It was getting late...real late.
Yet, wild horses couldn’t drag Joe away.
They’d spent the rest of the evening talking as they worked. Their conversation meandered from this to that. Nothing serious and some of it making them both laugh. The only serious parts were about the plans for the festival and the eventual revitalization of the town square. He honestly didn’t care what they discussed. He just liked listening to Piper’s sweet voice.
Now, as she paused the sewing machine to stretch and yawn, he knew he should go. He didn’t want to, but she needed some rest. He gathered the bunting material and supplies into a neat pile in the middle of the coffee table.
When Piper didn’t seem to notice his cleanup effort, he said, “Time to call it a night.”
Piper paused the sewing machine. “Not yet. I want to get just a little more done.”
He got to his feet, finding he had a few sore spots after sitting on the floor for hours. “You have an early morning coming up. You need your rest.”
As though she hadn’t heard a word, she started the sewing machine. He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He’d been wanting to touch her all evening. And now that he had, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to let go.
Immediately, the machine came to a stop. Her hand reached up and slid over his, sending his pulse racing. She switched off the sewing machine and stood. He should have moved, but his feet wouldn’t cooperate. When she turned to him, she was standing right in front of him, the perfect position for him to steal a kiss.
She tilted her chin up and stared deep into his eyes. “Thank you for this evening. You took a boring task and made it fun.”
“I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than right here with you.” It was the honest truth. She made his heart hammer with need. He tried to fight it, but he already knew it was a losing battle. Surely she could see the desire in his eyes, and yet, she didn’t turn away.
“I wanted to spend the evening with you, too.”
His heart collided with his ribs. Was that some sort of invitation for more? Or was it just hopeful thinking on his part?
They stood there for countless seconds. He kept second-guessing himself. He didn’t want to make any more mistakes where she was concerned. Should he kiss her? Was it what she was waiting for? He’d soon find out.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. She gazed up at him with a spark of interest reflected in her eyes. He didn’t need any further invitation. His mouth pressed to hers. To his surprise, her lips didn’t move beneath his although her generous curves remained pressed to him.
His gut reaction was to show her how she turned him on, but his brain still worked enough to warn him not to move too fast and scare her off. With a concerted effort, he moved slowly and deliberately, coaxing her to let down her guard and let him in. She could trust him. He’d do his best not to hurt her again.
Her hands slipped up over his shoulders and wrapped around his neck as their kiss deepened. He wondered if she had any idea of all the crazy things she was doing to his body. His heart was pounding so hard he wouldn’t be surprised if she could hear it.
What was it about her that got to him like no one else did? She made him want to believe in love again. With her in his arms, it was like she’d healed the cracks in his heart, making it whole once more.
He wanted more of her—all of her. But he knew he had no right to ask that of her. None at all.
But as she kissed him back with her hands moving up over his shoulders, she didn’t seem to want to stop this either. Was that possible? Did she want to see where this would lead them?
He didn’t know, but he sure hoped so.
The kiss went on and on, until he just couldn’t take it anymore. He had to know if she wanted more. If not, he had to stop here.
With every bit of willpower, he pulled back ever so slightly and rested his forehead against hers. His breathing was deep and unsteady. His heart was pounding like crazy. “Piper, do you want me to go?”
Both of her hands wrapped around the back of his neck. Her fingernails scraped up over his scalp, sending a cascade of delicious sensations rushing down his spine. Instead of words, her lips pressed to his. A moan swelled deep in his throat. Did she know the way she heated the blood in his veins, making every part of his body needy? Or was that her intent?
Just as quickly as she’d met him kiss for kiss, she pulled back. With her fingers still threaded through his hair, she gazed up into his eyes. “Is that answer enough for you?”
He smiled and nodded. Talking was most definitely overrated.
He scooped her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom. He had the feeling neither one of them was going to get much sleep tonight. And it would be so worth it.
♥♥♥
“Piper, did you hear me?”
With great effort, she dragged her gaze away from the window where Joe had just strolled by. “What did you say, Mom?”
Her mother glanced around as though to make sure no one was paying them the least bit of attention, and then she lowered her voice. “I was asking if you’d come up with some fantastic recipe for my cake. You know, if this goes well, you could possibly make the cake for your brother’s inaugural party.”
“Whoa, Mom. Are you jumping ahead? Mason hasn’t even entered the mayoral race.”
“He will. He’s just waiting for a strategic moment.”
“Oh, okay.” Piper’s gaze kept straying to the window, watching for Joe. They’d been having such an amazing time this past week. Who knew that making bunting could be so much fun?
Her mother expelled an exasperated sigh. “Is there a reason you’re barely paying attention to me?”
There Joe was again. He was carrying boxes from the back of a pickup to his store. She was itching to investigate as an excuse to talk to him because they’d both agreed to keep this wondrous new relationship low-key. They weren’t eager for people to jump to conclusions when neither of them was sure exactly what this thing was between them.
“Piper, honestly, where is your mind today?”
“Sorry. What were you saying?” She searched her memory. “Oh yes, the cake for the auction—”
“Shh...” Her mother glanced around at the couple of men who were at separate tables. Mr. Wilks was reading a newspaper, and the other gentleman was on his laptop. “This is supposed to be just between you and me.”
Piper stifled a laugh. Her mother was all about appearances, and it just wouldn’t do for the citizens of Whistle Stop to know that her mother could barely bake a box cake much less whip up a cake from scratch. And Piper wasn’t about to tell her mother that she wasn’t the only one to place a secret order for a cake for the auction.
“Quit worrying, Mom. I think your secret is safe.”
“I hope so. Well, tell me. What did you come up with?”
Piper had actually given the cake situation some thought. “I have two choices for you. Both are seasonal cakes, since this is Autumn Fest. How about a pumpkin cake with caramel cream cheese frosting?”
Her mother paused for a moment, as though considering the idea. “It’s okay. What is my other choice?”
“An apple rum cake.”
“Oh, now that sounds delightful—that is, if I ate sweets. But you know that I don’t.”
“Let me write this down so I don’t forget.” Piper looked around the front counter but couldn’t locate a pen. She turned and searched the back counter.
“I see your jeans are getting loose. That’s good.” When she turned around, her mother was smiling triumphantly. “I knew those supplements would help you.”
So did the daily runs each morning, as well as the Greek yogurt for breakfast, the salads for lunch, and the minuscule dinners. But according to her mother, her success was all due to the diet aid. Still, it was nice her mother had noticed. And it was certainly getting Joe’s attention, too, which gave her the incentive to stick with the restrictive regime, even though she missed her cupcakes like crazy.
Mind over matter. Mind over matter. And a total hottie for a reward.
“Mom, would you like the cake topped with some pecans and caramel?”
Her mother hesitated. “I suppose so. It’s a lot of calories, but not everyone worries about those things.”
Thank goodness. Even though Piper was dieting, she was nowhere near as serious about it as her mother. Which made Piper a little sad for her mother, as she didn’t understand the concept of moderation.
There went Joe past the window again. What was that man up to?
“Piper, are you listening to me?”
“Um, sure.” There he went back past the bakery.
Her mother turned to follow her line of vision. “Oh, so that’s who has you so distracted. Honestly, Piper, do you think a barista will make you happy?”
Piper focused her attention back on her mother. “He’s more than a barista. He owns the place. And, yes, I think he could make the right lady very happy.”
Very happy indeed. But was she the right lady? Was she brave enough to put her heart back on the line?
♥♥♥
This was the way every morning should be.
Joe held the door for Piper to exit Sam’s Hitchin’ Post, where they’d just grabbed a couple of energy drinks. This had been one of Joe’s favorite stops as a kid, as Sam used to always slip him a lollipop. And not just any old lollipop, but the kind with the bubble gum in the center. The memory had a smile pulling at Joe’s lips.
Piper glanced at him as she passed by him. “You’re smiling. What gives?”
He let go of the door and joined her on the sidewalk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh. Why do you have such a hard time admitting that you’re happy?”
“I do not.” Did he? He’d never really thought about it.
She nodded. “You were smiling the whole time you were in the store. I take it that it holds some good memories for you?”
There was no reason to deny it. “Yes, it does. We used to come into town every Saturday morning to shop. And my favorite stop was always Sam’s.”
“Did it have anything to do with this?” She held out a lollipop.
“How did you know?” Joe accepted the candy and tore off the red wrapper. He stuck it in his mouth, surprised to find that it tasted just as good as he remembered. So maybe he did have some good childhood memories.
“I didn’t know. It was Sam who insisted I give it to you.”
Joe glanced at her. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. But why are you thanking me?”
“For helping me remember the good parts of my childhood.”
She smiled and nodded. “What other good memories do you have?”
“When I was real young, my mother would take me to visit my aunt. My father would drive us into town, and we’d take the train.”
“Lucky you. I always wanted to ride on it, but my mother hated the train.”
“Not my mother. She was always in such a good mood when we went on it. Looking back now, I’m sure it was because she was getting away from my father. But as a little kid, I didn’t put those sorts of things together. I just knew that train trips made us both happy.”
“Would you go away for long?”
He shook his head. “Not long enough. Sometimes, I wished we could just keep going on that train and find another life, but my mother said my father would miss us too much. I wonder if she truly believed that, or if she was just too afraid to leave him.”
“At least she’s happy now.”
“I guess that’s something. It’s just all of those wasted years—”
“Don’t dwell on it. You can’t change the past. Think about the good times, like your visits to your aunt.”
“Too bad there weren’t more of them. My mother was always uptight on the way home. So I’d entertain myself with a coloring book or some such booklet that the train attendant would hand out to kids. I used to daydream about one day being a conductor.”
“Really?” Piper studied him for a moment.
“What? I could have done it.”
“I’m sure you could have. I’m just imagining you with a conductor’s hat. Yep, you’d still be just as cute.”
He glanced away, not used to such compliments. “What can I say? I was just a little kid.”
“I think it was a great dream. You know, it’s not too late to become a conductor. And when they reopen the depot here in town, you can work close to home.”
He shook his head. “I’ve got a new dream.”
“And what’s that?”
“Starting a string of coffee shops. I had three of them in Albuquerque, but Denise got them in the divorce.”
“So Fill-It-Up Joe will be your flagship store?”
“Yes. I have everything invested in it. If it goes under, so do I.” He had absolutely no idea what he’d do if the business failed. Maybe he would have to reconsider the idea of becoming a railroad conductor after all.
“You’ll be a huge success.”
“How do you know?”
She stopped and turned to him. “Look at all of the challenges you’ve overcome in your life, and you are standing here stronger than ever. If you set your mind to opening a chain of coffee shops, you’ll do it. I just know it.”
Her faith in him meant a lot. “Thank you.”
“Any time you need a pep talk, I’m your girl.”
They started to walk again. When they paused at the intersection, Piper turned as if waiting to cross the street as they did each morning. But today he wasn’t ready for this conversation to end. It was really nice, and the company wasn’t so bad either.
“Do you have to go back yet?” He hoped this one time she would relent and return to work just a little bit later than normal.
She paused and looked at him. “What do you have in mind?”
He shrugged. “Nothing in particular. I’m just enjoying the company, and I’m not ready to see it end just yet.”
“Okay. But it can’t be long.”
He crossed his heart. “I promise.”
She turned his way, and they continued up the quiet street. He longed to reach out and take her hand in his, but he resisted. They’d agreed they would not display their relationship in public. Not yet.
The funny thing was that keeping their relationship under wraps was more her idea than his. But he couldn’t blame her. Her last breakup set tongues a-wagging for months. If they didn’t work out, he didn’t want to hurt her like that, so he played along with her request.
At this point, he would do anything to make her happy.