Page 5 of Dirty Secrets

As soon as I walk into the dining room, Nikki makes a low wolf whistle. “Damn, girl. You were hiding a cute little body under those heavy sweaters.”

“I get cold,” I shrug, grabbing my jacket and purse from the hallway table. “Do I look okay?”

Harper grins. “You’re always pretty, Jocelyn. But you have an extra sparkle tonight. Walker is going to lose his mind.”

“I don’t think any mind loss is necessary. I just want to… You know. Have a nice evening.”

“You will.” Nikki comes over to fluff my hair a bit more at the top. “I can’t believe we’re all getting together with Dirty boys.”

I hold up a hand and step back. “Whoa, whoa. I have no idea whether we’regetting togetheror not. It’s just a date.”

She gives Harper a knowing look. “Yeah, that’s what we thought too. But they seem to grow their men charming and persistent up in these mountains.”

There’s a tap at the door, and Harper runs to open it. Walker steps in and stares directly at me.

“Da-a-a-a-mn.” Somehow he stretches the word over five syllables.

“She’s all ready to go, have a great time.” Nikki’s hand presses firmly between my shoulder blades, hustling me to the doorway.

Walker smiles, taking my hand and leading me outside. When I turn, expecting to see his truck, I’m dazzled instead by a flash of red. It’s a gorgeous convertible, with the top down. I don’t know the first thing about cars, but it looks like it’s vintage, maybe...although completely restored.

Walker opens the door for me, and I see a soft gray blanket folded on the seat. He wraps it around my shoulders. “I thought you might like a little cruise around town. If it’s too chilly, we can put the top up. Then later we can get dinner anywhere you like.”

“Sounds perfect.” Once again, he knows exactly how to put me at ease before we’re face to face over a dinner table and I might feel any pressure.

We drive in a large rambling circle around town, and he points out various beautiful big old houses as he regales me with stories about the people who live there.

We pause at a corner, and he squints to peer across the field. All I see are tons of wildflowers. “Are you a huge fan of echinacea and purple loosestrife?” I ask with a smile.

“No. I heard something about orange garlic mustard being invasive, and that we’re supposed to keep an eye out for where they’re growing.”

Reaching into my purse, I take a note on my phone. “Interesting. Where did you hear that?”

“Some of the older guys were chatting at Corina’s Coffee. They heard someone talking about it, but they didn’t quite believe it because they hadn’t seen it for themselves.”

The “invasive” orange garlic mustard is one of the rumors we tried to start when we first arrived in Old Hemlock Valley. I feel terrible for not coming clean and telling him the truth. Maybe I should, once we’ve had dinner?

Walker drives to a side road that is little more than a path. He glances over to see my eyes wide with surprise. “You’re not going to take this fancy car down that rough road?” I ask.

His rumbling chuckle sends prickles of desire through me. I’m already addicted to the way he stares so deeply into my eyes.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” He reaches out to pat my knee. “This is one ofmycars, done my own way. Every vehicle I own has racing suspension, specially selected tires, and a boosted engine. I consider the factory settings just a serving suggestion.”

“Good to know.”

He drives to a beautiful lookout that showcases the mountain, the trees, and the first streaks of sunset. It’s super romantic, and causes those lower belly flutters to start up again.

He parks, then turns to me sheepishly. “Please don’t think I’m taking you to a makeout spot before we’ve even had dinner. I just wanted you to see the beginning of sunset from here. Then, after dinner, we could go to a spot on the other side of the valley if you like.”

“To compare and contrast sunset angles?” I love the way he makes me smile so easily. “I appreciate how thorough you are with lighting observation.”

He reaches out to squeeze my hand gently. “I think you’re going to find out that I’m a very thorough guy.”

We unbuckle our seatbelts to face each other, and even though the top is still down, I suddenly notice the close proximity of this car. He’s such a big guy, with layers of muscles on his huge sturdy frame.

He seems… Warm. Sturdy. Capable, and settled, and real… All of the things I’ve never felt about myself. Things I’ve always thought were beyond my reach. Things that make my stomach flip while watching romantic movies.

“Hey.” His deep, raspy voice is barely a whisper, which is wildly sexy. “You’re a million miles away. Are you hungry?”

---