Page 40 of A Chance at Forever
“You’re not prying.” Rusty rose to his feet and held down a hand to her. As he did before in West Bend, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. This time, though, he laid his palm against her neck for a moment. “Thanks for lunch. I have to head home. Papers to grade and lessons to plan. You know how it is.”
“I do. Same here.” They ambled off the dock and started toward their backyards.
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to stop by after football practice tomorrow to check on Bud.”
“Of course.”
“I could bring home dinner from Smith’s Diner?”
“A night I don’t have to cook? How could I refuse?” Victoria smiled and handed him a container of pulled pork and potato salad she’d prepared for him.
He grinned and leaned down. Victoria’s breath hitched in her throat, anticipating their first kiss. Her eyes never left his. Heat flared in his jewel-toned orbs, and she blushed. Her chest rose and fell. Rusty pressed his warm lips against her cheek.
“See you tomorrow, Tori.” He stepped away from her, turned, and strode toward his back porch. Outside his kitchen door, he paused and waved at her.
Victoria waved back. Once he was out of view, she touched her cheek, stunned by the effect his simple gesture of affection had on her. She stumbled up the steps and flung open her back door. She spied her cell phone on the kitchen table and called Jonica.
“Are you free? I need to talk to you.”
CHAPTER 12
Jonica called Mia,and thirty minutes later the friends curled up on the former’s comfortable sofa with cups of warm apple cider. They faced Victoria lounging in Danny’s big-man recliner and listened to her talk about spending Saturday and the past few hours with Rusty.
“And then he kissed me,” she ended in a melodramatic fashion. “On the cheek. It was perfect. So, now what do I do?”
“You don’t have to do anything,” Mia replied. “Enjoy being friends with him. Rusty’s been lonely for a long time. He’s a good man and deserves some happiness. The truth is, you’re perfect for each other.”
Victoria lowered her eyes. “No, I’m not perfect for anyone. What if Alan…you know…” She couldn’t bring herself to voice her worst fear out loud. And then her heart stopped, fluttered, and pounded in her chest. “Oh, dear God in heaven! Rusty knows Alan! The Broncos played the Jets! Both Rusty and Alan were drafted right out of college. If Rusty ever finds out, he won’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“You can’t live the rest of your life waiting for that shoe to drop,” Jonica pointed out. “And if Rusty bolts over it, should the worst happen, then he isn’t the man we believe him to be. Mia is right. Be friends and let Nature take its course.”
Mia left a couple of hours later to cook dinner for her family, and Victoria stayed and ate with Jonica and Danny. Without Bud to greet her when she stepped into the great room long after dusk, the house echoed with an oppressing silence. She delved into grading and tried not to think about her gorgeous neighbor and how his lips felt on her skin.
A little after seven the next morning, Victoria poured a glass of orange juice and buttered a slice of toast. She sat down at her kitchen table and reviewed her lesson plans for the day. As she jotted down a few modifications, Rusty knocked on her back door.
“Hi,” she greeted him and held open the door. The familiar scent of his aftershave assaulted her senses, and her traitorous heart beat faster.
He was dressed in black pants and a white shirt with a black tie. The emerald-green pullover he wore enhanced the unique color of his eyes. Tiny butterflies awakened and stirred in Victoria’s stomach.
“Good morning. Becca made banana bread before she left for New York, and I thought you’d like some of it.” Rusty thrust the loaf wrapped in tinfoil toward her. The aroma of the warm bread wafted between them.
“Sure beats my toast. Do you have time to have a piece with me?”
“Yeah.” He dropped into a kitchen chair.
Victoria sliced the bread and set a plate for each of them. “Coffee?”
“Already had my limit for the day, but I’ll take a glass of orange juice.”
They spoke with ease about school-related topics until Victoria gathered her things, and Rusty walked with her toward the front door.
“Look, I would offer you a ride to school, but I don’t think you would enjoy hanging around until after football practice.”
“Not particularly. But you’re sweet for considering it.”
Rusty’s gaze focused on her lips before he opened her car door, and she slid behind the wheel. “I’ll see you tonight. Anything particular you’d like from the diner?”
“My usual. Cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. Oh, and don’t forget extra patties for Bud. He’s going to need some pampering.”
