Page 45 of The Promise in Poppies
“That’s another reason for you to visit. Our meetings have the best food, by far.” And, she mused but didn’t say out loud, they’d helped her more than she could’ve imagined. She hadn’t craved a single drop of alcohol in days.
“You have meetings there?”
“Yep.” So far, everyone but Frida had shared, and they’d remarked on what a blessing the tiny, close-knit community had become in such a short amount of time. Mac not only threw out his last pack of cigarettes, he’d even stopped selling them at the Mercantile, removing the temptation entirely. The first time his wife noticed, she’d cried happy tears—a moment he said he’d never forget.
Donna caught sight of Rhett walking toward her, an ice cream cone in each hand. Her spirits lifted, buoyed by gratitude and affection. And something deeper—an overwhelming sense that, no matter what happened, he would always hold a piece of her heart.
“So, you’ll come?” she urged, glancing back at the relay.
A long silence ensued, and she checked their connection before Stephanie finally mumbled, “I’ll think about it.”
Donna blew out a breath. Although it wasn’t a yes, she’d count it as a win for now. They exchanged a brief goodbye, promising to talk soon before Donna ended the call and stuffed her phone back in the pocket of her jeans, feeling hopeful for the future.
“Everything okay?” Rhett asked as he handed her a generous scoop with spirals of candied lemon peel sprinkled on top.
“Everything’s perfect.” She inhaled the sweet citrus scent, almost leery of her own happiness. How much longer could it last?
“Want to try our hand at gold panning after this?” Rhett asked. “I’m feeling lucky these days.” He met her gaze, and the meaningful glint in his eyes flooded her entire body with warmth.
“Me, too,” she murmured, forgetting to breathe when he held out his hand.
As their palms pressed together, time slowed to a standstill, capturing every nuanced detail in her mind, like his rough calluses against her smooth skin and the way he applied gentle pressure with his thumb. He laced his fingers through hers, and she marveled at the way they seamlessly melded together.
As they strolled toward the creek hand in hand, without a single concern about who might see them together, Donna savored the sensation of being wholly and blissfully content for however long they had left.
CHAPTER27
RHETT
Rhett tried to focus on the task at hand, but his gaze kept drifting to Donna, mesmerized by the hypnotic dance of sunlight against her dark, glossy hair. She always looked beautiful, but as she knelt by the water’s edge, her pan dipped in the shallow current, she transcended every earthly comparison. He fully admitted he had ulterior motives when he mentioned the excess of other gold panners farther up the creek and led her downstream to a secluded cove.
All day, he hadn’t been able to shake the overpowering desire to kiss her. The impulse besieged him each time she laughed or teased him or gifted him with her breathtaking smile, complete with the sexy crinkle across the bridge of her nose. And when he noticed a smear of ice cream on her bottom lip, he’d expended every ounce of self-control resisting the urge to cup her chin and tenderly kiss it away.
Now, sheltered in the tranquil shade of tall, tapering pine trees, they had all the privacy in the world. He’d managed the perfect opportunity to transform his first-kiss fantasy into a tangible reality. Except, he hadn’t kissed anyone since his late wife, andrustydidn’t even begin to describe his ineptitude. He had zero clue how to make the first move. Was he supposed to ask her permission? Or simply sense an opening? And how would he know for sure?
Suddenly, he felt like an awkward kid again, all racing pulse and sweaty palms. Only, this time, it wasn’t over a pretty girl in the schoolyard who made him wear a construction paper tie for their pretend wedding. He could see himself spending the rest of his life with Donna—for real. This wasn’t a childish crush or immature infatuation. Donna was a woman of substance, of grit. She was worthy of more than he had to offer, but he’d fight his absolute hardest to deserve her, every single day and then some. If his hopes came to fruition, this could be his last first kiss. And he didn’t want to mess it up.
He cast another surreptitious glance in her direction. She smiled the kind of cute, slightly quirked smile that made his mouth go dry, as if she sensed his thoughts. Losing his balance in his miner’s squat, he teetered forward, barely catching himself before spilling headfirst into the creek. His pan slipped from his grip and plopped into the water, dousing his shoes.
Donna laughed. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”
Sacrificing his already-damp sneakers, he inched into the icy creek bed to retrieve his pan. “Is it obvious?”
“Painfully,” she teased.
“Care to show me how it’s done?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She set her pan on a mossy log before borrowing his. “The whole idea is to separate the pebbles and silt from any gold that may be buried underneath. So, first, we scoop up the sediment,” she said, demonstrating as she explained, “and shake the pan from side to side.”
Her movements were fluid and graceful, and once again, he found himself staring, captivated by the smooth curves of her arms and the tempting way her lips parted in concentration.
“Then,” she continued, drawing his attention back to her soft, skillful hands, “we want to dip the front edge into the water and give a gentle flick so the top layer washes back into the stream. Any gold nuggets will remain in the bottom, since they’re heavier. Does that make sense?”
She met his gaze, and a zing of electricity shot from his head to his toes, which had gone numb inside his soggy socks. Her lips were mere inches away. What if he bent down right now and kissed her?Focus, Rhett. She asked you a question.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, it does.”
“Great. Now you try it.” She passed him back the pan, and their fingers grazed, igniting the spark of electricity into a full-blown blaze.
