched my hair, tucked it behind my ear, ran his hand over my head, and sifted his fingers through it when I was close.
I had a thing for him touching me.
“Hey,” his voice called from the door. “You’re awake.”
I looked over, my breath catching. He wore a tight T-shirt, molding to his chest and arms. A pair of long shorts. His feet were in sandals, his legs bare. He’d had a shower, his hair still damp. He smiled at me, holding a cup of coffee.
“Mine?” I asked, reaching for it.
He laughed. “Mine.” He came closer, handing me his mug. “But I’ll share.”
I took a sip, the brew hot and flavorful. “Hmm,” I hummed. “What have you been up to?”
“Making plans. Can you take the day off?”
“I think so.”
“Then drink the coffee and get ready.”
“Where are we going?”
He stood with a wink, then bent and pressed a kiss to my head. “You’ll see.”
I walked out the back door and stopped with a gasp.
“Lou’s car!”
I raced toward him, almost tripping over my feet to get closer. Thorne caught me, stopping me from falling as he laughed. “Whoa. Steady on, Pix.”
I ran my hand over the bright-blue paint.
“Where…” I babbled. “How?”
He smiled. “It was in the garage under the tarp. Lou left it to me in her will.”
I had seen the tarp when I’d gone into the garage but never thought to look under it. I had forgotten about Lou’s old Mustang. She’d often take me for rides in it, and we’d go for ice cream or exploring. We had so many adventures together.
“I thought we’d do that today.”
I looked up and realized I’d been talking out loud again.
“I thought we’d go for a drive, stop and get some food, and have a picnic somewhere. Enjoy the nice weather. I think we could both use the break.”
I flung myself into his arms and hugged him. “I would love that!”
“So would Miller, but with his paw still healing, I think he’ll sit this one out.”
I smiled. “Barney will stay home with him. He’s good in the car, but he doesn’t love it.” I glanced to where they were already curling up in the sun. “I doubt we’ll be missed.”
“Good plan, then. I put a blanket in the trunk, and there was already a basket there.”
I nodded eagerly, another memory surfacing. “Lou always kept a big basket in the trunk for when she was exploring. She said she never knew what treasure she’d find and needed to be prepared.”
He laughed and kissed the end of my nose. “She said that to me too. Let’s go and have a Lou day. See what treasures we find.”
I hugged his arm. “Okay.”
Jesse put the top down, and the sun and wind felt good on my face. I stole glances at him as I sipped the coffee he’d stopped to get and we drove aimlessly. He was smiling and relaxed today, sexy and happy. Almost carefree. It was impossible to think of him as Thorne. Today, he was pure Jesse.
And I liked pure Jesse.
I opened the glove box and clapped my hands in delight. “Oh my God, they’re still here!”
“What is?” he asked.
I held up two pairs of sunglasses. They were bright blue to match the car and had daisies all around the rims. I had loved them as a child. “These were what Lou and I wore for our explorations!”
He chuckled as I slid on the smaller pair. “They still fit!” I looked at him, my hands raised in celebration.
“Nice look on you, Pixie,” he said.
I pulled down the visor and peeked in the mirror. I looked ridiculous, but they made me happy. I rested my head back on the leather, staring as the fields flew by. I inhaled deeply, feeling happy.
Settled.
It was an odd sensation. One I had only felt one other time in my life, and that had been with the owner of this car. I turned to Jesse to ask him a question.
“Jesse…”
He turned his head and grinned. Really grinned. He wore Lou’s glasses, the bright blue and daisies looking ludicrous on his face, yet perfect. Somehow he looked even sexier, more rugged, sporting the silly flower-framed sunglasses.
“I can’t let you have all the fashionable eyewear,” he intoned. “I’m exploring too.”
His words and actions touched my heart. He was being funny. He liked to make me laugh.
And I liked it too.
We stopped at a little store advertising fresh sandwiches and went inside.
It was cool and dim and smelled incredible.
Fresh bread, cookies, and something savory tickled my nose.
An older couple and their son were inside, the mom and son behind the deli counter, while the dad operated the register.
Jesse ordered a chicken club and a roast beef sandwich, and the woman turned to begin making them, asking him about toppings. I hemmed and hawed, unsure.
“I recommend the ham and Swiss,” the young man informed me. “Mom bakes the ham herself. Or the meatloaf.”
“Does she make that too?”
“She makes everything. The chicken, the roast beef. If you don’t want a sandwich, her fried chicken will be out in about five minutes.”
“Oh,” I exclaimed. “I love fried chicken for a picnic. I’ll take that.”
“How many pieces?”
“Six.” I had a feeling Jesse would eat some too. “Plus a meatloaf and a ham sandwich. And I’ll get some salads if you have forks I can add.”
“For sure. Down this way.” He directed me, and I gazed at the selection. He was friendly and sweet, offering me taste tests. I hummed in delight at how tasty they all were but decided on the potato with egg and a broccoli salad. He chatted as he was packing them, and I added a couple of pickles.
“Nice day for a picnic,” he stated.
“It’s a great day,” Jesse said, sounding stern behind me. He slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me back to his chest. “Any time spent with my girl is a great day.”
I looked down at his arm. I felt his tension. I bit back my laughter. The kid was about seventeen.
Was Jesse jealous?
I patted Jesse’s arm. “Why don’t you pick some desserts? They all look good.”
He grunted. “You do that. I’ll wait for the chicken.” Then he kissed me and pushed me toward the sweets.
Yep. Jealous.
Why that made me so happy, I wasn’t sure. Even if he was being ridiculous.
Luckily, the kid was oblivious, telling Jesse about his mom’s secret recipes and how he was going to run the store one day. I went to the sweets counter and chose some cupcakes and cookies. Then I added some cold drinks from the cooler.
I ran outside and got the basket from the trunk, bringing it back just as everything was ready.
Jesse had relaxed again, smiling and charming the mother, who called him a giant. She was about four and a half feet tall, so to her, Jesse would look massive. He even joked with the son, so I knew he realized he was being an idiot.
At the register, I loaded the basket, reaching into my wallet to pay for our feast, but Jesse stopped me. “Today is my day, Pix.”
I let him pay, and we loaded the trunk and climbed back in. I looked at him, shaking my head.
“Really, Thorne?”
“Uh-oh,” he grinned. “I’m back to being Thorne.”
“You were acting like Thorne. Grunting. Staking your claim.”
“He was eyeballing you.”
“He was seventeen and still in school.”
“He’s a male. And you look incredibly sexy today. I bet he was imagining private lessons from an older, experienced woman such as yourself.”
I laughed even as I felt a rush of pleasure from his compliment. I wore a skort—the closest thing I had to a skirt—and a T-shirt. Sandals like he was wearing. My hair was up in a ponytail. It was nice to know Jesse thought I was sexy. Or Thorne. I was good with both of their thoughts.
Still laughing, I slid the daisy glasses back on his face and cupped it, kissing him. He wrapped his arm around me, yanking me tight to his chest and kissing me back.
“Let’s go, Jesse Thorne. We have more exploring to do.”
He kissed me one more time.
“Okay.”
“Ah, found it!” Jesse exclaimed, parking the car and getting out, rounding the back and lifting the trunk lid to get the basket. He came to my door and opened it. “Let’s go, Pixie. Bring the blanket.”
I grabbed it from the back seat, and he took my hand, leading me a short distance. Over the little hill, he stopped. “Perfect,” he breathed out.
I followed his line of vision and gasped in delight, racing ahead of him. There was a pretty brook with trees overhanging it. Surrounded by grass and edged in rocks, it bubbled and danced in the sun. “Oh, I love it!”
“This is the edge of Chief Fleming’s land,” he explained.
“He owns all of this.” He swept his arm in a wide arc.
“Bought it years ago and plans on retiring here. I helped him clear it. Not just me. A bunch of us at the station, but I’ve come on my own a few times too.
They plan on starting to build a house soon. ”
We shook out the blanket under one of the trees, and I set the basket on the edge to stop it from blowing away. “Are you hungry yet?” I asked.
“Pixie, I’m always hungry. But let’s go for a walk first.”
We strolled, hand in hand. He walked us up the ridge and pointed to the land below. “That’s where the chief wants his place.”
It was a beautiful spot, surrounded by trees on one side, the brook wider and more like a small river just in front of the wooded area. Nestled in a valley between the rolling hills, it was sheltered and lovely. “You can drive into it easier over there,” he pointed to a break in the trees.
“How incredible.”
We walked back to the brook area. Unable to help myself, I slipped off my sandals and walked into the water, squealing at the cold. Jesse laughed, holding out his hand to help me back to the grass. “Barely warmed up yet.”
We sat down, and I unpacked the food, widening my eyes at the amount we’d bought. Jesse laughed at my expression. “Leftovers,” he said, picking up a sandwich and biting down. “Delicious.”
I took a piece of chicken and some of the salads. They’d been kind enough at the store to add a few plates and some napkins as well as the forks I’d asked for. “This chicken is incredible,” I muttered around a mouthful of the still-warm meat.
Jesse took a piece and bit into it. “Six pieces wasn’t enough,” he groaned.
“We have lots of other things.”
He nodded. “Next time, we’ll get an entire bucket.”
His words warmed me, thrilled he was already planning a next time.
“Good idea.”
A small piece of meat caught in my throat, and I sputtered, smacking my chest and coughing. Jesse sat up, alert and worried. “I’m fine,” I said, coughing a little more. He handed me a bottle of water, and I drank it gratefully.
“I shouldn’t talk and eat,” I teased.
He shook his head. “Dangerous at times.”
I finished my chicken and the salad, looking over the sandwich selection.
“They’re really good. The ham is great. So is the meatloaf,” he offered, trying to help me decide.
“Wanna share one?”
“Sure.”
We ate quietly for a while, enjoying the sun and peace. I shut my eyes with a contented sigh. “It’s so lovely, Jesse. Today is a great day.”
I felt his fingers run down my cheek. I opened my eyes and met his tender gaze. His voice was low. “Yeah, Pixie, it is.”
We finished lunch, packing up the leftovers and deciding to wait a bit for dessert. Jesse lay down opposite me on the blanket, resting his arm over his eyes. I leaned back against the tree, the serenity surrounding us.
“What would you do?” I asked.
“About?” he responded lazily.
“If I were choking. I imagine you’re trained for that.”
“Yes.”
“So, the Heimlich thing?”
He was silent for a moment. His chest jumped as though he was laughing. “In normal situations, yes. The Heimlich thing.” He paused, his voice almost shaking. “In your case, I’d pull back a couple of inches and say sorry. Then carry on.”
It took me a minute to get it, then I gasped. He lifted his arm, grinning so widely, his eyes were almost shut. And he was laughing so hard tears were rolling down his face.
I launched myself at him, and he caught me, pulling me down to his chest and kissing me. We laughed as we kissed, one of us breaking away when the humor would hit us again.
Jesse the jokester. Teasing, fun, sexy. Grumpy, jealous Thorne. Silly, sunglasses-wearing Jesse.
Today, he was all of them.
And I especially loved the fact that I was one of the few people who saw them all.