Page 16 of Wistful in Wyoming
“So, um ... ” He cleared his throat. “You’ve ... um ... eaten here a lot ... before ... I mean—”
Dale smirked at the question Jeremiah couldn’t spit out. “Have I brought dates here?” He shrugged and told him the truth. “One or two, but it’s been so long, I don’t remember who they were or when we were here. Most of the time I came here to relax with friends in a place where judgment was a rarity. That being said, I’m really happy you’re here with me too.”
Diana returned with their drinks. Reluctantly releasing Jeremiah’s hand, since it was closest to his drink, Dale picked up his beer and gave Jeremiah a silent toast. Bringing the glass to his lips, he downed half of it, hoping the beer would cool the lava, formally known as his blood, rushing through his veins. His attraction for this man was growing more intense with every interaction, every uncertain yet brave word out of Jeremiah’s mouth, and every tempting blush that spread across those ivory cheeks.
Jeremiah reached for his whiskey, while trying to avoid the waitress’s gaze that had momentarily flickered to their joined hands. There was nothing to be embarrassed about though—in fact, Jeremiah had missed the encouraging wink Diana had sent Dale’s way. Picking up the glass, Jeremiah’s fluttering fingers slipped on the smooth surface, and the entire contents spilled onto the tablecloth. The white fabric turned a deep amber as the smoky scent of whiskey filled the air.
“Shit!” Jeremiah jumped, trying to right his glass and knocking over the water goblet in the process. “Dammit!” Completely flustered, he stood quickly, escaping the cascade of water that had been heading right for his crotch.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Dale said, trying to calm the other man who looked moments from tearing out of the steakhouse. He threw his and Jeremiah’s napkins onto the puddle to help soak up most of the liquid. Unfortunately, some of it had already hit the bench seat.
“I’m so sorry,” Jeremiah gushed to Diana who’d grabbed two more napkins from a nearby empty table. The place settings and menus were a temporary loss, having been splattered with whiskey, water, or both.
The waitress shook her head. “It’s okay, really—happens all the time. I’ve got it. Let’s take you two over to another table.” She stepped aside to let the busboy take over cleaning up the mess. “Please, come with me.”
Hanging his head, Jeremiah refused to meet Dale’s eyes. The other patrons had all looked over, unable to ignore the noise and disturbance. Dale felt every eye on their backs as they followed the waitress to a new table, a booth, even further into the back of the restaurant.
“Is this table okay?” she asked Dale.
“It’s fine, Diana. Thank you.”
“No problem. Have a seat, and I’ll get new drinks and menus.” She smiled at Jeremiah, as if trying to reassure him everything was okay.
“I’m so sorry,” he repeated.
“Honestly, it’s not a complete night without someone spilling a glass, but usually it’s one of the wait staff knocking things over. So, don’t worry about it, please. Enjoy your evening.” Before she hurried away to reorder their drinks, Dale could’ve kissed the young woman for her little white lie about the restaurant’s employees usually being at fault. Although, he should’ve expected it—Janice and Lizzie trained their staff well, including how to treat the customers when accidents like that happened.
“We should just go,” Jeremiah muttered as they sat down across from each other again.
Dale frowned, and then slid around the booth until he was right beside Jeremiah, pressing against him—their shoulders, arms, hips, thighs, and calves getting intimately acquainted. Jeremiah was pale and shivering. Dale took his hat off, setting it beside himself on the seat. “No, weshouldn’tgo.” He tried to catch Jeremiah’s eye, but the stubborn man refused to even take a peek at him. Dale sighed. “Jay, please look at me.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Jeremiah’s eyes met his, misery clear in the emerald depths. “Seriously, I ruined our date. Let’s just leave, please.” His gaze shifted past Dale to the mirrored wall, no doubt looking for opinionated glares from the people around them reflected there, but they were all in his mind. Everyone was back to minding their own business.
“Stop it. Look at me, dammit.” Not giving a single shit what anyone else thought about it, Dale turned and grasped Jeremiah’s face in his hands. His knee rested on top of Jeremiah’s thigh. Jeremiah’s hat was tilted back on his head, partially shielding them from the wait staff and other diners. “Stop worrying about everyone else. You’re here with me and I’m here with you.Justyou. No one else matters. Keep your eyes on me andonlyme.” Resting his forehead against Jeremiah’s, he fought the need to kiss him, to claim him publicly. He knew his sexy cowboy wasn’t ready for it, but it didn’t stop him from craving a taste of him like he did his next breath.
Jeremiah was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling forcefully. “Dale ... ” Closing his eyes and trembling, he gently touched his lips to Dale’s.
Dale was so shocked, he didn’t even kiss him back at first.Jeremiah is kissing me in public!
His heart was hammering and screaming with joy, and he finally got it together enough to return the kiss. He kept it quick but sweet. It was chaste, but that single kiss cracked his heart open, and Jeremiah crawled into the yawning, empty space, filling it. With the most perfect kiss Dale had ever received, Jeremiah had replaced the loneliness inside Dale in a way no one else ever had.
“Jay ...” The nickname he’d used only a few times before just slipped out. His hands shook where he still held Jeremiah’s cheeks, as his mind scrambled for something to say, something that would let this man know how special he was. Happiness bubbling over and spilling out, he fucking giggled over a kiss in a booth like he was a teenager. Not a single fuck given either. “You kissed me.” Yeah, that’s all he’d been able to come up with in that moment.
“Caught that, did you?” Still a little pale, Jeremiah smiled shyly, ducking his head again like a boy with his first crush.
“I’m so glad I’m here with you. Glad I got my head out of my ass and let this happen.”
“Me too, Dale, me too.” Pulling Dale’s hands free from his face, Jeremiah kissed the center of one of Dale’s palms and then met his eyes. Hope simmered there, and longing, along with more than a little desire.
Chapter Eleven
The restof the evening went smoother than Jeremiah had expected, with no more accidents or faux pas on his part. Dale, of course, had been the perfect date. Nothing seemed to rattle the man, and Jeremiah was able to draw some strength and courage from him. Where Jeremiah had gotten the balls to kiss the man in the middle of a public restaurant was beyond him, but it’d felt so right, so wonderful, that everyone and everything else had disappeared from his mind. All that’d mattered was Dale’s lips had been on his, radiating warmth throughout Jeremiah’s body. Something had clicked into place within him at the first touch of his mouth against Dale’s. It’d almost been like déjà vu, but instead of feeling like he’d been there before, heknewhe was where he was supposed to be.
After he’d recovered from that kiss, the conversation flowed between them as the tension slowly drained from Jeremiah’s body. Dale had been right—no one was paying them any mind except for Diana and the busboy, but it was their job to do that.
A delicious meal of Caesar salads followed by T-bone steaks with all the fixings, and a glass of red wine for each of them, was crowned with coffee and a shared slice of cheesecake while playing twenty questions. It was Jeremiah’s turn to ask Dale something when they heard a raspy voice say, “Well, look what the cat dragged in. It’s about damn time you came back for a visit, boy.”
Dale grinned and his eyes lit up as a short, robust woman in her late fifties or early sixties, with spiked silver hair and harsh-looking features, stopped at their table. When she smiled, it didn’t soften her countenance, but the pure joy and affection in her voice made up for it. “Get your butt out here, Dale Harris, and give me some sugar.”
