Kelly wasn't totally sure what had just happened, but she was pretty sure she was sprawled on top of the most handsome man she'd ever seen outside of a magazine cover. The chest beneath her was rock solid and broad as a barn.
"You all right?"
Oh, brother. The rough baritone voice seriously matched the steel gray eyes and dimpled chin. She'd been knocked into Adonis. Her mouth totally dry, all she could manage was a nod.
Strong hands gently glided up and down her arms. "You're sure?"
Grabbing her mind and clearing her throat, Kelly blurted out, "Yes, and you?"
"I've been through worse."
She couldn't imagine what could possibly be worse than getting knocked on your butt by a couple of two-hundred-pound bulldozers. Not sure which way to turn but positive she needed to give this guy back his chest, she gingerly shifted to her right and slid onto the sidewalk.
More rattled than she realized, she opted for sitting a few more seconds to catch her breath. Mr. Adonis sat up easily, reached out, then quickly withdrawing his arms, continued, "You sure you didn't hit your head or something?"
She wasn't sure of anything, but she nodded anyway. "I'm fine, just got the wind knocked out of me." The way he nodded back at her, she was pretty sure he thought she meant by the dogs and not by the sight of him.
A crowd had begun to gather, and Kelly decided she was a big girl and standing up was definitely in order. Not quite as sturdy on her feet as she would have liked to be, she was still proud of herself not only for standing but discovering she still held onto the dumb leash and the dog on the other end of it.
That's when she noticed both dogs. And the cat. The three sat quietly in a circle around them, tongues lolling, staring at her and Mr. Adonis. If she didn't know better, she'd almost say they were smiling at her. Or maybe laughing at them. "Do you suppose these are two different dogs?"
"I was just thinking the same thing." Flashing a broad smile that only added to his already obvious good looks, the man held out his hand. "I'm Rick Lambert."
She accepted the hand. "Kelly Harrison."
Another handsome man came trotting up to them and reached for the leashes. Clearly, the best looking in the herd traveled in pairs. "I'm going to take these two bad boys and escort them and their owner home, make sure she's really okay. Save us a table, and I'll meet you inside shortly."
Squinting at the woman up the street, now standing but rubbing her temple, Rick nodded. "Take your time."
If this were any of the men she ran across in day to day life, Kelly would have thought it was just a guy with his wingman hitting on a girl. But she got the feeling these guys were all business. Serious business.
"I'll turn my phone on in case you need anything," Rick said to his friend.
"Thanks." The guy gave a brief nod she almost missed.
Handing off the dog, she looked around for Evelyn.
"Expecting someone?" Rick asked.
"My friend was picking out some souvenirs across the street. I'm supposed to be saving us a table."
"Maybe you should have that looked at." The same concerned look he'd shot the woman up the street fell on Kelly, and she realized she was rubbing her wrist.
"It's probably nothing. The leash just yanked on me a bit." She held up her slightly pink hand. "See, no swelling."
"Hmm," he muttered. "Since we've both been tasked with saving tables, we'd better get to it." Rick extended his elbow to her, and Kelly had to admit, the old-fashioned gesture was very fitting for the old-fashioned town.
Too bad she didn't get knocked off her feet by stampeding dogs more often.
***
Rick's mind scrambled for a good excuse to extend his time with Kelly. He didn't know a blessed thing about her other than she was tough, pretty, and something about simply standing beside her made him feel…happy. Made no sense at all, but some things in life were just meant to be enjoyed, not dissected.
A waitress appeared in front of them, cradling menus. "Looks like you two get the last open table."
Some days, fate simply worked overtime to make up for when it had screwed a person over. Today was one of those days. First a beautiful blonde literally landed in his arms, and now he had a legitimate excuse to spend more time with her. "Do you think your friend would mind if the four of us shared the last table?"
"Not at all." Kelly smiled up at him.
Fate was really making up for things today. Not only was she not running away from him screaming after their unconventional encounter, the waitress led them to a table in a quiet far corner. Perfect. Next time things went to hell in a handbasket, he would remember not to complain too much.
Menus in hand and with the waitress' promise to return with water and to take their orders, Kelly looked up at him. "Do you think your friend will be long?"
"Maybe." He knew what she was thinking. Normally he'd think the same thing. Kenny had a way with the ladies, but Rick knew what was really on her mind. "Depends on the woman. The way she was rubbing her temple tells me she hit her head when she bounced off the sidewalk. Kenny no doubt noticed too and wants to err on the side of caution. If there's someone to watch over her at home, he probably won't be long."
"And if there isn't?"
"He'll stay until he's sure she doesn't have a more serious head injury."
"Is he a doctor or something?"
"Or something." Now wasn't the time to explain his and Kenny's background. Though there was always a medic on the team, each and every one of them knew the signs of a buddy in trouble and each and every one of them knew a simple bump on the head could go south fast "How's the wrist?"
She held up her arm. The red was mostly gone. "Looking much better. Doesn't sting anymore either."
"Good." He had a list of questions he wanted to ask from what her favorite color was to did she have any plans for the rest of her life. He'd start with the obvious. "What brings you to town?"
"Someone on the vista point recommended it to us."
"Same here. A nice lady and her friends."
"Yes." Kelly bobbed her head, a tiny smile teasing one side of her mouth. "They're a singing group. Becoming very popular according to my friend Evelyn. Where were you heading?"
"No place in particular. Just unplugging for the weekend."
"Same here," she repeated, bright-eyed at the coincidence.
"Looks like we already have a few things in common."
Kelly's smile grew a little wider, and her eyes gleamed with delight, making him want to say something else that would keep her smiling.
Setting four glasses of water in front of them, the waitress flashed a welcoming grin, leaned back, and looked to Kelly. "So what will we have today?"
"I'll have the special of the day and extra butter for the bread."
"Got it. Salad dressing?"
"Do you have blue cheese?"
"Yes, ma'am. Soup?"
"French onion, please."
The waitress nodded. "And to drink?"
"Iced tea, please. Sweet."
The waitress shifted her attention to Rick.
"I'll have the same." Most of the women he'd had occasion to share a meal with drank diet colas, skipped the soup and bread, never mind any butter, and had the salad dressing, something low calorie, on the side. This was a nice change, being able to enjoy lunch with someone who liked what he liked.
A tall brunette came rushing down the aisle and almost plowed into the departing waitress. "Oh, my lord. Towing the Line is giving an impromptu concert in that beautiful gazebo bandstand thing in the park." The woman was practically hyperventilating. "Want to join me?"
Kelly shook her head. "We just ordered."
Only now did the friend seem to notice him. Briefly, her brows shot up high on her forehead before she must have determined his presence at her friend's table wasn't nearly as important as the upcoming concert. "Okay. Order me a cheeseburger to go, and I'll eat it later." She spun around and squealed, "This is so exciting."
Kelly chuckled at her friend’s departing back, and Rick decided her smile was as beautiful as the rest of her.
"Not a fan of the band?" he asked.
"What I heard was very good, but I'm hungry."
By the time the meal arrived, they'd continued uncovering commonalities. While he lived in Maryland and she lived in Virginia, they were both commuting distance to where they worked in DC—about five blocks apart. A minor detail that filled him with hope. He'd also managed to uncover her favorite color was green, she liked both cats and dogs, though not so much Great Danes at the moment, she loved discovering new places, Chinese food, slow dancing, and playing cards on a rainy day.
If she mentioned anything about football, he might get down on bended knee now and spend the next fifty years or so getting to learn about the rest of her.