Chapter Seven

Thursday evening could not come fast enough for Bridget. The entire day dragged at a snail’s pace. She couldn’t keep still and found herself flitting from one wall to the next, adjusting and filling and tweaking the displays.

After the third time she’d moved the collection of silk autumn leaves on the table holding an array of soaps, Gran smacked her hands on the checkout counter and said, “What is going on with you, Bridget? You are antsier than an eight-year-old on Halloween. Sit down and tell me why.”

She turned wide eyes toward Gran. Did she want to tell her about the date with Jack? Gran might decide to start naming grandkids or something and they hadn’t even gone out yet. There was a ton of room for things to go wrong between the two of them and she didn’t want to crush Gran’s daydreams.

“Stop right there.” Gran pointed at her with narrowed eyes. “I can see the wheels turning to come up with a cover story. It won’t work. Spill it, little girl.”

“How did you…?”

“You think after raising you, I don’t know when you’re trying to cover for something? Oh, please.”

A nervous laugh bubbled up from inside Bridget. “Okay, Gran.” She crossed over and sat on the second stool behind the counter. “I just didn’t want you to get too excited. Keep your expectations in check, all right?”

Gran fixed her with A Look. “I am seventy-three years old. I know what to expect of the world and how to keep my assumptions bound by reality.”

“I might have a date tonight.” She clasped her hands together. “I mean, not maybe. I do. Have a date. Tonight.”

The grin that spread across Gran’s face lit up the store despite the gloomy clouds outside. “That’s great! Why didn’t you want to say anything?”

“It’s new. A first date and I don’t even know if this will work out or not. I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“Are your hopes up?”

Bridget squirmed a little. She hated admitting to her feelings when it came to men. Things hadn’t worked out in the past so she never wanted anyone to know how invested she was or wasn’t in a relationship. She didn’t need fawning over when things inevitably went wrong. And yet… “Yes,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m optimistic.”

“So you like this boy?” Gran bumped her shoulder against Bridget’s.

She couldn’t stop her smile. “I do like him. Probably more than I should, given we haven’t gone out at all yet.” She was surprised Gran hadn’t asked who the date was with, but she’d be grateful for small favors.

“It’s okay to be excited. Even if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll enjoy the ride. There’s nothing wrong with savoring the little things in life and not being afraid to take a risk. Love is worth it. If you never venture into dating, you’ll never find anyone to spend your life with. And having a partner by your side makes life worthwhile. I miss your Gramps every single day, but I don’t regret a moment of our life.”

She hugged her grandmother tight. “I miss Gramps, too.” He’d passed about ten years ago and it still hurt not to see him each day. He’d been a great male role model for her growing up.

“So, you go on home. Get ready or just get out of my orbit. You are driving me batty with all of your pacing. I’ll close up the store today.”

“Are you sure? I’ll do better at keeping still. I don’t want to abandon you.”

She waved her away. “Go. Be excited at home and come back ready to tell me details tomorrow. No oversharing because there are still some things I’d rather not have painted in my head—”

“Gran!” she exclaimed and shook her head.

“Oh, stop it. I know what I got up to when I was your age. I’m not naïve. I just don’t need to know all about it. But I do want details about the date.”

“Okay. I’m going.” Bridget hopped up and grabbed her coat, scarf and purse. She pressed a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek. “See you tomorrow. Call me if you need me.” She made it all the way to the door before Gran called back out.

“Be sure to tell Jack I said I love the new business software when you go out with him tonight.”

She spun and sputtered at Gran. “How— Did you— Wha—”

Gran cackled. “I told you I know you. When you said you had a date, there was only one person who came to mind.” She winked. “That’s a fine-looking man you’ve got there. Make sure you take full advantage of the evening.”

Bridget choked on thin air and shook her head. “Good night, Gran.”

 

* * * *

 

The evening was chilly and the sky laden with heavy, gray clouds. The perfect October evening for a drive among the pine trees with a pretty girl. Jack almost skipped over to Bridget’s front porch. She answered the door and took his breath away. It wasn’t as if she’d dolled herself up for their date, but her hair fell in loose, lush curls around her shoulders. The cream of her cable knit sweater that fell to the tops of her thighs set off the green of her eyes and the leggings she wore clung to her legs and tapered into her knee-high brown boots. She looked like the best fantasy dream brought to life.

“Hey.” Hey? That was the best he could come up with? Hey? “You look beautiful.” There. That was marginally better.

“Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

She smiled and it was on the tip of his tongue to blurt out they should forget the drive-in and go make out on the couch instead. The lower half of his body fervently agreed with his train of thought. “W-we should go. Don’t want to miss the start of the movie. It looks like it might rain and it’s chilly, so I packed a blanket. The good news is that we won’t have to get out of the car.”

“I’ll grab a jacket and be right back. Come in and say hi to Candle. She’s on her tower surveying her kingdom.”

He laughed and walked over to pet the cat, who purred in appreciation.

Once they were in his truck and on the road, she asked, “Have you seen this movie before? I remember watching it as a kid. I loved the three witches. I wanted to be Winnie, but my sister always teased that I looked like Mary.”

“I have seen it. It was a fun movie and my nieces just discovered it last year. My sister was obsessed as a kid. It’ll be cool to see it on the big screen again.”

“I’ve never been to a drive-in. This will be my first.” She shot a smile in his direction.

His brain short-circuited over her words, interpreting them in the most sexual way possible. Damn, he needed to get his head out of the gutter. “My parents took us a couple of times as a kid. It’s a neat experience. I’m glad I get to escort you to your first drive-in.”

The truck wound through the curvy roads lined thick with firs that his headlights lit up. They joined the line of cars outside the field to get the tickets for the movie. He found a spot mid-way back from the screen and adjusted the radio to the frequency for the movie broadcast. As the opening scene played, a server knocked on their window to take orders for concessions. A large popcorn and two sodas later, they were comfortably enjoying the nineties teenaged angst playing out before them.

Bridget shivered after about ten minutes and he reached to pull out his blanket. He shook it out, stretched it across the bench seat then scooted closer to her. Bridget in turn did the same. Taking the bull by the horns, he draped his arm across the back and closed the small gap between them. As if she was meant to be there, Bridget nestled right into the crook of his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Warm enough?” he murmured.

“This is perfect,” she said with a small smile. A low rumble of thunder sounded as the clouds above briefly lit up deep within their thick depths.

His brain, and other parts of his anatomy, screamed at him to kiss her, but he didn’t want to rush things. He didn’t want to scare her off. The long game was what mattered here. If he sprinted too fast, too soon, it could cost him in the end.

Halfway through the movie, she peeked up at him and when he met her eyes, he couldn’t look away. Was he imagining the desire in those depths? She pressed into his side even more and the tip of her tongue licked across her lips.

He swore under his breath, leaned down and kissed her. The moment their lips met, he was done for. She matched his movements and his control snapped. With a strangled groan, he dipped his tongue into her mouth and stroked inside.

She reached up and slid her hands into his hair, holding him tight to her, and angled her body toward him. Jack gripped her hip with one hand and cupped her jaw with the other. Her skin was so soft as he traced the line of her jaw down her neck, and he wanted to follow the path of his fingertips with his lips. Instead, he contented himself with learning all the different nooks and dips of her mouth and seeing how he could elicit those little sighs she was making. He found if he rubbed his tongue along hers, she would hum. If he nipped her lower lip then soothed it with a little suck, she shivered and moaned into his mouth. The air around them grew heated and heavy and the windows fogged at the edges.

Bridget wiggled against him and pressed her breasts against his chest. He dug his fingers into her hip and tugged her to straddle his lap. This new position gave him better access to touch her the way he wanted. He tangled his hands in her hair, marveling at the silkiness. Then he caressed down to brush along her ribs, his thumbs learning the outer curve of her breasts. He forced himself to keep moving down, over the dip of her waist and flare of her hips. He squeezed at the softness there with a grunt of satisfaction.

Bridget responded by circling her hips against his as their mouths remained fused together.

His erection pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans and with each little rock of her hips, he hardened more. He arched up and was rewarded with a breathy moan from her.

She broke their kiss and rested her forehead against his as she ground down once more. “Oh, my God,” she whimpered and captured his mouth again.

Keeping one hand at her hips, he lifted the other to slip beneath her sweater to touch the warm skin of her belly. This girl was so damn near perfect, she might have him acting like a teenager and coming in his pants. He slid his palm up until he encountered the edge of her bra.

BOOM!

They both jumped hard at the loud crack of thunder, then the heavens unloaded from above. Rain dumped in heavy sheets, obscuring the view from the front windshield. Despite the fogged windows and their heavy make-out session as dead giveaways that they weren’t paying one iota of attention to the movie, they broke apart. With a sinking heart, he knew this would mean the movie would be suspended and everyone would head home. With a downpour like this, no one would be able to have a clear view of the picture.

Pushing her hair away from her face, Bridget laughed nervously. “I guess this means the drive-in is over?”

Cars around them rumbled to life and started pulling out of their parking spots. “Yeah, looks that way. Sorry.” He flashed a sheepish grin.

From her seat back on the passenger side of the truck bed, she reached out and laced her hand with his. “Don’t be. I’d say that beats any other first drive-in experience I could have imagined.”

And, just like that, his spirits danced to life again.