Page 42 of A Chance at Forever
Victoria cleared her throat and broke the connection between them. “Oh, well, I guess you’re flirting now. Sorry I invited it. Boundaries, Sinclair.”
Rusty laughed. “Good fences, and all that.” He glanced at his watch. “Time to say good night, Tori.” They rose from the kitchen table, and she followed him onto her back porch. “Thanks for a great evening.” Their eyes locked. “Uh, I know I took the liberty of kissing you on the cheek yesterday without asking, but do you object?”
Panic flashed in her eyes a moment before she shook her head. Rusty drew her close to him and pressed his mouth against her smooth skin. He lingered over it and wanted to possess her lips. If he tilted her chin a little to the left, their mouths would meet… No. He’d already broken his vow not to get involved with her.
Rusty lifted his head and smiled. “See you tomorrow at school.” He turned and started down the porch steps.
“Wait. I know you must be too tired to think about cooking for yourself after a long day of teaching and football practice. Why don’t you come here for dinner? It seems silly for us to eat alone.”
Her invitation caused his heart to vibrate with a strange, new yearning. “I’d like that. You’re so sweet to offer.” He reached out and palmed her face. “I’ll be here between six-thirty and seven.”
Victoria nodded and a sudden smile lit her features. “You’ll be my guinea pig. Good night, Coach.”
“I knew you had an ulterior motive. Can’t wait to see what culinary masterpieces you intend to try out on me.” He returned her smile and lifted his hand in farewell.
*
During the afternoonthe next day, Victoria held skit practice with her first group of drama students. The second class, consisting mainly of freshmen and sophomores, would take part in a Homecoming skit in a few weeks. The kids participating in the pep rally skit were trying, but they lacked precision in their timing. Since they needed more practice, she told them to make arrangements for staying after school the next day. Some of them wondered why she was making such a fuss over a five-minute skit, but Victoria knew she had to teach them a high level of professionalism, otherwise, they would never be ready for a Christmas production.
When Rusty hadn’t arrived for dinner by seven-fifteen that night, a terrible sinking sensation settled in the pit of Victoria’s stomach. Her hands grew cold and clammy. Rusty wasn’t coming. He’d decided to stand her up and didn’t have the decency to call or text to tell her he’d changed his mind.
Well, she would give him a piece of her mind if that were the case. As soon as Victoria reached for her cell phone, she heard Rusty’s footsteps on her back porch. Bud’s tail swished on the tiled floor. “Oh, stop it. I want to be mad at him.”
Rusty must have seen the fire in her eyes because he rushed out an apology. “Tori, I’m so sorry I’m late. Practice ran longer than I expected, and I didn’t want to show up smelling like the boys’ locker room. I had to take a shower.”
Indeed, he smelled fresh and clean and his wet hair clung to his head. Her fear and annoyance morphed into another more complicated feeling Victoria didn’t want to examine too closely.
He sniffed the aroma of fresh garlic and other spices wafting through the kitchen. “Oh, man, something smells… Lasagna! Jonica must have told you.”
“Told me what?” Victoria poured two glasses of iced tea and set them on the table.
“It’s my favorite Italian dish.”
“Nope. Never came up in any of our conversations.”
“You didn’t put anything weird in it, did you?” he asked, eyeing the lasagna suspiciously.
Victoria laughed as she filled a plate with a huge slice and two pieces of garlic bread. She set it in front of him. “I guess you’ll find out soon enough.”
After a couple of bites of the pasta, Rusty sat back in his chair and moaned in pleasure. “This is the best lasagna I’ve had in a long time. Homemade garlic bread, too. You’re an awesome cook, Tori.”
His compliment warmed her heart. “Thanks. Aside from playing music together, my mother and I used to spend hours in the kitchen trying out new recipes. We drove my father and brothers crazy with our concoctions.”
“Tell me more. She sounds like an amazing lady.”
“Okay. Well, one time…”
For the next couple of hours Victoria entertained Rusty with stories about her mother, and before she knew it, she found herself wrapped in his embrace in her kitchen as they bid each other good night. This time she didn’t wait for him to lean down and kiss her on the cheek. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his rough-stubbled jawline. His eyes widened at her boldness.
“Well, that was worth waiting for,” he murmured. “Sweet dreams, Tori.”
Sweet dreams, indeed!
*
Victoria called anend to skit rehearsal at four-thirty the following afternoon and perched on the edge of the stage as her students gathered around her.
“Well? How’d we do this time?” Troy asked.
