Chapter 9      

Staying out with Riley until almost four in the morning on their second date hadn’t seemed so late until she’d looked at an actual clock. And over the course of the next couple weeks, they continued to close down restaurants and stay out late.

Then there was the texting… She’d never imagined texting a man could be so fun. Or so hot. Not that it was sexting or anything even close. That wasn’t her. This was classic flirting, and it was magnetic and fun and it fired her up. The texting would start after he put Jess to bed at around eight. She was usually quilting around that time, but she’d set her materials down as soon as her text alert went off. They’d carry on texting back and forth for the next hour or so.

She liked the way he expressed himself, everything from the words and colloquial phrases he used to the emoticons he chose. He’d texted her a camel—a symbol of endurance, or so he said—to make her laugh after a particularly strenuous day at work, and once he’d insisted they carry on a whole conversation in emoticons to see which of them would crack first. Some experts said the biggest sex organ was the brain, and for Sadie, that certainly seemed to fit the bill. Riley made her think about things differently, see them differently, and she liked that. 

One night, after warning her that he was about to say something corny, he told her that she seemed to stop time for him. She’d immediately understood. He did the same for her.

And he didn’t just take her to the typical dinner and a movie type dates. He took her to see sculptures and art galleries and street art like the Wings mural in the Gulch, which had inspired her to add angel wings to her baby quilts, while she showed him a few magical coffee shops she’d discovered who featured local artists. Their taste in music might be different, but there were so many new places for them to explore together, even in a place called Music City.

When he arrived to pick her up for their date on a Friday evening, a month and worlds away from their first date, she noted his new sport coat with a smile. He’d confessed Jess insisted on dressing him for their dates, and she thought that was adorable. Having grown up without a father, she treasured the way he loved his daughter and she looked forward to the stories he told her about their adventures together.

“I like the green,” she said, fingering the sport coat. “It’s a good color on you.”

“I like the gold dress,” he said. “Honestly, it’s like I’ve hit a wall and I just can’t go on until I’ve kissed you. Like right now.”

She laughed as he closed her front door and fitted her body against his. “Aren’t you impetuous?”

“Starved is more like it,” he murmured against her lips. “God, Sadie, you drive me wild, what with the browns and golds and… You’re a goddess made flesh, and I want to devour you sometimes.”

She knew that and was trying to balance things physical between them. They’d done some serious kissing and caressing, but nothing more, and while she was itchy, she was struggling with the “more” parts. She might want him, but she didn’t feel ready for the next step. He seemed to know that.

She felt his chest rise. “Then kiss me,” she fired back.

He pressed his mouth to hers without any more discussion. The kiss was hot and luscious, and she felt as swept away as driftwood down a river.

“Oh, Riley,” she whispered, breaking their connection. Maybe he was starving, but her body heat had surely topped out the Fahrenheit scale.

“I can’t get enough of you,” he said, running his hands down her curves, ones she’d never truly celebrated before meeting him. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

“I know,” she said, “but this is really fast for me.” She looked straight into his eyes. Maybe it was time to stop dancing around it.

Those cerulean blue eyes were feverish, like she imagined hers were, but also a little tight at the corners. 

“I did the fast thing with Jess’ mom, and it was a disaster. We’re in no hurry.”

He still hadn’t told her the full story about Mandy, his ex, but she knew he would when he was ready. 

“I don’t want to make the same mistake with you,” he said. He stepped back from her, but took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. “Apparently, some of Jess’s movie-watching habits are rubbing off on me.”

“I like old romance,” she said, touching his cheek.

“I know,” he said, kissing her hand again. “Why do you think I do it?”

Her whole body seemed to sigh, and as he went to release her hand, she moved in and wrapped her arms around him. The embrace was more of a thank-you, and he stroked her back in response like he understood.

“Riley, I’ve dated off and on over the years, but I’ve only been with one other guy, and that was after two years of serious dating. We both thought we’d end up getting married.”

Now she wondered how she ever could have thought of marrying Kevin. They’d both been so young and so eager. All she’d focused on was him being a “good Christian man.” For her, that had meant he went to church, prayed with her, helped old ladies across the street, and didn’t kick dogs. Okay, the last part was a joke, but it was also kind of true. Their connection hadn’t gone much deeper than companionship, mutual kindness, and a connection to the church. They had never pushed each other. He’d thought her quilting was a hobby and hadn’t really understood the driving passion behind it, one that had led her to happily spend hours alone—without him.

“Keep talking,” he said, stroking her hair. 

“It’s just…I don’t think I could be intimate with someone I wasn’t involved with…ah…long term.” She looked up at him. “But you tempt me to test that theory.”

“I understand,” he said instead. “I’m not a player, Sadie, but I can’t hide that I want you like crazy. We’ll just take it slow. Okay?”

A smile tugged at her mouth. Some men might try and make her feel guilty. She’d known he wasn’t one of those. 

“I want you to feel comfortable with me, Sadie. Safe.”

“You really are one of the good guys,” she said. “I knew that the first time I met you. In spite of your interest in iguanas.”

“I can’t believe you told me to stop texting you the lizard emoji,” he said. “That seemed like a violation of my First Amendment rights.”

She snorted. “Call a lawyer.”

He slapped his forehead and released her. “That’s brilliant. That’s exactly what I need. Wait. I need to write this down. My female superhero still isn’t right, but this…”

She only smiled. She was used to this by now—him pulling out his phone in a fit of excitement, writing down notes for his comic strip. He was inspiring her as much as she was inspiring him.

“Yes, that works,” he muttered, totally focused on his phone.

She loved to watch him when he was awash in the grip of a creative vision. Time seemed to slow again, and she suddenly wanted him to be by her side for… 

Well, forever, she realized. She could see it. Her hand settled over her heart. Too fast, Sadie? Yeah, now you know why. She could see him as a lifelong partner. 

“Thank you for that,” he said, pocketing his phone and kissing the corner of her mouth. “You inspire me like none other.”

“I feel the same way.” She wrapped her arms around him. “It makes me a little scared,” she admitted.

“Of what?” he asked.

“Of how much I already feel for you.” She paused, looking into his eyes. “You make me feel like my life is so much bigger than I ever realized. Like there are more textures and colors than I ever imagined possible.”

He took a breath before saying, “I feel the same way. Jess made me feel that way too…when she was born. With you, it’s a little different, but in some ways it’s the same. You know?”

She thought she did. “Yes.”

“To exploring more textures and colors,” Riley said.

And as he leaned in to kiss Sadie, she knew there would come a time very soon when she would want them to explore each other in a new way.