Page 15 of His Last Shot
“I’m going to follow you to the highway to make sure you at least get that far safely. You can’t tell me no.”
I chuckle. “Okay. Thank you. And I’m so sorry.” But I’m not remorseful.It’s regret.
“No need to apologize. I had a very unexpected but lovely evening. Drive safely, Rachel.” He shuts the door, then steps away, walking backward toward his truck, but not before making a signal with his hand for me to roll down my window. I do.
“You know what? I suddenly have a desire to join a pool league. Looks like we are going to be seeing more of each other, after all.”
He winks. He freaking winks. Then he slithers into his truck, leaving me gobsmacked.
What a little stinker.
As I pull out onto the road with his truck lights behind me, giddiness fills my heart at the thought of seeing him again. Soon. Plus, I can’t erase an image from my head.
His face lit up when he said it.
4
So What You’re Saying Is … Be Careful
Johnny
“Welcome to Starbucks. How can I help you?”
“Yes, I would like a grande dark roast, black. And a venti hot white mocha, with blonde espresso oat milk, vanilla sweet cream cold foam, and caramel drizzle.”
One thing is for certain, I need a huge sugary coffee this morning to wake myself up. By the time I got home from one of the best nights of my life, it was almost four am. I’m running on an hour and a half of sleep, so I’m hoping this coffee, with the bonus of all the added sugar, will do what it’s supposed to do.
Last night was amazing. I never thought, in a million years, that I would meet someone randomly at a bar and that she would be fifteen years younger than me. Not that age matters. It doesn’t. But for whatever reason, it does to her, so I need to proceed with caution. I want her to recognize me as the stand-up guy I am. Which is why, after her freak out, I made sure she was comfortable. I wanted to send the message that her withdrawing her consent was fine.
It’s always fine.
A goofy grin spreads across my face while I wait at this drive-through, tapping my fingers to the radio at the thought of running into her. Granted, Dexter’s is clear across town. It’s not remotely close. There are plenty of bars and poolhalls near me I can frequent. But for starters, I am not a bar guy. Not anymore, anyway. Also, when it comes to the game of pool, I am an introvert. Shooting around in the solace of my garage, alone with my thoughts and my music, is where I thrive.
But now, I have every reason to drive forty-five minutes across town to play. And probably join a God-forsaken pool league. All to win over the tall brunette with the most captivating eyes.
Though I’d only slept for ninety minutes, the haunting memory of those eyes lingered in my dreams.
Last night, being with her felt as effortless and natural as breathing. I could tell she felt it as well.
With steaming coffees in hand, I drive to the job site, her face still vivid in my mind, the aroma of dark roast filling the car. Concern seizes my heart, mirroring my feelings from last night. The cold air made me anxious about how it was affecting her joints. I don’t know enough about RA, but I know that when you have arthritis, cold temps can make them stiff. So, when I held onto her hands, and the chill reached my fingers, I did the only thing I could think of. I blew on them to warm them up.
That simple gesture was possibly one of the single best moments of my life.
Then we kissed. It was featherlight and brief. Our lips met in a fleeting, barely there brush of our lips, yet somehow, it was the best kiss I've ever experienced. How that is even possible, no clue.
Her bolting right after just reaffirms my suspicions that she has some pretty thick walls built up. But I need to know her story. My gut tells me that there is more to everything. Her uncle, the ex-boyfriend, her RA. All of it.
So, for now, I will respect the boundaries that she has put up, never pressuring her into doing or saying anything that might make her uneasy.
But I will make darn sure she doesn’t forget me.
My truck tires crunch along the gravel as I pull into the makeshift driveway that leads to the apartment complex our construction company is building.
I need to talk to Scott about all of this. He’s my go-to guy for everything. Somehow, after working together every day for over a decade, we haven’t killed each other.
I park right next to him, resting my head against the car seat back. Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to shake off the pure exhaustion coursing through my body.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in …
