Page 58 of Forbidden Flame

Cole parked, got out of the truck, and came around to open the door. “You look beautiful.”

My face flushed. “Thank you.”

He wore a T-shirt stretched taut across his muscles with jeans and boots. His hair was slightly damp as if he’d just showered. It sure felt like a date.

I climbed inside, trying to quell my nerves as he rounded the hood and slid into the driver’s seat. “The stars are beautiful tonight. It’s too bad Izzy couldn’t come.”

“Dad takes her once a month so I have a chance to go out with friends.” I wasn’t sure why I’d added that because I hadn’t seen the girls in while. They were wrapped up in their significant others, and it hurt too much to hear how happy they were.

“Maybe we can bring Izzy another time.”

It warmed my heart that he wanted to include Izzy. “Is it smart for us to spend more time together?”

He glanced over at me. “How do you feel when you’re with me?”

“It feels right,” I said the first thing that came to mind. I loved being with him. When we forgot about our situation, our families, and every reason why we shouldn’t be together, it was great.

He reached over to cover my hand with his, his thumb moved over the back of my hand, sending goosebumps racing across my skin. “Then that’s all that matters.”

My lips twitched. “So we should forget about our families?”

Cole nodded. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

I wanted nothing more than to push everything else aside. I’d missed him.

“How’s Izzy doing on her bike?”

“She stopped riding.”

“What? Why?” Cole looked over at me with concern on his face.

“I don’t know. She just lost interest.”

“Hmm.”

“Kids lose interest in things. It happens. And she doesn’t have an older brother, or neighbors that would push her to ride with them. It’s just us.”

“That’s too bad. Every kid should learn how to ride a bike,” he said as he drove toward the Monroe farm. “I felt bad because I thought I’d missed the moment she rode without training wheels.”

I shook my head. “You haven’t missed anything. The wheels are still on.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. It was the only indication that he was upset. “It was hard to keep my distance the last few weeks.”

“There’s too many reasons why we won’t work.” And not enough pointing in the direction of us having a future.

He was quiet as he took the lane past his house and to the pond where the wedding had taken place in February. He backed up so that the rear of the truck faced the water.

We got out and met at the rear bumper. He pulled down the tailgate. The bed was covered with blankets and there was even a basket in the corner.

Cole got in first and reached down to give me a hand.

“I didn’t realize this was what you had in mind,” I said as I stepped up.

“You’ve never been stargazing in the back of some guy’s truck?”

I chuckled. “None of the boys I dated in high school took me to see the stars. This feels like you’re wooing me. Is that what you’re doing?”

“Something like that.” He reached for me, and I lay down next to him, our heads on the pillows.

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