Page 31 of Inherited Light
As she rolled back toward me my heart contracted at the sight of her. The feeling was what told me I had jumped in with both feet without taking a breath, and it was a good thing Cinn wasn’t here to see this. I wanted nothing more than to lift her from the chair, lay her down on the floor and make her mine. Those were strong urges and I had better keep them in check.
She stopped in front of me and leaned forward, giving me a bird’s eye view down her dress. Right then I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her, but I didn’t know who else lurked in the area.
“Sorry about the interruption,” she said and I shook my head.
“Don’t apologize, Cat. This is your night and when someone is interested in purchasing your work, they come first.”
She smiled and winked at me. “They were the last ones of the night. I’ve already locked up, so no one else will be stopping in. I’m pleased to say tonight has been fruitful for me. If I factor in what I sold of my own work, and commission on a few others, I have enough to cover a new ramp, and to hopefully fix my van.”
I gave her a fist bump. “Awesome, sweetheart! The ramp can wait a bit now if the van needs work. Is there something wrong with it?”
“No, but I need to have some bodywork done on it if I want it to keep running without falling apart. Some of the rust spots need repair before winter.”
“Whew, I was worried it had broken down on you. Hey, did Cinn come by? I saw the drawings of our dogs and I wondered if she did, too.”
She grinned, her hands near her mouth. “She did, and she cried. I didn’t mean to make her cry, but she was thrilled to have a drawing of Poopsie and Brutus together. She gave me strict orders I have to bring it over tomorrow,” she said, laughing. “I’m going to give the one of all three dogs to your mom and dad. I also have a drawing of Anabelle alone, but I don’t have it done yet.”
I kissed her cheek and sat again. “They’ll love having all their granddogs on the wall. Thank you for taking the time to draw them for my family.”
She gazed off in the distance past my shoulder and I had to wave in front of her face to get her attention. Her eyes tracked back to me and she shook her head as if to clear it. “Sorry, zoned out for a second.”
She hadn’t zoned out. Something was bothering her tonight, and she didn’t want to tell me. I could feel the anxiety rolling off her even as she tried to act cool. “What’s wrong? And don’t tell me nothing.”
She groaned a little and then sighed. “Xavier stopped by tonight. He said he had been meaning to see the place, and noticed the lights on. He didn’t like it when I told him to leave.”
I pounded my fist into my palm. “I’ve always said he was trouble.”
She put her hand on my arm and shook her head a little. “He’s not trouble. I’ve made it clear the two of us won’t have a future together. He’s not happy about it, but he’ll just have to put his big boy boxers on and get over it. I’m not the woman for him. I may not be a woman for any man, but I know for damn sure I’m not the woman for him.”
She wheeled toward the back room, but I grabbed her chair and held it there. I leaned over the back and lowered my lips to her ear. “You have more to offer the right man than you can begin to imagine, but you’re right, Xavier isn’t the right man. I wouldn’t mind applying for the job, though.”
I let my lips drift toward her neck and I kissed her there, the scent of her filling my head. Her wildflowers brushed against my face as though we were in a field of them and she had her hand to my cheek. When she sighed, I kissed my way down to her collarbone, and then back toward her lips, taking enough time to draw out the passion and need spinning inside her. When I couldn’t take it any longer, I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her, upside down. What should have felt awkward, didn’t. It was an overwhelming feeling of being natural, as if we had done this for years, when I had only been kissing her for days. The feeling swept me up onto a plane of sheer joy as she breathed life into my soul again.
I held her face in my hands, let the kiss end, and my lips fall away from hers. “We should go,” I whispered, my gaze holding hers even though we were still upside down. “It’s getting late.”
She put her hand on mine and then nodded once. I kissed her forehead and let her go, so she could turn her chair around. “Let me grab my purse and keys. Are you going to meet me at my house?”
“Probably wisest unless you want me to be stranded at your place for the night.” I realized what I said after I said it, but I couldn’t take it back.
She straightened her backbone and held my eyes. “I wouldn’t mind having you there at all, but you should probably have your own car.”
She spun her chair toward the back room and rolled away, leaving me to wonder if she actually meant what she said or if she was simply spooked after seeing Xavier. It sounded genuine to me, but I didn’t want to blow the small chance I might have with her by getting too serious too soon. There is no way to rewind time and start over. Even as I reminded myself why it was smart to wait, I tugged my wallet out of my back pocket and opened it, checking for a condom. Then I remembered, I don’t carry condoms because I’m not into casual sex. I closed it and stuffed it back in my pocket, embarrassed I had checked to begin with. I’d better slow the libido down before I do something I’ll regret.
She rolled toward me and had her purse and keys on her lap. “Ready?” she asked, lowering the lights on the switches near the wall by the door. When she took her hand away only the emergency lights glowed while she unlocked the door. I held the door open with my back while she rolled through, then relocked it. I handed her the keys and she pointed at the van. “I’ll meet you at my house for some wine—” She stopped abruptly and my eyes followed hers. Her van listed to the right. “Damn, I think I have a flat.”
I held my hand out to halt her and approached the van, the flashlight on my phone focused on the back wheel. Sure enough, the tire resembled a pancake, flat. She would need a full replacement, which would require daylight. I jogged back to where she sat dejected. “Do you have a spare in the back? I’ll change it out for you.”
She shook her head. “No, because I can’t change a tire anyway. If I get a flat tire, I’m calling for help. I’ll have to deal with it tomorrow.”
Her demeanor changed immediately from happy and excited to scared and upset, which broke my heart. I took her face in my hand. “Hey, it’s just a flat tire, babe. It’s an easy fix. I’ll take you home tonight, and tomorrow I’ll pick you up and we’ll get it taken care of. No harm, no foul.”
She gazed up at me. “Maybe it’s no big deal to you, but what if you hadn’t been here? I’d be stranded. Besides, you have better things to do than shuttle me around.”
I shook my head, the expression on my face serious. “No, honey, I don’t. There’s nothing more important than making sure you’re safe. Maybe once we get it fixed we could go to lunch or visit the dog park.”
My suggestion made her smile and she nodded once. “I guess I don’t have a choice about the van, but thanks for being willing to help my handicapped butt out with getting it fixed,” she said, rolling toward my truck.
I grabbed the back of her chair and slowed her down over the rough gravel of the parking lot. If she hit a rock on her front caster, it could tip her right out of the chair. I noticed her van had a special spot which allowed her to roll directly onto the smooth sidewalk. It would be the only way for her to get in and out of her vehicle by herself in a lot covered in gravel. As I helped her, I planned how to address her statement about her handicapped butt once I had her in the truck. I stopped the chair next to the passenger side and unlocked the door.
