Page 50 of Small Town Firsts
Not in the murky past and not in the nebulous future. Just here, with me.
“Good thing I do. Take that very fine ass out to the couch and find a movie for us.”
She frowned. “You’re handling me again.”
“How about we call it taking care of you, and I have a feeling not too many people do. I don’t mind being one of the few.”
“Fine. I’m too tired and sore to argue.” She shuffled out of the kitchen.
A whir of something mechanical I couldn’t identify floated after me as I headed to her bedroom for my jeans to find my phone. It was still too hot to put my clothes back on. I was quite sure the delivery driver had seen much worse than me in my boxers.
Flicking open my often used delivery app, I found a nearby pizza joint. It was still early enough to add on an order to a local liquor store. I ordered a few bottles of white that I figured she’d like and some red for myself.
I didn’t care if I had to watch a movie on the iPad I’d spotted on her couch. Right now she needed some pampering. And that started with cleaning up the rest of the kitchen so she didn’t have to deal with that either.
By the time I did both, I found her settled on the massive couch as she absently pointed a remote at the projector screen that had been hidden in the ceiling.
“Wow, that’s some system.” I glanced at the high definition projector tucked behind her couch on a shelf.
“Yeah, Beckett went overboard for me at Christmas.”
“Beckett bought you a thousand dollar projector?” My voice darkened. Best friends my ass. That’s what a man bought for a woman he cared for.
“Probably.” She rolled her eyes. “He probably brought Justin with him to shop. That’s his other brother. He’s been busy with getting ready for harvest. I swear, all the tractors in the orchard know to break just before the busy season. Better than during, I guess.” She frowned up at me. “What’s with the face?”
“You keep telling me Beckett is just a friend—quite the showpiece for just a friend.”
“You gotta get over this crap or we’ll never be anything other than tonight, pal.”
“You don’t think it’s weird?”
“No. Because we’ve been friends since we were seventeen. Beckett is generous with his family and he was tired of watching movies on my iPad with me.”
“How many times does he come over to watch movies?”
“You’re ridiculous. And not often. We’re both really busy.” She sighed. “Look, I never had much and he knows I like to watch things blow up on the big screen, but I don’t have the time to go the movies. So…I got a cool projector set up from my best friend. Simple as that.”
My chest hurt at the thought of Kira not having anyone spoil her. I’d just have to be the one to do it from here on out. “I guess.” I tossed my phone on the hassock that doubled as a coffee table before stretching out on the long part of the couch. She’d taken the short part of the L, and from the way she’d curled into the corner, I knew that was her spot. I appreciated that she knew the joys of a comfortable couch and bed. I was usually hanging off both when I went to anyone’s house, save for my relatives.
I inched my way over to her and laid my head in her lap. “What are we watching?”
She looked down at me with that little frown between her eyes again, but stretched one leg out on the chaise style cushion to let me use her lap.
I slid my arm under her silky thighs and lightly brushed my thumb along her calf then draped my other arm over the top of her legs. “I like your toe ring.”
She curled her toes as if to hide them.
I looked up at her. “I like how you shine. You shouldn’t hide it. The glitters at your neck and ears and now toes. Even the anklet. You’re like summer in a bottle.”
“Why do you say stuff like that?”
“Why do you think I shouldn’t?”
Her mouth dropped open, then snapped shut.
“Yeah, it is a good question, isn’t it?” I rubbed my beard against her leg and snuggled in. “Wine and pizza is coming.”
She tried to shift over, but I pulled her in like a pillow. “You already made us dinner.” Her voice was tight with exasperation.
