Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
“ C rap,” Ryan muttered, his movements at the stove becoming frantic.
Brielle watched with amusement as the smell of burned bacon began to infiltrate the space. “It’s amazing how bacon can go from not done to overdone in the space of three seconds.”
Ryan was still grumbling under his breath as he lifted the strips out of the pan and set them down on a paper towel. After he was done, he sighed and turned, giving Brielle a sheepish look. “So…um…it’s gonna be extra crispy tonight.”
Brielle laughed softly and dropped her eyes back to the tomato she was slicing. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Despite the heavy thought of Sparky’s diagnosis and the impending surgery for Antony, her heart was feeling amazingly light and content.
She glanced at Ryan’s back as he pulled more ingredients out of the fridge. There was no way for her to deny that the feeling had to be coming from her vet’s company. Ryan had been nothing but sweet and understanding, and she owed him more than she could say.
“Are you a mayo or miracle whip girl?” he asked, setting a jar of mayonnaise on the counter .
“Does it matter?” Brielle teased. “What would you do if I said Miracle Whip?”
Ryan grinned. “Well, at least it would tell me I should never ask you out on a date. We’re clearly incompatible.”
Brielle’s mouth dropped open, but no words came out.
Ryan glanced up and chuckled. Reaching over, he pushed her jaw up until her lips closed. “Catching flies, Underwood?”
“You…” she sputtered. “You can’t say things like that.” Her cheeks were on fire. Ryan should’ve cooked the bacon on her face instead of the skillet. Shaking her head, she dropped her eyes back down. With the way her head was spinning right now, Brielle was bound to chop off her finger rather than the tomato, and Ryan wasn’t quite certified for that kind of surgery.
“Why not?” He tossed a piece of lettuce in his mouth, crunching and watching her carefully.
“Because the person you’re talking to might not realize you’re joking.” I wish he wasn’t joking. She tried to pretend as if the joke didn’t bother her, it wasn’t like Ryan knew anything about it. He was just like all the other guys, and it wasn’t really their fault that she wasn’t what men were looking for. She jumped and squeaked when his voice sounded right in her ear.
“What if I wasn’t joking?”
Brielle spun, the counter digging into her low back and his face only inches from her own. His eyes were focused and his face serious as he used his height and build to hold her in place. Instead of calming down from the initial fright, her heart continued to race, and her breathing grew difficult.
What the heck was this?
It had happened at the office as well. It was like the air around them had come to life, with an electric charge zinging around the room. Her body wanted to lean forward and let Ryan’s envelop her, the same way he had on the couch, but she held back.
The couch had been a few minutes of comfort, but this wasn’t about Sparky anymore. This was about her and the simple desire to have a romantic interlude. No…that’s not quite right. I want something with Ryan, not simply a romantic encounter. It wouldn’t be the same if Stu or Levi were here.
Ryan raised an eyebrow and leaned down ever so slightly. When his eyes darted to her lips and back, Brielle was sure that something was wrong with her heart, since it jumped in response. “You didn’t answer the question.”
She blinked a few times, a frown pulling at her forehead.
One side of his mouth pulled up. “You forgot it, didn’t you?”
Brielle huffed and folded her arms over her chest to put space between them, as if his nearness didn’t bother her. “Well, you’ve caged me in to the point I can barely breathe, and if I can’t get oxygen to my brain, how am I expected to be able to function?”
“You can just say it, Brielle,” Ryan said with a chuckle.
“Say what?” She took his bait, unable to control her body’s eagerness for the flirting to continue.
“That I take your breath away.”
Brielle rolled her eyes. “Cheese, Doctor Thatcher. Pure cheese.”
He tapped the end of her nose before walking away. “I’m pretty sure you’re a cheddar fan, so…”
Brielle shook her head. “That was terrible.”
“And yet you liked it.”
She wanted to argue, but Brielle couldn’t bring herself to do it. She hadn’t had this much fun in ages. In fact, she’d nearly forgotten what it was like to flirt with a guy she was actually interested in.
The thought brought her up short. I can’t be interested in him. She paused. Can’t? Or won’t? Her mental voice argued. Truth was, Brielle didn’t know. Ryan had always been flirty. He was well loved and very popular in school, and she could only imagine that he’d been that way in college as well.
But he was still unmarried and hadn’t made mention of any kind of significant other. In fact, he was teasing about taking her on a date. But was he simply teasing an available woman like he’d do when he was a teenager? Or was he actually trying to gage Brielle’s response ?
“Looks like we’re ready,” Ryan announced, handing her a plate. “Ladies first.”
Brielle gave him a grin, but it wavered a little. She was just so confused. Best to assume he’s not serious, she finally decided as she put together her BLT. Then you won’t be disappointed when it proves to be true.
A ping in her chest let her know it was too late. She was already disappointed at the thought that he wasn’t serious. Only a few minutes in his company, and she was already wishing there could be something between them. It was pathetic, really. But she didn’t seem to have much in the way of control.
“You’re thinking awfully deep thoughts,” Ryan said, his shoulder touching hers. “Is the bacon really that bad? You haven’t even tried it.”
This time her smile was a bit more genuine. “Sorry. Just got a lot on my mind.” She hurried to slap some tomato slices on the bread.
“You still didn’t answer my question,” he pressed.
Brielle glanced up at him. “I wasn’t sure how legit it was.”
Ryan paused and looked up at her. “Why wouldn’t it be legit?”
She frowned. “Ryan, you’ve always been a flirt. How am I supposed to know if you’re really asking me out or not?” Brielle snapped her mouth shut. Dang it! She hadn’t meant to spill all that. She was going to be cool, hold in her temper and simply assume this was all a joke.
But one little push, and her red hair was showing. She mentally face palmed herself.
“High school was a long time ago,” he said, his voice softer than before.
Brielle looked up at him again. “It was.”
“I would bet that you’re a bit different than you were as a teenager.”
She nodded slowly. “I am.”
Ryan gave her a cautious smile. “Then perhaps, you could give me the space to be different as well.”
Ryan watched a dozen emotions pass over Brielle’s face as she took in his words. Knowing he was pushing her hard, at a time when she was already in turmoil, he casually reached across her and grabbed the bacon. Stuffing one burnt piece in his mouth, he picked up a few more slices and finished putting his sandwich together.
Sitting down at the bar, he watched her for a minute before swallowing his bite. “You gonna join me? Or just stand and let the bacon get stale as well as overcooked?” He kept his eyes on her while taking a bite, pretending not to notice the slice of tomato that slipped out the side. Why were BLT’s so messy? He should have chosen something that didn’t make him look like such a slob.
Brielle’s lips twitched, and she looked back down, grabbed some chips for her plate and came to sit down. Pausing before eating, she glanced at him through her peripheral vision. “I think I can do that.”
Ryan’s heart nearly beat out of his chest, but he kept his face neutral. The chemistry between him and Brielle was off the charts, but he had a really, really, strong feeling that if he pushed her too hard, he’d lose her.
Something seemed to be waiting, just out of his understanding, something that was keeping her from fully responding to his flirting, and he wasn’t sure what it was. The only thing he could think of was that it had to do with their awkward history in high school.
But that was so long ago that it really shouldn’t matter at this point in time. There was nothing weird at all about asking if they could basically start over as adults. They hadn’t seen each other in long enough that it really was like starting over, whether they wanted to or not.
“So…” He crunched a chip. “Tell me about yourself.”
Brielle’s breathy laugh did funny things to his heartbeat. “Well…I’m the younger of two children. My dad was the high school quarterback and my mom the homecoming queen.” She gave him a wry look. “I was neither. ”
Ryan grinned, still watching her. He knew all this, of course, though he’d never met her parents. Her dad had been a big football guy and was still a heavy supporter. In a small town, the president of the boosters was well known to every athlete.
“My sister, however,” Brielle continued, her eyes focused on her plate, “could have been my mother’s twin.” She took a large bite.
“And what do you do for a living?” Ryan enjoyed watching the slight pink color in her cheeks. Her red hair and pale skin were such a classic and stunning combination. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed seeing a woman blush until Brielle showed back up in his life.
“I’m a dog groomer and trainer.”
She still didn’t look at him, and Ryan frowned. “You don’t sound very excited about that,” he said, trying to watch her for clues as to her emotions. After watching her with Sparky, Ryan knew she had to be a really good groomer. Her dog was well cared for and well trained. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
She shrugged, still not looking at him. “I like it.” Her words were indifferent, but her shoulders were stiff, as if she felt the need to protect herself.
“I think it’s great. You can’t imagine how many patients I’ve had come through who could have used your services.” He gave a fake shudder. “Some haircuts are better left unmentioned.”
Just as he hoped, she snorted and gave a little laugh, finally turning up to look at him. “You really don’t mind?”
“Mind what?” He took another bite.
“That I didn’t go to college? That I play with animals for a living?”
“Do you mind that I did go to school and only make a third of what a normal doctor makes because my patients don’t actually have jobs?”
Her lips twitched. “Not really.”
He leaned in. “Me either.” The visible relaxation in her shoulders was telling. Brielle, for some weird reason, thought she wasn’t good enough. What he couldn’t figure out was how in the world a woman as confident and fierce as Brielle, would ever doubt her worth. He simply couldn’t fathom it, but there was no denying what he was seeing. “Favorite color?”
She continued grinning. “Purple.”
Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
Brielle’s snorting laughter had him laughing with her. “Absolutely not. I look terrible in purple!”
“Are you going to tell me what it is then?”
Brielle pursed her lips, her eyes unfocused in thought. “Maybe yellow? Or red? I like fall colors.”
“Red suits you.” His smile was slow as the blush came across her cheeks again. Red was quickly becoming his favorite color as well.
“Okay, my turn,” she said bluntly, obviously trying to turn the tables. She raised an eyebrow at him in challenge. “This is important, if we’re going to continue to be friends.”
Ryan nodded sagely. “Bring it.”
“Does the toilet paper roll go over? Or under?”
“Over,” he said without hesitation. “Any other answer is barbaric.”
Her laughter grew, and Ryan let the sound wash over him. He could die a happy man right about now. No, wait…not until you get another kiss.
Well, shoot…now the idea was in his head. Not that it had been out of his head for very long. When he’d cornered her against the counter, he couldn’t help looking at that lush mouth. It was tempting him in all the best ways, and when she smiled, he couldn’t be held accountable for where his mind traveled.
“So, are you a barbarian or not?” he asked with a grin. “Do I need to kick you out and save myself?”
She shook her head and put a hand in the air. “Nope. I’m with you. How else am I supposed to see if there’s a spider on the toilet paper if I pull it from the bottom?” She widened her eyes. “I saw all those stupid pictures online. I might never be the same. ”
“I would recommend you don’t ever travel to Australia then.”
Brielle sighed. “Yeah…snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef would be amazing, but I don’t know if I can handle the wildlife crawling around that place.”
“People live there,” he offered. “I’m sure there’s a way to get along with the locals.”
“Have you seen those pictures where the parks are covered in spider webs?” Brielle paled. “Oh my word, it’s unbelievable.”
“It’s the snake skins that get me. I saw a picture of one once that was like all the way across a football field.”
“There’s no way that can be real,” Brielle scoffed. “You’re a vet. Shouldn’t you know this?”
Ryan chuckled and finished chewing his bite. “It’s probably photoshopped. But they do have really big snakes. Their biggest snake is like this python. The males average like ten feet.”
“Geez, that’s big.” Brielle grimaced. “Is that the biggest snake in the world?”
“Nah. The world record is a reticulated python, and he was over thirty feet.” Ryan laughed at the look in Brielle’s face.
“That can’t be real.”
“It was.”
“I…” Brielle blinked several times. “I can’t even imagine it. Thirty feet!” She rubbed her forehead. “Please no vet facts on spiders. I’m going to have nightmares as it is.”
Ryan wasn’t about to let this opportunity go to waste. He leaned in close enough to get her attention. “Don’t worry, Underwood,” he teased in a soft voice. “I’ll protect you.” He couldn’t help it. He had to keep going. “Taking care of damsels in distress is my specialty.” His laugh was mixed with a groan when she punched his arm. “Geez, you’re strong.”
“Damsel my foot,” Brielle muttered, though she couldn’t quite hide the grin she was sporting.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave a friendly squeeze before letting go. “I’ve never really been into feet, but I’m sure I can protect those too if necessary.” His laughter only grew as she pummeled his side. Fun hadn’t been a part of his life for too long. Yeah…he couldn’t definitely get used to this. In fact…he wanted to get used to this. Life was really starting to look really, really good.