Page 18 of Until Kendal

When I opened them and stared into Joel’s blue hues, he asked like he was completely fine, “Like a psychologist?”

I somehow hadn’t broken my champagne flute. I sipped it, and once I was sure I could speak, I said, “More like a therapist. Talking is a great tool to deal with pain.”

He leaned against the edge like it was an ordinary wall. I reached for his shoulder to anchor him.

"Have you ever seen one?” he asked.

Without thinking, I said, “A long time ago. Court-ordered as a teenager.”

I drank the rest of my flute in one gulp then, not that there was much left. Talking about myself never worked out well, which was why avoided the conversations.

“You were in trouble then?” he asked.

My skin buzzed, and I nodded. “Yeah. A friend of mine was almost killed, and she moved away, but I was triggered pretty bad. The therapist helped me talk through my feelings.”

He massaged my elbow, and my hairs stood on ends.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” he said.

My face heated. and I swallowed. “She’s married with children now and happy, so it worked out fine.”

“Good,” he said then finished his glass.

I handed him my flute, and he poured us both a second glass. Butterflies rushed in my body, but when he handed me my glass back, I asked, “How come you’re such a good listener?”

He glanced down, and my toes rocked from his attention. “We’re getting to know each other.”

I rubbed the back of my neck and released my hold on him. He seemed steady and at ease, so I turned to face the clouds. The hills truly rolled here, and they weren’t just in the way. I blinked and let the serenity calm me. “Are you in the habit of saving all damsels in distress you meet?”

He finished his sip and folded his hands over each other, clearly not afraid of any wind. “No, I like taking care of people like my family, but I don’t make it a habit with people I don’t know. It would be bad for business.”

I sipped. “Soon, you’ll finish why you’re in Murfreesboro and be on your way without my interrupting your plans.”

He scooted closer, and our shoulders brushed. “You’re not an interruption. I checked on the address of my business, and all is well, so I can take my time. I like being with you.”

“I like you too.” I finished my second, and last, champagne.

I’d never told anyone about the therapist idea in my life. It was his own honesty that got mine. And heaven help me, but I wanted to spend more time with Joel. He was everything I’d ever wanted.

ChapterEleven

Kendal

The landing was soft. I glanced around. We weren’t where we'd started. However, I didn’t question anything. I knew that for today, I was safe. Soon, I would need to make fast decisions, but Joel had given me a mini vacation from my problems.

So we walked the balloon grounds to the exit, and I locked arms with him as I asked, “Where are we?”

“Nashville. We’ll head back soon.”

He let me go through the turnstile exit first, and I watched him twist his muscles to squeeze through.

My heart shifted. “How? The car is still in Franklin.”

He directed me toward the street, where a black limo and a driver in a gray uniform waited. “I had it picked up, and this is our ride.”

I shook my head and jumped in. “I’ll trust you, but you don’t need to impress me this much.”

He followed me, and I quickly lowered my ass into my seat so he wouldn't get a view.

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