Page 55 of Heron's Flame

“To eat,” he laughed. “I’m starving, Babe, and I need food.”

“Steak or seafood?”

Heron didn’t hesitate to answer. “Steak, baked potato, and you for dessert.”

I swung a leg over and sat behind Heron as he started his bike. My arms slipped around his waist, and I watched the sun streaming past us in bold colors painted across the sky with the setting sun. We parked at his favorite restaurant and entered, enjoying our meal without any hurry.

He patted his stomach once we finished, pushing his plate aside. Nothing of his steak remained except for the T-bone. I helped him eat the loaded baked potato and enjoyed my shrimp scampi.

“Want anything else?”

“Ice cream,” I answered, already eagerly envisioning the massive cone I’d get once we left the restaurant.

Heron chuckled. “I’ve created a monster.”

“It is your fault,” I agreed. “You’re the one who took me for the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Now I’m spoiled.”

His gaze softened. “Good. It needs to happen more often.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

The sun had long set by the time Heron led me outdoors. We both gazed at the starry sky, noticing the first droplets of rain plop onto the thirsty ground.

“My hair,” I complained as the sky opened and the rain began to fall harder, sinking into our clothes.

Heron tugged me to the bike and reached for the helmet, plopping it on my head before my hair got too wet. There wasn’t anything to do about our clothes, and we both laughed as the water soaked into the material, puddles growing around us and reflecting the dark sky and moon above.

He patted the seat, and I sat behind him, shivering as the wet dress clung to my skin. The jean jacket felt too heavy the wetter it got, but I didn’t remove it. The wind would whip around us once we began to ride, and I knew the jacket added a layer of protection.

“Babe, I gotta get you someplace where we can wait out this storm.”

I didn’t think it was bad until thunder boomed too close for comfort. Lightning flashed to the right only a few seconds after the crack split the air. Nodding, I held onto Heron as he rolled the bike forward and merged onto the street. I didn’t know where he planned to go for shelter, but I didn’t think the ice cream shop was the best choice.

Turned out I was right.

Heron parked close to the entrance of a little convenience store and shut down the engine, hauling me toward the entrance as the rain fell in heavy sheets. I shivered as he tugged me under the awning and through the glass doors. “Fuck, Rebel. Let’s get you warm.”

“Do they have any blankets or coats?”

“Let’s find out.”

We strode up and down every aisle but didn’t find much in the way of warmer clothing. He managed to snag a lightweight blanket, but it wouldn’t do much with my wet clothes. I found a rack with women’s pajamas. There wasn’t a lot of variety, but I snagged a pair of lounge pants and a matching sweatshirt in shades of pink and gray.

“Nice. Let me pay for those, and you can change in the ladies’ room. We’ll just wait out the storm to leave.”

“Good idea.”

Heron paid for the clothes, and I walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind me to change. There were only two stalls, and I didn’t want any surprises. As I stripped, I found anew pair of socks and plain white slip-on athletic shoes. It wasn’t the most stylish thing I ever wore, but everything was clean, dry, and comfortable.

I folded the jean jacket, dress, and my other socks, placing my boots on top. My hair hung in wet strands around my face, and I hated that. Since I always kept a hair tie around my wrist, I decided to throw it into a messy bun as it dried. If I didn’t, it would drive me crazy.

I peeked out the door, and he smiled. “Everything okay?”

“Sure. The shoes are a little tight. But it’s okay.”

“No.” He strode forward, holding out his hand. “Hand them over.”

“Fine.” I slipped them off, and he took them. “Need anything else?”

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