Chapter 1 #2
Something the siblings had in common. “I see his pictures on Instagram sometimes,” I commented.
“His next leave will be in the fall, and he’s promised to come visit,” she said. “You two should get together. You do get vacation time, don’t you? Or is it all work?”
“I do. I’ll plan on it.” I was already contemplating the long drive down or possibly seeing if I could talk him into coming out here. Maybe Caitlin would be part of that get-together… As soon as I had the thought, I pushed it aside. What had been between us had ended five years ago.
“So how’s the job?” she asked. “Do you like being sheriff?”
“Keeps me busy, but I like it.” It was all I’d ever wanted to do with my life. My brothers, Luke and Jake, were born ranchers, but law enforcement had called to me ever since I could remember.
“You still in the tattoo business?” I asked. Caitlin had been a year behind me and I’d heard she’d left college before her senior year to pursue a career in tattoo art.
“Uh…yeah,” she said, unconsciously running her finger over the hummingbird tattooed on the inside of her left arm.
It was delicate and ethereal. She gave the impression of being that way herself, but it wasn’t true.
She had a core of inner strength. But I noticed a chink in that strength in the way she answered my question about her work. Why the hesitation?
“Caitlin?” I questioned, my tone soft.
“I’d like another beer. How about you?” She scooted to the edge of the booth as if she was ready to march over to the bar herself.
What was she running from? If I’d been interviewing her at the sheriff’s office, I’d be convinced she was hiding something from me.
But she was a friend, not a suspect, so I let it go.
“Sure, but let me get it.” I caught the eye of the server and held up two fingers. Just then, the music shifted to an upbeat song that had been popular while we were in college. I grinned at her, knowing she was remembering it too.
“Haven’t heard this in forever,” she said, all trace of tension gone. “Do you remember that night when we went to the Winking Armadillo and the biker group came in and mixed with the rodeo folk? I don’t think I’ve ever danced so much in one night or had so much fun.”
My memory of that night was just as clear, but it included one more detail.
Our first kiss. Her brother had just left for basic training and we’d both been missing him.
She’d insisted that we needed to cheer ourselves up, so she’d dragged me out with a wider group of friends to the country-western bar.
“It ended in a good way, too.” She shot me a flirtatious look over the table, letting me know she hadn’t forgotten the kiss. “I have fond memories of that parking lot.”
I’d been itching to kiss her for years, but I’d always been afraid of risking my friendship with Ethan.
But to my shock, the night before he’d shipped out, Ethan told me that he knew I had a crush on Caitlin, and actually said he was okay with it if I wanted to ask her out.
Of course, he’d also followed it up with a list of everything he’d do to me if I hurt her, which I never intended to do.
With that in mind, when we’d walked out of the bar at closing time into the coolness of the night, I’d pinned her against the side of my truck and kissed her.
Things had gotten heated fast. It had taken all my willpower to drive her back to her apartment and say goodnight without begging to be allowed to come in.
Within a month, though, we were spending all our time together, including nights.
We’d been good together. For a while, at least.
While we ate, we talked about old friends and new happenings. I filled her in on the gossip around town and the upcoming rodeo until the bar started to empty out.
“I should get going,” she said with a glance around. “It’s getting late and I need to get some sleep before I drive back to Austin tomorrow.”
“Yeah, probably time to call it a night. I’ve got the early shift tomorrow. I’ll walk you out.” I settled the bill and walked out of the bar with her. It was still spring, but already the nights were staying warmer, headed toward the scorching temperatures of the summer.
“This is me.” She pointed to a small SUV, parked a row away from my truck.
“It’s been good seeing you, Brian,” she said when she turned around to face me.
“I mean that.” She put her hands on my shoulders and leaned closer to kiss my cheek.
Her lips brushed against my skin, sending a shiver through me. “You always were one of the good guys.”
I knew I should say goodnight, step back, and prove that I was still a good guy.
Yet everything in me wanted more. What could it hurt just this once?
I put my hands on her waist, lightly so she could easily pull away, but still standing close enough to make it clear that I was interested in something more. “A real kiss for old times’ sake?”
Her lips quirked up and she slid her arms around my neck in answer.
I pressed my mouth to hers, and just like the first time, a simple kiss went nuclear.
What was it about Caitlin Baker that set my pulse to racing at the thought of her?
I brushed my tongue along the seam of her lips and she opened to me.
When I felt the tip of her tongue touch mine, I went hard instantly and pushed her up against the car, well aware that we were repeating the past. Her body fit tight against mine as I continued the kiss, and I lost all sense of time until I had no choice but to pull away to gasp in some breath.
“Backseat?” she whispered. “I want you. I need…I need to remember how good it can be, Brian.”
The way she said it made me wonder what she was trying to forget.
And what about my own memories? Was I letting them control me?
We weren’t kids anymore. I should walk to my truck and drive away.
That would be the smart thing to do, because it had taken me way too long to get over her the first time.
Did I want to reawaken those feelings? Just spending time with her had already cracked the vault open, but making love to her would bring all those feelings to the surface.
I shouldn’t.
“I’m too old to have sex in a car, darling,” I said, hoping to defuse the situation with a little humor.
She chuckled, a sexy sound. “I doubt that.” She started the kiss this time, flooding me with need. I might still have resisted if she hadn’t whispered, “please.”
Ah, hell. I could never say no to her, and my body was screaming to be inside hers. I reached for the rear door and yanked it open.