Chapter 3 #2
“I think we know who was picky,” Carol retorted.
The breeze blew gently across the back of her neck and stirred the skirt of her dress as it played with the candle flame and carried the scent of the flowers to her nose.
The water slapped gently against the pilings, mingling with the din of the restaurant around them.
She felt relaxed and happy, and though she wanted to know everything about Rick, she didn’t feel any urgency behind it.
She didn’t have to discover every bad habit of his so she could get this over with and move on.
“Tell me what made you go into firefighting. Some sort of hero complex?” she asked.
“I think there was a little of that at first,” he admitted. He leaned back and told her about his training and his first experiences on the department.
The food came and went as they talked, and the conversation flowed easily between them.
They moved through their pasts together, discussing everything from jobs to embarrassing moments to meeting celebrities.
Ross’s delicious food and Hart’s drinks fueled them as time slipped by.
Carol was so focused on Rick that she was taken by surprise when Hart showed up to refill their drinks.
They talked with the ease of two old friends, as if they were simply catching up instead of discovering something new.
As Rick set his glass of tea down and looked around, he laughed. “I think we’ve just about shut the place down.”
Carol glanced into the main dining area and only saw one other couple.
“Well, either this town is full of old fogeys, or it’s quitting time.
I suppose we’d better get going.” She added this last part when she noticed Hart was still behind the bar but had begun wiping everything down and sweeping the floor.
It wouldn’t be right for them to stay past closing time, especially when Ross and Hart had been kind enough to invite them, but her heartstrings stretched with longing at the idea of leaving Rick.
Ross stepped out of the kitchen as they got up from their table. “Can I get you anything to take home? Some dessert?”
“Oh, nothing else for me. Thank you, Ross. Really. You and Hart are amazing hosts, and it’s no wonder your place here has been such a success.”
“That means a lot to me,” Ross replied, walking them to the door. “You two kids behave yourselves!”
“Now, why would we want to do that?” Carol laughed.
They stepped out into the night. Many of the shops had closed, but the nightclubs and sidewalks were still bustling.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Carol said as they made their way back into Truro and her house was getting near.
“I’m not sure you can give me much credit for it,” Rick replied with a smile.
“Well, you drove there and back,” she reasoned.
The seats in his car were comfortable, and once again, she felt a bit of longing at knowing they’d be parting soon.
She could just see it down the road, looking dark and solemn.
Carol had thought of the place as lively and fun when she’d first moved there with Stacey.
The timer on the living room lamp meant she’d be able to get inside without tripping over herself, but she’d forgotten to turn on the porch light.
The house looked the way her heart felt.
There was still some fire inside, but it was hidden by the years of loneliness surrounding it.
She shook off those thoughts, not wanting to ruin such a fun evening by feeling sorry for herself. That simply wasn’t what she did. “Besides, I don’t think we would’ve been treated so luxuriously if all these meddling kids weren’t trying to butt into our lives.”
“True, but I think we can handle it.” Rick pulled up in front of her house. With surprising agility, he turned off the engine and came around to the passenger side to open her door for her. “We’re experienced enough, anyway.”
“Hey, now. I don’t remember telling you about my experience,” she quipped.
He took her hand as he helped her out of the car like a true gentleman. Carol didn’t need it, but this mere gesture sent a thrill through her stomach and chest. Butterflies, and here she was thinking they’d all migrated south. It’d been so long. How could a simple dinner date be so exciting?
Rick kept her hand in his after he shut the car door. “Mind if I walk you to your door?”
“Are you afraid I might get abducted out here in the darkness?” She tightened her own grip on his hand, liking the way his strong fingers felt looped through hers.
He leaned close as they made their way up the walk. “I’ve heard all sorts of dangerous creatures live around here. Maybe not lions or tigers, but certainly bears.”
“And a wolf?” They stepped up onto the porch, and now Carol didn’t mind so much that the light wasn’t on.
She didn’t need the harsh glare of a bulb to show her the lines of his handsome face.
The moonlight was working just fine. “I’ve heard that, as well.
I don’t think he’s very dangerous, or at least not any more dangerous than I’d like him to be. ”
He tipped his head, pretending to consider this as his arms slipped around her waist and pulled her close. “This one is fairly well-behaved, although he does act on instinct sometimes.”
The butterflies she’d felt a moment ago were now racing through her limbs and across her tongue as she felt the strength of his embrace. “I’d like to know what his instincts are asking him to do right now.”
Their lips met, and the butterflies were chased away with a rush of lava through her body.
He pressed his mouth against hers, somewhat tentatively at first and then growing stronger.
Carol’s hands had been resting just above his elbows, but she slowly ran them up his arms until they clutched his shoulders.
Her lips parted under the request of his, and she found herself clinging to him as their tongues twined together.
Her eyes had closed, though she hadn’t known exactly when.
The lack of sight let her fully revel in the hot velvet of his mouth and the smooth pressure of his lips.
She leaned into the hard strength of his body.
His hands held her with such ease, keeping her tightly against him.
His gentle strength created a maelstrom within her, emotions whirling in her head while any conscious, rational thoughts went spinning off into the abyss.
She’d lost all sense of time once they pulled apart.
“I suppose I should say goodnight,” he said softly.
“Didn’t you just?” Carol leaned up to press one last kiss to his lips, forcing herself to pull back before she dragged him upstairs and threw him into her bed. “Thank you again, Rick. I had a lovely time.”
“So did I. I’d like to see you again.”
“Call me. Maybe we can arrange it.” Though her heart told her not to, she let go of his shoulders and stepped back, quickly punching her code into the lock. At least the darkness hid the fact that her fingers were shaking.
“I’ll do that.” He let go as well, but he didn’t make a move to leave.
She understood, then, and smiled. Any man could act like a gentleman, but Rick truly was one. He didn’t dare look away until he knew she was safely inside, regardless of the neighborhood they were in. Carol smiled at him once more through the doorway before she pushed the door into place.
She waited there for a moment, listening to the sound of his engine firing back up and his car backing out of the driveway. What a night! Her body buzzed, high from good food and excellent company. In her younger years, she might not’ve stopped herself at just a kiss on the porch.
As she took off her shoes and headed upstairs, she touched a finger to her lips, still aflame with his kiss. She’d sworn she could sense the wolf inside him and hoped she had the chance to feel it again.