Page 33 of Homecoming

“No,” he said finally. “I had a girl I saw occasionally. She was in the Army as well, but we weren’t committed or anything.”

She gave him a considering look. “You seem a little disconnected from people,” she murmured.

Owen’s jaw hardened as he looked out the windshield. “I wasn’t always this way, but life has a way of changing you.”

“Granted.”

She reached for his left hand, angling his knuckles up. “I know you didn’t do this doing flowers.”

“No,” he said, his fingers tightening on hers. “Frozen hydraulic hose fitting.”

Before she could think better of it, she lifted his knuckles to her mouth for a gentle kiss, then she let his hand go.

They sat for a few moments, just enjoying the warmth of the car.

“I want to kiss you again,” he said, his voice even deeper and rougher than normal.

Grace grinned and glanced at him sideways. “Okay. I’ll let you.”

One side of his mouth tipped up, and he turned his head toward her. “I’m rusty.”

Her smile spread. “I think I can get you back into shape.”

Before she could say anything else, Owen had turned toward her more fully, cupped her jaw and leaned in for a kiss. There was no hesitation this time, no fumbling, and Grace melted into him. He tasted of peppermint, like toothpaste, but something a little more earthy, too. Energy snapped through her as his masculine scent enveloped her, and she lost all awareness of what was going on around her. It was like on the street yesterday. She hadn’t thought about anyone seeing her or themtogether, and she wasn’t sure she would have cared if they had. Owen was the most handsome man Grace had ever encountered, and she felt a little out of her depth with him. She couldn’t deny him, though. It never even entered her mind.

He drew back a little, looking down into her eyes. It should have been too close, but it somehow wasn’t. They were sharing breath in the small car, and if she wasn’t in the middle of a job, she would drive him back to her apartment for more than a kiss. It didn’t help that she was emotional because of the wedding today.

“Anybody can see us here,” he murmured.

“I don’t care,” she said, lifting her chin.

Immediately, he took her mouth again, and cupped her neck in his hands as he learned what she liked. Grace felt like she was in the middle of a tempest, but there was no way she was going to stop it. He kissed better than anyone else she’d ever been with, with his whole concentration. And he didn’t rush. With some guys, it seemed like the kissing was something they had to get through to get to the good parts. Owen took his time, moving from side to side and changing the angle as he learned what she liked.

Grace jumped when there was a knock on the window.

Owen jerked back immediately, leaving Grace reeling. She blinked at him, hard, and realized he was having just as much trouble coming back as she was. They’d been lost in each other, completely oblivious to everything around them.

Grace cleared her throat and turned back toward the steering wheel, then reached for the automatic window controls. As the cold air rolled in, Sheriff Hayes leaned down to look inside the car.

“Grace,” he said, then looked across at Owen. “Mr. Black.”

“Walker,” Grace said, and she could hear the quiver in her own voice. “Can I help you?”

“I was wondering if I could help you, actually,” he said, eyes narrowing under the brim of his hat.

“We’re waiting for a wedding,” Grace said, then cringed. That sounded like they were just waiting for a random wedding party to wander by through the snow, not necking in the car like teenagers.

“That’s right. Little Mallory is getting married. My daughter told me about it. Are you going to the wedding, Mr. Black?”

Owen cleared his throat. “No. I’m just helping Grace out today.”

“Hm,” he said, and Grace sighed internally. It was no secret that the sheriff was interested in her. He’d asked her out a couple of times, but she’d turned him down. The sheriff was a good guy, but she was not interested in pursuing anything with him.

“We’re going to get out of here and go get a coffee,” Grace said, filling the silence to try to cover her discomfort. “I will be parking here again, though, in a little bit.”

“I’ll let the shift know,” the sheriff said, then glanced between them again. “You folks have a merry Christmas.”

“You too, Sheriff,” Grace said. Owen didn’t say anything as the man turned and walked away.

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