8. Delilah
DELILAH
I groaned and rubbed my hand over my belly.
What I wouldn’t give for a sunken bathtub right now.
I’d stuffed myself full of delicious food at the dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town and was paying the price.
That’s what happened when I trained my stomach not to expect more than a few bites at a time and then blew it all by gorging on the buffet.
But how could I resist? The veggie fajitas had been so tasty, the deep-fried ice cream, divine. If my mother could see me now . . .
As if Stella could sense my misbehavior, my phone pinged with an incoming text.
Stella: You still up?
Me:Of course.
My mother knew I never fell asleep before midnight, no matter how hard I tried. Within moments, the phone rang. I rolled over and answered.
“Hello?”
“I had a sense you’d still be awake. How’s Miss Lovin’ Texas doing?” Stella’s voice rang out, the cheerfulness making my stomach pangs worsen.
“I’m fine. What are you still doing awake?”
“I’m too excited to sleep. Monique and I met with the cosmetics rep this morning and they had some amazing new samples for us. I think you’re going to be pleased.” Nothing got Stella excited like the prospect of making money.
“I’m sure they’re great.”
“The publicity firm wants to do a photo shoot. I went ahead and scheduled it week after next in Ido.”
“Oh, I can’t do that.”
“Why not? They gave me some new samples. I’ll drive them down myself. Franco said he’d be willing to travel, just for you. We’ll be in and out in two days, three tops.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” The thought of having to squeeze into anything beyond a loose nightshirt made my stomach cramp.
Stella tsked. “Of course it’s a good idea. We’ve got no time to waste. If we want to soft launch before the holiday season, we’ve got to get the marketing materials done.”
She was right. “Fine. Just let me know when and where. I’ll be there.”
“That’s my girl.”
My girl. Seemed like I was only my mother’s “girl” when I agreed to do everything Stella wanted.
I reached behind me to plump my pillow as my mother prattled on about the level of shimmer in the new blush.
As I settled my head against the pillow, something crawled over my hand.
I shrieked, leaping off the narrow bed and hitting my head on the cabinet above as I jumped to my feet.
“Delilah?” My mother’s voice came from where the phone had landed, facedown on the floor, next to a giant cricket that stood rubbing its gangly legs together.
I shook off the shivers racing up and down my limbs. Just a cricket. No big deal. Crickets didn’t even bite. I’d just grab something to scoot my phone away from it, then shoo it out the door.
Fumbling, I managed to make my way to the kitchen area, where I whipped open the narrow drawer that held a small assortment of kitchen utensils. A dozen, maybe two dozen, crickets crawled over the spatulas and silverware. I screamed and slammed the drawer shut.
“What’s going on?” Stella’s muffled voice came from the floor.
“Hold on a sec. There’s a bug.” I knew it was irrational, but I’d always had a fear of creepy-crawly things.
Up to that point I hadn’t had any trouble with the trailer beyond a random ant or mosquito.
I opened the closet door and grappled for the broom.
It clattered against the countertop but, thankfully, was cricket-free.
I tiptoed closer to where my phone had landed.
If I stretched, I might be able to reach it with the broom and sweep it close enough that I could grab it without having to get close to the cricket.
The bug in question sat on the ground, rubbing its front legs together in all of its dark, glossy glory.
I shrieked as I pulled the broom back, causing my phone to skitter across the floor of the trailer and disappear under the table.
Bending down, I reached a hand under the table to retrieve my phone, only to touch something undeniably crickety instead. I let out a scream that probably could have woken the dead in at least four surrounding counties and exploded out of the trailer into the parking lot.
It was empty, thankfully. Smoker Saturday had ended several hours ago, although the scent of fish lingered in the air.
The neon lights from the Burger Bonanza sign burned bright although the windows were dark.
Helmut and the staff had gone home hours ago.
Which meant I was standing in a deserted parking lot.
In my nightgown.
Alone.
I glanced down at my bare feet. It’s not like I’d be able to walk somewhere to get help. What was I going to say? “I’m too chicken to enter my trailer because it’s full of crickets”?
Embarrassed at my own ridiculousness, I poked my head back into the trailer. “Stella?”
No answer.
Either my mother had hung up, or the call had been disconnected when my phone flew across the floor. I could do this. It was just a few bugs. Bugs that didn’t even bite.
I waited a few minutes, letting my pulse slow.
Then, grabbing the handle on the outside of the trailer, I lifted a bare foot to the step.
Those crickets were more scared of me than I was of them.
That’s what my dad used to tell me. My eyes teared up at the memory of my dad.
I could still picture the humor in his eyes and see the whisper of a smile as he used to toss me into the air and catch me over and over again.
He wouldn’t be afraid of a few harmless crickets.
Emboldened, I entered the trailer. The broom rested against the counter, and I reached for the handle. I’d just sweep those helpless crickets out into the fresh air. No problem. I lifted the broom, preparing to do just that, when something landed on my shoulder.
All thoughts of peacefully coexisting shattered. I whipped around and raced down the steps, flinging myself through the door and right into a hard, broad chest.
“You okay?” Jasper wrapped his arms around me, drawing me tight against him, my breasts smashed against his pecs.
I wasn’t sure what to be more mortified about . . . My irrational fear of some harmless crickets or the fact I was standing half-naked and braless in the very public parking lot of the Burger Bonanza, chest to chest with Jasper Taylor.
“I’m fine. What are you doing here?” I pulled back, thought better of letting him see me in my skimpy nightgown, and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Your manager called. Said it was an emergency and you were being attacked.” Jasper’s gaze flicked over me like he was checking me for injuries. His hair stuck out in all directions, and he looked like he’d just woken up.
“I’m sorry. I was on the phone with my mom when a cricket attacked me.”
His brow furrowed and the edge of his mouth ticked up. “You were attacked by a cricket?”
“Not just one. There’s a whole army of them in there.” I pointed to the door of the trailer.
“An army of crickets attacked you?”
“Well, not really attacked. I mean, I’m sure it wasn’t a premeditated move on their part.” I kept my palms over my breasts, aware of how absolutely ridiculous I sounded.
“Do you mind if I take a look?” He bit back a smile.
“By all means, please.” I nudged my chin toward the door. “But be careful. They’re everywhere.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He disappeared through the small door, and I waited for some confirmation that I hadn’t overreacted, that my trailer hadn’t been caught up in some cricket swarm of biblical proportions.
A few minutes later, Jasper came out, my phone in his hand.
“Well?”
“Looks like you’ve got a bunch of crickets in your trailer.”
I blew out a breath, sending the hair that had fallen in front of my face sailing. “Thank you. I actually made it that far on my own. How are you going to get rid of them?”
“I’m not.”
“What do you mean, you’re not?”
He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost one. I’ll come back in the morning and deal with it when it’s light out.”
“But I can’t sleep here tonight.”
“I’m not asking you to. Come on, I’ll take you back to my place.”
My eyes went wide, just about bugging out of my head like the crazy-eyed cricket who’d started the whole mess. “I can’t go back to your place.”
“You have another suggestion?” He cocked his hip and ran a hand through his unruly hair. “If you want to call someone else, I’d be happy to run you somewhere. I imagine Lacey’s asleep. Suzy’s probably still up. You want me to see if she can put you up tonight?”
The idea of sleeping on Suzy’s couch, underneath the watchful eye of that menacing bobcat, was enough for me to seize Jasper’s offer. “No, I don’t want to bother her.”
“It’s settled then.” He shrugged off his button-down shirt and handed it to me. “Here, put this on.”
I shook my head even as I took in the sight of how his white undershirt molded to his muscular chest. “I don’t need your shirt.”
“You sure about that?” His gaze raked over me, from my feet, up my legs, pausing at my chest before landing on my face.
A shiver raced through me that had little to do with the cool night air and a whole lot to do with the way his fingers twitched like he wanted to reach out and touch me. My nipples perked, and I clamped my arms even tighter against my middle.
“Fine.” I snagged the shirt out of his hand and shoved my arms through the sleeves. His scent overwhelmed me. A hint of campfire mingled with the muskiness of a hot-blooded man. When was the last time I’d worn a man’s shirt? The intimacy of the moment threatened to make my knees weak.
“You want to grab anything from inside?” He tore his gaze away from my face, and the heat between us cooled by a few degrees.
As much as I’d love to go back in and pack a few things, I didn’t dare.
His tone softened. “If you tell me what you need, I’ll go in and get it for you.”
“I’d love a change of clothes. And maybe my toothbrush.”
“Why don’t you sit in the truck and warm up. I’ll be back in a sec.” He took a step toward the trailer. “Where are your keys? I’ll lock it up.”