4. Dean
Chapter Four
DEAN
While Goldie’s having her doctor’s appointment, I drive over to the Candy Cabin to pick up some donuts. I don’t know what kinds of donuts she prefers, so I get one in every flavor.
My phone is beeping with messages from the girl my aunt gave my number to. I need to reply to tell her I’m not available. One look at Goldie on that couch yesterday and I was sure I wouldn’t be available to anyone else. Ever .
I’m whistling as I drive back to collect her. Both dogs are looking at me like I’m from another planet.
Goldie doesn’t want me to carry her back to the car, insisting on using her crutches.
“I need the practice, Dean. Once the boot is off, I’ll have the brace on and be doing more regular physio in the city.”
“Getting the boot off is a good thing, right?” I glance over at her as she stares out of the window. I’m acutely aware of her soft, shapely thighs in that flirty little slip dress.
“Yes.” Her tone is despondent.
“Sure sounds like it. Did the doctor diagnose you with something else while you were in there? Plague, maybe?”
A tiny smile. “Nope. This has all been a long journey. I’ve spent more time back here in Snowflake than I thought I would.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” I ask, taking the turn for the mountain road.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but I hate my job.”
“How come?”
“Do you promise not to tease me?” She glances over, running a hand through her reddish-gold hair.
“Pinky swear. You’re safe with me. Poupon might gossip about it, but only to my aunt.”
“I don’t love working at the museum. My boss is…”
“An asshole?”
“I think we’re meant to call it challenging .” She shrugs. “Working from home means he’s not breathing down my neck all the time. The quality of my work is better, I’m happier. I like it back in Snowflake, too. Even though my parents are over in Oakfield now, Poppy and my brother Elias are here.”
I nod. “Your sister’s gone to see your Mom, I think the minister said? Is she doing better?”
“Yes. She had to have emergency surgery, but she’s recovering well. Dad has MS and she’s his main carer. So Poppy’s with Mom and Elias is looking after Dad.”
“Sounds like your family’s going through a lot.” I want to reach out and take her hand.
“It’s been a tough time. Breaking my ankle was the cherry on top. But it let me slow down and now…I don’t know…”
“You could always marry me and stay here in Snowflake.” My tone is light but I’m deadly serious.
She rolls her eyes. “Typical. I thought you weren’t going to tease me again. Anyway, aren’t you going to answer your phone? I’ve never heard anyone’s phone beep so frequently.”
“Not while I’m driving, no.” My voice sounds harsher than I thought. I’m disappointed she rejected my suggestion as if it was ridiculous. She still sees me as the school joker, not a serious prospect.
“What’s that smell? Cinnamon and…chocolate?”
“Donuts. A reward for you being so brave in the doctor’s office.”
“How do you know I was brave? I could have cried through the entire appointment like a big baby.”
I tap my nose. “I have my sources.”
When we’re back inside, I make some iced coffee and bring her a plate of donuts. Then I walk the dogs.
“You can leave Poupon here if you like. What time are you coming later?” Her face is so beautiful, even with donut sugar around her mouth. I want to kiss her and lick the powdered sugar from her pink lips.
“Around six, after I finish my shift. You going to be okay, Goldie?”
“I’ll be fine. I have a daily Zoom call with my boss, once that’s done my day will be even better.”
Back at the firehouse, my brother Taylan is uncharacteristically talkative. He’s a giant nerd, happiest with his nose stuck in a book or tapping away on his laptop.
“What’s up, bro? You look weird. I thought you were only on call for four hours today? Feeling lazy?” He hands me the inventory list, motioning for me to follow him.
“I was on a late shift last night. And Marigold Evans is keeping me up at night.”
“You have it bad. I knew you looked strange. Have you told her how you feel?” He crouches, taking out a big crate of equipment.
“It’s not that easy. I’m only realizing now how much of a dick I was to her back at school. So she has her guard up, and rightly so.” I sigh.
“Smart cookie. I wouldn’t trust you either.” He nudges me in the ribs. “So what are you going to do about it? Seeing you without a smile on your face is creeping me out.”
“I don’t know. She gets the boot off in a couple of days and then she’ll probably leave town. So I have to come up with something.” I shake my head.
“How about being honest? You tried disguising your feelings with teasing and that didn’t work. Be vulnerable.” Taylan removes a pile of mismatched protective gloves from the crate.
“You remember I still hold the record for the most tackles in a single game? Being vulnerable doesn’t come naturally to me, Tay.”
“Exactly why you should do it. Marigold won’t be able to trust you otherwise. Show her you’re not as much of a dick as you were in high school.” He grins at me.
I punch him lightly in the arm. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Anytime. Now how many sets of these gloves are we meant to have?”
Once my shift is done, I reply to the message from the girl my aunt was trying to set me up with, saying I’ve met someone. Then, I text Aunt Augusta to tell her I’ve met a girl and she has to stop setting me up on dates. She sends me back a string of emojis, including a ring, a church, and a bride. My aunt loves nothing more than a good wedding.
When I walk through the door of the cabin, Goldie’s sketching. She looks up and smiles, and my cock twitches. I want to scoop her up and protect her. I’m also desperate to throw her down on the bed and make her come, burying my face between those juicy thighs.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
I smile back. “You are? I thought you hated me.”
“I’m getting used to you being around. And all the donuts and fixing stuff is softening me up. And…”
“And?”
“...I want to use you as a model.”
“A life model? Just tell me where. And how much do you want me to take off?” I strike my best bodybuilder pose.
She giggles. “I just need your face.”
“Oh. I’m crushed. Where do you want me?”
“Right here. I’m doing a set of superhero sketches…drawing the villain. You have the right jawline.”
I rub my hand over my stubble. “The villain. Figures.”
Sitting next to her on the sofa, a waft of her raspberry scent floats up and my fingers jerk, itching to run my hand over her soft skin. She has the boot up on a cushion on the table and I’m close enough that our thighs are almost touching.
“Stay like that.” Her pencil moves across the pad.
“Yes, ma’am. How have the dogs been?”
“Good. Slept most of the day. Moose is going to be sad without Poupon here.”
“I’ll bring him back tomorrow. What’s your comic called?” I try to keep my head still.
“The working title is Guardians of Snowflake Falls . It’s about a bunch of everyday folks who get superpowers after a freak blizzard.”
I nod and she makes a tutting sound. “Stay still.”
“And the villain?” I ask.
“He’s got some amazing powers, but he’s this know-it-all former jock originally.”
“Ouch.”
“I haven’t decided what his redemption arc is yet, though.”
“I like the sound of a redemption arc.” I turn my head and Goldie’s looking directly at me. Our heads are close. Electricity buzzes up and down my body with such force that I’m sure she must be able to feel it. I’m breathing faster, my chest tight. I can’t look away from her. Reaching my hand up, I push back a stray curl from her face.
A little sound escapes her lips as I touch her and that’s it. Everything I’ve felt for her rises inside me as I lean down to press my lips on hers. It’s as if every bell in Snowflake sounds in my head, chiming perfectly to remind me that this is right. That she’s right for me. The softness of her plump lips, the little gasps she makes as her mouth moves with mine, and the tiny moans as I explore her mouth with my tongue make me rock hard.
The clattering of a dog’s claws on the floor causes her to break the kiss. Her chest is heaving, nipples poking at the thin fabric of her slip dress. My cock is so hard it might burst out of my jeans.
She leans away from me. “We can’t do this, Dean.”
“Why not?” My voice is rough.
“We just can’t. I’m leaving in a couple of days and…”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You see–”
“Give me some space, please. I’ve spent years believing you thought I was someone beneath you. A geek to be teased. And now you’re here kissing me. It’s all too much. I want to be alone, okay?” She doesn’t look at me.
I stand up. “Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”
She nods. I bend down to pick up Poupon. I’m doing the opposite of what my brother advised. I haven’t been vulnerable; I’m kissing her and then leaving.
Tomorrow I have to tell her how much she means to me. That kiss sealed the deal.
I want her in my life, forever.
She’s the one.