Chapter Five #2
He grinned. “I was hoping, but I never knew for sure if you felt the same way.”
Then his smile faded. She could guess what he was thinking. He didn’t understand why she’d left town, and she’d never felt able to explain it to him. They could’ve been at the beginning of something if she hadn’t gone.
“But I did feel the same way,” she breathed. “I do. And… I’m sorry.”
He rubbed his nose against hers. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. We’re here now.” His arm tightened around her waist. “We made it. In the end, that’s what matters.”
She tightened her arms around his neck and chuckled. “So, are you going to kiss me, or are we going to talk about it all afternoon?”
He laughed with her, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her head back. He brushed his lips over hers once, twice, three times, then pulled back and looked down into her eyes for a long moment.
All she could do was cling to him and pull his head down to her again. The next time their lips met, all the hesitation was gone. He kissed her deeply, and she kissed him right back.
The rest of the world seemed to fade away. She was lost in the feel of his arms, the steady thud of his heart against her chest, and his lips – the last thing she wanted to do was come back to reality.
~ ~ ~
Jake kept looking over at her as he drove up the eastern shore of the lake toward the development at Four Mile Creek.
Of course, he was thrilled that she’d let him drive her Camaro.
Not only thrilled – he was honored, too.
He knew she didn’t let anyone drive it. But he almost wished she hadn’t.
If she were driving, he’d be able to watch her.
She was just so damn pretty; he found it difficult to keep his eyes off her.
She grinned when she caught him looking again. “Go on — whatever it is, say it.”
He hesitated. Most girls seemed to like being told they were beautiful. But Savannah wasn’t like that. He wasn’t worried about embarrassing himself; he was more worried he’d embarrass her.
“You don’t like it?” she asked after a little while, sounding disappointed.
It took him a moment to understand what she meant. She was talking about driving the Camaro. “I love it!” he exclaimed. “I’m pretty sure I’ve told you before how jealous I am of this thing — but now I’m even more jealous. It drives like a dream.”
He glanced over at her. “Runs like a dream — and I know that’s all because of you.”
He loved the way she sat up a little straighter and nodded happily. “I’ve done a lot of work on it over the years. You should have seen it when Art first took me to look at it. It was a mess.”
“And you did the full restoration yourself?” he asked.
“Not really. I mean, I did all the work, but Art told me what I needed to do. I wouldn’t have been able to without him.”
“But you did it,” he said admiringly. “I’ve always wanted an old Camaro like this.”
“Well, you can’t have it,” she told him with a smile.
He laughed. “I know it’s yours. I’m just grateful that you let me drive it.”
She shrugged. “I don’t normally let anyone.”
“I know.”
They’d arrived at the development at Four Mile Creek, and he followed the road up past the lodge. “What do you think?” he asked. “Want to park down here at the bottom or up at the top?”
She thought about it for a moment. “Probably up at the top — that way we’ll have to face the hill after lunch, and it’ll be good to walk it off.”
He liked that idea. And he liked that she’d thought of it. Girls he’d dated in the past had seemed more concerned about not getting their shoes dirty or having to walk too far in heels than they were with getting some exercise.
He drove all the way up to the very top parking lot and parked in the far corner.
Savannah turned to him with a puzzled smile. “Are you making sure we have to walk as far as possible on the way back?”
He laughed. “No. I just don’t want to park your baby anywhere it might get dinged.”
“Oh, thanks. I forget that you think the same way I do.”
When they got out of the car, he locked it and held the keys out to her. She took them with a smile and dropped them into her purse.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to hang on to them.”
“I did… I do. I’ll be happy to drive back if you want me to. But I didn’t want you to feel like I might run away with your keys.”
She laughed. “I didn’t — but now I’m wondering if you plan on running away from me.”
He laughed with her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “That’s the last thing on my mind. I’m more interested in sticking right by your side.”
A rush of warmth filled his chest when she wrapped her arm around his waist.
“That sounds good to me,” she said.
As they walked down the cobbled walkway between the stores, she looked up at him. “How tall are you?”
“Six-two.”
“You make me feel like a shrimp.”
He chuckled. “Nah, you’re not that small.”
“I didn’t think so — until I stood next to you.”
He tightened his arm around her shoulders. “Are you saying you don’t like it?” He bent his knees, lowering himself so his head was almost at the same height as hers. “Is this better?”
She laughed and pushed at his arm. “No. I like you just the way you are.”
“And I like you just the way you are. I’d say we’re the perfect height for each other.”
He loved the way her eyes shone as she looked up at him.
“I would have said you were too tall for me, but…”
He held his breath as he waited for her to continue.
“But what?” he asked eventually.
“You’re not,” was all she said.