Chapter 3

3

JOCELYN

I don't believe it.

I'm getting ready for a date.

!!!

Being a quiet person, I'm very used to being left behind. Forgotten. Which is fine, since I've always been comfortable being alone. But now for some reason I want to turn cartwheels and tap dance…probably extremely poorly, since I'm really not that coordinated. But I feel… airier. Like my energy is larger.

Giving my hair one last brush, I apply some tinted lip balm, then do a slow twirl in the mirror of the basement bathroom. I like having the downstairs to myself, since it's so quiet. But I guess I should check my outfit with Nikki and Harper before they get picked up by their dates. It's just a plain dark blue dress, but it's quite a bit more revealing than anything I usually wear.

It's also one of the few nice-ish dresses I own. I don't want to admit that I'm poor, but honestly? It's the truth. Between the student loans, which I'll be paying off for decades, and the rent on my miniscule basement apartment, I've never had enough money.

That's fine. I'm used to it. I've always juggled many jobs and worked crazy hours, unlike Walker, who is clearly very established. He owns his own business. A home. I can't completely trust the gossip in this town, but it sounds like each of the brothers owns several cars. Several !

I already know that we can't be serious in any way. Our imbalance prevents a real relationship, because I have nothing to bring to the table. But he's so sweet and sexy… I don't see the harm in a few dates.

As soon as I walk into the dining room, Nikki makes a low wolf whistle. "Damn, girl. You were hiding a cute little body under those heavy sweaters."

"I get cold," I shrug, grabbing my jacket and purse from the hallway table. "Do I look okay?"

Harper grins. "You're always pretty, Jocelyn. But you have an extra sparkle tonight. Walker is going to lose his mind."

"I don't think any mind loss is necessary. I just want to… You know. Have a nice evening."

"You will." Nikki comes over to fluff my hair a bit more at the top. "I can't believe we're all getting together with Dirty boys."

I hold up a hand and step back. "Whoa, whoa. I have no idea whether we're getting together or not. It's just a date."

She gives Harper a knowing look. "Yeah, that's what we thought too. But they seem to grow their men charming and persistent up in these mountains."

There's a tap at the door, and Harper runs to open it. Walker steps in and stares directly at me.

" Da-a-a-a-mn. " Somehow he stretches the word over five syllables.

"She's all ready to go, have a great time." Nikki's hand presses firmly between my shoulder blades, hustling me to the doorway.

Walker smiles, taking my hand and leading me outside. When I turn, expecting to see his truck, I'm dazzled instead by a flash of red. It's a gorgeous convertible, with the top down. I don't know the first thing about cars, but it looks like it's vintage, maybe...although completely restored.

Walker opens the door for me, and I see a soft gray blanket folded on the seat. He wraps it around my shoulders. "I thought you might like a little cruise around town. If it's too chilly, we can put the top up. Then later we can get dinner anywhere you like."

"Sounds perfect." Once again, he knows exactly how to put me at ease before we're face to face over a dinner table and I might feel any pressure.

We drive in a large rambling circle around town, and he points out various beautiful big old houses as he regales me with stories about the people who live there.

We pause at a corner, and he squints to peer across the field. All I see are tons of wildflowers. "Are you a huge fan of echinacea and purple loosestrife?" I ask with a smile.

"No. I heard something about orange garlic mustard being invasive, and that we're supposed to keep an eye out for where they're growing."

Reaching into my purse, I take a note on my phone. "Interesting. Where did you hear that?"

"Some of the older guys were chatting at Corina's Coffee. They heard someone talking about it, but they didn't quite believe it because they hadn't seen it for themselves."

The "invasive" orange garlic mustard is one of the rumors we tried to start when we first arrived in Old Hemlock Valley. I feel terrible for not coming clean and telling him the truth. Maybe I should, once we've had dinner?

Walker drives to a side road that is little more than a path. He glances over to see my eyes wide with surprise. "You're not going to take this fancy car down that rough road?" I ask.

His rumbling chuckle sends prickles of desire through me. I'm already addicted to the way he stares so deeply into my eyes.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." He reaches out to pat my knee. "This is one of my cars, done my own way. Every vehicle I own has racing suspension, specially selected tires, and a boosted engine. I consider the factory settings just a serving suggestion."

"Good to know."

He drives to a beautiful lookout that showcases the mountain, the trees, and the first streaks of sunset. It's super romantic, and causes those lower belly flutters to start up again.

He parks, then turns to me sheepishly. "Please don't think I'm taking you to a makeout spot before we've even had dinner. I just wanted you to see the beginning of sunset from here. Then, after dinner, we could go to a spot on the other side of the valley if you like."

"To compare and contrast sunset angles?" I love the way he makes me smile so easily. "I appreciate how thorough you are with lighting observation."

He reaches out to squeeze my hand gently. "I think you're going to find out that I'm a very thorough guy."

We unbuckle our seatbelts to face each other, and even though the top is still down, I suddenly notice the close proximity of this car. He's such a big guy, with layers of muscles on his huge sturdy frame.

He seems… Warm. Sturdy. Capable, and settled, and real… All of the things I've never felt about myself. Things I've always thought were beyond my reach. Things that make my stomach flip while watching romantic movies.

"Hey." His deep, raspy voice is barely a whisper, which is wildly sexy. "You're a million miles away. Are you hungry?"

"A little. Mostly…" I blow out a slow breath to try to calm myself. It feels like honesty is the best policy right now, and he's been incredibly open with me. "I'm a bit nervous. But so far I really like spending time with you."

"Good."

A slight breeze picks up, and he instantly frowns. "Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah."

Walker moves his seat back a bit so he can turn to face me more. Then his long arm stretches across the back of the bench seat. "If you're chilly, you could always…" He raises his eyebrows high and waggles them suggestively, making me laugh. Then he seems surprised when I scoot right over into his embrace.

"I should tell you, I have no idea how any of this works," I whisper as we lock eyes and his hand slowly drifts down my back. "But I want to try."

He nods, then his gaze falls to my lips. "Okay, logical girl. On a scale of one to ten, how naughty would it be if I stole a kiss before I fed you?"

My head tips back and forth. "Like a…two?"

"That seems forgivable. Just please let it be our little secret. I have a reputation to uphold in this town, you know."

His eyes are twinkling, and I love how funny he is. As his lips fall to mine, I find myself holding my breath. Then everything inside me relaxes as he pivots, pulling my legs over his so I'm practically in his lap with the steering wheel against my knees. It doesn't matter. We need to be as close as possible.

My hand grips his shoulder as the kiss deepens, our bodies melding together, lips parting. My nipples tingle as our chests press together, and his huge hand skims along my hip and outer thigh. He strokes me gently, almost cautiously, as if he's afraid I'm going to run away.

Never. I feel like I'm falling under his spell as his tongue softly explores my mouth, and I hear his deep groan. My fingers thread into the back of his thick, dark hair as I try to bring him even closer.

I've never felt like this before. Like my body is taking over, taking charge of my brain. And to a small degree, Walker is taking charge of my body as well. I love that part.

Not only do I love every second of it, I'm also dying to know how far this is going to go.

I already know that I never want to stop.