Page 20 of Starting Our Chance

11 Duke

Nervous as hell, Ifelt my chest tighten in that damn familiar way. My body didn’t handle certain emotions well. The physical reactions were at times too intense, but I managed to keep normal blood pressure by walking around my drive and swinging my arms. I just need to see her, then it will be all right.

Yeah, right. The thought of seeing Lore was sending me into a tailspin. It had been a day fraught with tension. Yesterday, Lore had melted into my arms, met my kiss with fire, and given me a sassy little smile when we had disentangled before she went into her house. But when I got up the courage to text her, she never responded.

Well, yeah, she did. She had typed out a frantic message about the damn cows. That was it. Nikki, however, had sent me videos of Lore—again telling me that I needed to snap chat. My favorite video was the one where Lore was waving wildly at a cow who had been deeply invested in eating Mrs. Forman’s fall squash, reluctant to move. Nikki’s laughter filled the background, and when Lore finally got the blasted cow to move, another just resumed eating the same squash patch.

When I heard the sounds of tires crunching up the gravel, I looked up from the videos, which I admitted having watched more than once while walking around my little circled driveway. I was closer to my house then the barn, so I was able to look across the pasture and see that Lore was finally home. I had already gone over to apologize profusely to Mrs. Forman and attempt to make reparations for the damage, but instead, I had been invited to stay for supper. Backing out of that, I had left, only to pace about between my house and the barns like a maddened dog. Better out here than inside, though. My house guest was sleeping, and I didn’t want to go banging about in the house and disturb him.

Now that I knew Lore was home, I was going to wait for her to go inside and have some supper. No point in ruining her evening with my presence—if that’s what her radio silence had meant.

Coward, my mind jabbed.

Chewing on my cheek, I looked across the field and considered my options. According to Nikki’s numerous text messages, Lore had been asking about me. What that could mean, I wasn’t certain. She was the beautiful creature that lived next door, an enigma that I hadn’t solved.

Did I want to go and talk to her? Definitely. Was I going to brave the gap between us and see her? That remained to be seen.

Loretta had been a popular girl, always dressing in the right clothes and saying the right things. Sure, her family was just a notch above mine in terms of economics growing up, but that hadn’t stopped Loretta Jane from shining—despite both of us qualifying as white trash around here. And the ideal girl-next-door had been popular with the boys. All the boys I had gone to school with had vied for her attention until she’d went north on a dance scholarship, only to be seldom seen or heard from again.

It made me wonder once again why she was back. Something was off. I could feel it.

How are you going help her if you can’t even go across that pasture to visit her and thank her for managing the cows?My inner critic was brutal tonight. But that was what I got for capturing one of the steamiest kisses in the world and then not hearing from her after it. I wouldn’t have been so worried if she hadn’t left after our first kiss all those years ago—when I specifically asked her to wait to say good-bye in the morning. Her lack of response gave me no idea about how she felt about me, but I hadn’t given her any explanations on my part, either.

As if fate had summoned her to test my resolve, Loretta suddenly appeared on her front porch. There was a rolled up pink object in her hand, which she proceeded to flop out. Then she stood on it—a towel, perhaps, or some kind of rug—and raised her arms to the sky.

My body jolted forward as if called to her. Without thinking, I was moving across my yard and into the pasture. Although my strides were swift, it took me long enough to cross the pasture that I had time to think about what I was doing.

I saw yellow flowers peeking between the tall grasses—the last blooms of summer. My fingers twitched against my leg as I stopped to consider them, or rather, the implication of bringing flowers to a girl.

If that kiss didn’t declare my intentions, what the hell are some measly little flowers going to do? I snuck a glance back to Loretta, who was reaching down to her toes, and made a snap decision. I whipped out my pocket knife to make a clean slice and scooped up the flowers.

As I closed the distance, I squared my shoulders and set my jaw with firm decision. A glorious sight awaited me on the porch. Loretta was in stretchy clothes and doing what I thought was yoga. This was the girl I had been waiting on for what felt like forever, and here she was, all bendy and tempting me. Her body beckoned to mine, and the twitch in my pants was a natural male response to her curves. The things I had been dreaming of doing to that body were filling my mind as I gazed upon her limber form. I paused just before the steps leading up to her, not letting myself consider how creepy I was being, standing there watching her.

“I never thanked you, Duke.”

Shit! She knew I was here. Snapping out of my mental daze, I cleared my throat. “For what?”

“That kiss.” Loretta rose to her tippy toes, hands firmly planted on the mat, and kicked a leg back up into the air. I could see the blush staining her cheeks. She was purposely avoiding my eyes as she continued, “This is embarrassing, but I’ve just got to tell you. So . . . I tried all morning to think of a reply to you.” Pausing, Loretta breathed deep and blew the air out of her lungs in a whoosh. “Then the damn cows broke out. And then it was just too late.”

“I’m glad to hear that’s the reason.” I just stood there, hoping that she was on the same page as me.

Just when I thought the view of her backside couldn’t get any better, Loretta popped up into a full handstand and balanced in the air. Her body barely shook. I wondered what it would be like to be right next to her, to reach out and run a hand over her taut muscles. Then she dropped down into another shape with her legs out to the side, and I remembered it from something Nikki just had to show me—a long time ago. It had been a picture of partners doing these moves together. Hell, I couldn’t even reach down to touch my toes, let alone manage to do something like that. But for a chance to do that with Loretta Jane, you bet your ass I’d work on it, so that if I ever got the chance to try, I’d be ready.

“Was there something on your mind, Duke?” Loretta arched a brow at me while she arranged herself into a seat, but one leg was bent and wrapped around to the back, where the other was likewise bent—probably another pose. “Those flowers sure are beautiful.”

“Yeah, would you take them for your mama?” I felt my lips turn up into a smile as I watched her face pout at my teasing.

“After what your fucking cows did . . ..” Lore gave me a scowl. “Where the hell are my flowers for rounding up the wee beasties?”

“I have something better—if you want it that is.” I held my breath. This was it.

Lore pursed her lips, considering me. “Okay, let me have it, and I’ll tell you if the offer is better than the flowers.”

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