Page 12 of Sweet Deal
His smile slipped. He shouldn’t have presumed she’d be free on a weekday, or any day for that matter. They really hadn’t gotten into personal details. For all he knew, she had a boyfriend. “Sorry, I forgot tomorrow’s a workday.”
“No. That’s fine, it’s just that I need to check on a family tomorrow. But I should be home late afternoon, if that’ll work for you?”
“Sounds perfect.” Oddly enough, it really did.
Chapter Six
Thankful that rural roads were pretty much empty outside of town, Rachel raced home. Her day had not gone as planned, but somehow that wasn’t unexpected. Sometimes the system simply didn’t work in favor of those who most needed it. For the Bensons, today had been one of those days. Shaking her head, she forced the case details aside.
She pressed a little harder on the accelerator. She was already running late to meet Jim. A small smile touched her lips despite the lingering tension from her visit. She was actually looking forward to this evening, to the playful banter, to simply forgetting about the real world for a couple of hours.
Turning onto the long gravel drive leading up to the Sweet Ranch house, she saw a truck stopping near the front porch. Had to be Jim. Perfect timing. Sliding her car beside his, she killed the engine and hopped out.
He leaned against his truck, looking effortlessly good in the new jeans and a simple gray t-shirt, his arms crossed. His gaze drifted down to where her car stopped less than a foot from his rear bumper. That easy grin fell into place. “Cutting it a little close there, Sweet?”
“Never.” She did her best to return the easy grin, but she was still too tied up in the day. “Give me five minutes to wash away the day’s dust.”
“Take ten.” His smile softening slightly, his blue eyes seemed to hold a hint of understanding. “I’ll wait right here. Can’t wait to see the look on your face when I beat you.”
“Keep dreaming, Henderson,” she shot back over her shoulder, hurrying inside.
True to her word, maybe seven minutes later, feeling slightly more human after washing the day’s grime and stress from her face, and tossing on a lightweight cotton sundress, she rejoined him on the porch, a little surprised her mother or siblings hadn’t noticed him waiting. At least this way they stood a better chance of a clean escape. “Okay, ready to face defeat?”
He chuckled, opening the passenger door of his truck for her. “After you.”
Settling in, she buckled up, taking note that the vehicle was in much better shape than the typical ranch truck.
“It’s Mom’s.”
Had he read her mind?
“Made me think, if I’m going to stick around for a bit, it might be good to buy four wheels that doesn’t smell inside like hay and horses.”
“Are you? Going to stick around?”
“Don’t know yet.”
She nodded. It was none of her business what he did with his life. Besides, her day had been long enough; she was not going to add something else to her growing list of real-life worries.
“You okay?”
Blinking, she realized he’d been talking, and her mind had been wandering anywhere but here. “Sorry. Just… processing the long day.”
“Tough one?” His voice was low, gentle, inviting confidence without demanding it.
Leaning her head back against the headrest, she sighed. “They’re all tough in their own way. Case management in a rural setting involves home visits. When I was in the city, if my case was out on the street smoking crack, then that’s where I went. Wherever I’m needed, that’s where I go.”
“Saving the world.” There was no teasing, no sarcasm—if anything, she thought she heard a note of pride in his voice.
“I wish.” She shook her head, not wanting to burden him with the details, and forced what she hoped was a convincing smile. “No more talk about my job. Tonight’s sole mission is watching me utterly destroy you at corn hole.”
He glanced at her again, a flicker of controlled amusement. “We’ll see about that.”
The deliberate shift worked. The knot in her chest eased slightly, replaced by the familiar spark of playful competition. He parked near the town’s bustling corn hole courts, the scent of grilled onions and popcorn drifting on the evening air. “By any chance, are you as hungry as I am?”
A deep laugh ruptured the evening air. “Of course, I am. Men are always hungry. Even if we’re not, we’re like dogs, put food in front of us and we’ll eat.”
Two minutes later they were seated on a nearby bench, and she devoured her hot dog as if she hadn’t eaten in a week. At one point, a drop of mustard lingered at the corner of Jim’s mouth and unable to resist, she reached up and swiped it away with her thumb, resisting the urge to lean in and kiss the remaining dollop away.
