Page 80 of Stick Side
“Just one second,” he said as he released her and stepped away to do whatever it was he needed to do under cover of darkness.
Her body gave an involuntary shudder as he moved away from her. She was surprised by how keenly she felt the loss of him. It wasn’t just the way the chill was now able to get to her without the comforting warmth of his body shielding her from the worst of it. It was the way his whole body had enveloped hers, making her feel safe and cared for. The chilly night air, which she knew wasn’t really that frigid, felt all the more harsh by comparison.
She would keep her eyes closed, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t use her other senses to help clue her in to whatever he was up to. She cocked an ear and strove to catalogue his actions by sound.
The click of the door opening and closing was obvious, but the rest was harder to discern. The farther he moved away from her, the more whatever sounds he was making were drowned out by the soundtrack of nature. Her only auditory constant was the steady breeze, the gentle crinkle of leaves, and the occasional bird sound.
Ben wasn’t gone for long, but by the time she heard the door reopen, she’d started to shuffle from foot to foot. Her movement was as much to stave off the chill as it was to provide an outlet for her growing curiosity.
“Okay,” Ben said as he interwove his warm fingers with her chilly ones. “You can open your eyes now.”
Chapter 42
Ben
Bencouldn’trememberthelast time he’d felt this nervous. He’d never been more sure of anything in his life than he was of him and Melody. He knew she was the woman for him with a certainty that was unquestionable, but people only got one shot at some things, and he wanted to get this one right.
The light, floral scent of roses filled his nostrils as he held the door open for Melody and guided her through the doorway and into one of the hidden gems of his childhood home. He kept his eyes trained on her face to better catch her reaction.
Melody gasped when she caught sight of the space before her. She surveyed the room in an obvious attempt to take in the sights in front of her before spinning around to pin him with a look filled with wonderment.
“When did you have time to do all of this?” she asked in a soft, awe-filled voice.
Seemingly unable to resist a closer look, Melody spun back around to further explore their environment.
Ben smiled as Melody took it all in. As he watched her, he tried to see the space as she might.
Rows upon rows of the most fragrant roses flanked both the right and left sides of the modest-sized greenhouse. Strings of garden lights hugged the walls, casting a soft glow over the space. A flagstone path ran down the center of the building, creating an inviting trail that led to a seating area at the back.
A cozy couch hugged the far wall, but before it lay a stretch of floor just sizable enough to accommodate a large blanket. He wasn’t sure if it was something one could see, but the chenille knit was soft and smooth to the touch. Either way, he was pleased to note it looked as plush and inviting as he’d hoped it would. Melody wouldn’t be able to see it, but he’d laid a sleeping pad down beneath the blanket for added comfort.
The makeshift mat was unoccupied save for a wicker basket he’d placed on the periphery. A half dozen lanterns sat around the perimeter of the rug, casting the area in the soft, flickering glow of candlelight. As he’d hoped, it was a romantic scene that was just begging for occupancy.
Ben followed as Melody took slow, dreamy steps up the aisle. When she stopped just before the edge of the blanket, he closed the distance between them until her back pressed lightly against his chest. He smiled when she leaned back against him, as though increasing their contact was the most natural thing in the world. Soft instrumental music played from his cellphone, which he’d left beside the picnic basket when he’d left her outside to come in and light the candles.
“So, what do you think?” he whispered against her ear as he looped his arms around her in a hug. He laid gentle hands on her stomach and felt most gratified when she brought her hands up and placed them over top of his, anchoring them in place.
“I love it,” Melody affirmed, her voice a whisper.
When she craned her head back to offer him a sweet smile, he couldn’t help but place a gentle kiss on lips he now knew were just as soft and plush as he’d remembered.
“Shall we?” he asked as he slowly released his hold and gestured toward the blanket.
Melody bent down to remove her shoes before stepping onto the blanket, sinking down onto her knees, and settling herself comfortably. Ben toed off his shoes and joined her.
Melody’s breath caught when she glanced up. “The stars are so bright here,” she noted dreamily.
“They really are,” he agreed, as he took a moment to really see them, to let their beauty sink in in a way he hadn’t in years. “Unfortunately, there’s too much light pollution in most cities to see them clearly.”
“Can you recognize any of the constellations?” Melody asked. She was looking at the stars in such a fanciful way he couldn’t help but wish it was within his power to reach out and grab one for her so she might lay claim to it—much like the way she was slowly, but effortlessly, laying claim to the tender organ beating a steady tempo within his chest.
“I can recognize a few,” he admitted, shifting closer to her so their sight lines would be as similar as possible. He resisted the urge to massage the area above his heart and redirected his focus to their current topic of conversation. There would be time enough later to analyze all the ways he was falling for this stunning woman.
“Do you see that grouping of stars?” he continued, using his index finger as a pointer. “The two clusters of stars that look like spoons or ladles?”
“Yes!” she exclaimed happily. “Are those the Big and Little Dipper?”
“They are, yes,” he affirmed, pleased that she’d been able to spot them so easily. “I’m no astronomy buff, but I understand the Big and Little Dipper are star patterns within the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, respectively. Or the Great Bear and the Little Bear, if you prefer.” Ben returned hiseyes to hers. “Though why these constellations have two names, I couldn’t tell you.”
