Chapter 20 To Watch Out For
TO WATCH OUT FOR
“Morning,” Ford said the next day.
He hadn’t wanted to leave Reenie last night.
She’d passed out on him after she’d come. He wasn’t even sure if she’d heard his words and it was probably for the best.
He’d held her and caressed her for a few minutes, then rolled out of bed to take care of the condom. Rather than leave, he crawled back in bed to hold her some more.
He must have dozed off because sometime after midnight he woke sweating and realized that they hadn’t killed the fire.
After he’d taken care of that, he went back to her room and woke her. He didn’t want her to think he’d just cut tail, but she moaned and asked him to come back to bed.
There was no way he’d say no, so he slid in and held her.
At five, he got up and left to go home and shower and said he’d be back in a few hours.
“Morning,” she said when he returned. “Did you eat anything yet?”
“No. Just grabbed a cup of coffee, then worked out, showered and here I am.”
“Can I tell you that whatever you do in terms of exercise looks damn good on you?”
“Thanks,” he said. “Nothing fancy, but I noticed your eyes on me.”
“They always are.”
“You’re blushing. Why?” He moved the few feet into the kitchen. Pulling her into his arms, he gave her a kiss and didn’t let go. She looked as if she needed that reassurance that he was more than willing to supply.
“I acted so out of character last night. But you were my first.”
He lifted an eyebrow and looked down at her. “I don’t think that’s the first you’ve had sex.”
She grinned, her brown hair damp and tucked behind her ears. She was makeup free like always and looking as fresh-faced as he remembered her.
“I’ve had sex,” she said. “I meant it was the first time I could finish during sex. I normally have to do it myself.”
Her face was bright red, but he was happy she felt she could open up with him.
“You needed some guidance I was happy to provide,” he said.
“Oh, get that smirk off your face.”
She pushed out of his arms, laughing.
“I might feel a little proud of myself.”
He had so much hope of a future for them, if they could get past the present.
He wasn’t na?ve in the least and knew there was more to watch out for. To be worried about. To prepare for.
“You should feel proud. I know I am. And I’m starving. I’ve got eggs from the chickens here. Your father taught me how to get them and told me to take what I wanted. I grabbed some the other day. How about that or I’ve got bread and we can do French toast?”
“Whatever is easiest.”
“I enjoy cooking,” she said. “I’ll make French toast. Your mother still does most of the baking, but I’m hoping she gains enough confidence in me so that I can also do it and she can have a day off now and again.”
“She’s stubborn, but my father will work on her. We are all happy you’re giving her a hand. She’d let no one do it in the morning, working herself hard baking and waiting on people.”
“She’s like supermom to me,” Reenie said. “Nothing fazes her or slows her down, but I like helping out and waiting on the customers. There aren’t that many around to serve in the mornings, but there are plenty that want to sit and have a cup of coffee with a friend and a treat.”
“That’s why she can handle it. The days she’s serving lunch are when it’s busier and she’s always had help for that.”
“I know,” she said. “Next weekend Bobbi Jo can’t work, so I told Brooke that I’d do it if she wanted. She gave me a few days off during the week, which I hate, but I understand.”
“You’re doing more than you need to.”
“I like to stay busy. It keeps my mind clear of other things.”
She’d been cracking eggs in a bowl while they talked. Then she poured in some milk, added brown sugar like his mother did, and some cinnamon.
“Have you always made your French toast like that?”
“Like what?”
“With the brown sugar?” he asked.
“Yes. Why?”
“My mother does too, but few do. Or not that I’ve seen or had.”
“Your mother is the one who showed me how to make it,” she said.
“Really?” he asked. “Recently?”
“No,” she said, laughing. “When we were kids. I was here one day. You and I were working on a school project and she made it for us. I’d never had French toast like that before and asked her how it was done.”
“I don’t remember that.” He thought he remembered all his time with her. Maybe it was more about feelings and not actions. They worked on school projects a lot together.
“I helped her clean up while you were finishing homework.”
“Oh. Let’s see if it tastes just like my mother’s.”
She gave his arm a little nudge with her hand. “That’s not nice. I’m not sure I can do that and I don’t want to let you down.”
He felt like shit hearing that.
She might have been trying to joke, but last night she’d told him she’d lived her life in self-doubt. He’d seen the nervousness in her eyes when he moved off to undress too. As if she feared she’d done something to upset him.
“I’m only joking. I’m sorry.”
Her smile dropped. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Try to guard everything you say to me. You didn’t before so don’t now. I don’t want to worry about that.”
He inhaled until his chest filled. “I don’t want to do or say anything to hurt you.”
She turned and leaned on the counter while the bread was soaking in the mixture.
“Ford, life hurts. Trust me, I know. I’m not crazy enough to think I’ll never be hurt again.
I want you to be you. I want to be me. What we did last night was special, but I don’t want it to change anything between us either. ”
“It already changed,” he said. “Not in a bad way.”
She sighed. “I know.”
She turned back to breakfast, put butter in the pan and lit the stovetop.
He could tell she didn’t want to talk about it, and he wouldn’t push. He didn’t want to ruin the past twenty-four hours they’d had together.
“The outlets open at eleven,” he said. “We can get some lunch too. Unless you’ve got plans today.”
“No plans,” she said.
“My mother was outside when I came back and stopped me. She invited us to dinner later. My siblings will all be there. She said it’s been a while since we’ve all been together.”
“You should go,” she said.
“You’re invited too,” he said.
He wanted her to feel part of the family. He knew his mother felt that way about Reenie. She’d even commented on him leaving early this morning. She didn’t ask whose house he stayed at, Clay’s or Reenie’s. He hadn’t stayed at Clay’s in a week and his mother’s smirk gave him the answer.
“I’d love to go,” she said. She dropped the soggy bread in the pan. “I hope everyone else is okay that I’m there, since it’s family.”
He wanted to add she was family but wouldn’t.
Too soon.
“They will expect it,” he said.
It’s not as if his family weren’t aware that Reenie was under protection. That they were all watching out for her and on alert.
“On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“That we don’t talk about my problem. There isn’t anything new, right?”
“Not that I know of.”
Clay was still in contact with Grady. He was just glad she didn’t say her condition was that no one in their family know the two of them were together.
In his mind, what they had was a relationship.
An extension of what was started twenty years ago.
“Then we should have a family dinner without my drama in it.”
“I’ll pass that on,” he said.
He grabbed plates and put them on the table, then set a serving platter next to the stove as she flipped the bread.
“Help yourself to more coffee.”
She refilled her cup and then grabbed creamer out of the fridge. He snagged a mug hanging on a hook under the cabinet and did the same.
“Can we talk about last night?”
Her shoulders tensed. “What about it?”
“I want to make sure you know that what we did, I don’t take lightly.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that I hope you’re not also. I’m a faithful man.”
One that struggled to find anyone that would put up with his job and loyalty to his family.
His ex had issues with the time he spent at his job, but being newly elected sheriff, he had to put more work in. He owed it to his community.
When his father had his accident, his family took up the other time and Carey was soon out the door.
He had done little more than date someone a few weeks here and there since.
“I never thought otherwise,” she said. “I wouldn’t cheat. I’m barely leaving this property.”
“That isn’t what I meant.” She put three finished pieces on a plate and then made three more.
“What did you mean?” She picked the plate up and handed it to him. “Go eat while it’s warm.”
“I’m waiting.” It’s how he was raised. You didn’t eat until everyone was at the table. “I mean that what we have, this isn’t a fling or a passing thought. You said you don’t want to leave. You told me that the first day, right?”
“Yes.”
He was looking into her eyes and all he saw in the deep brown depth was the truth to that word.
“So it means what we have is a relationship. Last night wouldn’t have happened if I thought you were going to take off on me.”
He hoped that was the case. He’d hate to think he was so weak that he would have given in to her.
“I don’t want to leave,” she said.
But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be forced to and he knew enough to drop it before either of them said something that hurt.
He was positive it would be him with the bruised heart.