Page 20 of Bountiful
“No problem, no.” He smirked. “New hobby, Zara? Didn’t know you were into…” He paused. “Astrology?”
Oh, buddy.Really?
“Big hobby of mine,astronomy,” she said, thensighed.
“Is it, now? You two have a good night.” He chuckled. Then he turned slowly and walked back to his car. Then we heard the crunch of gravel under his tires as he reversed the car todriveaway.
I kissed Zara’s neck, but she stiffened. “Something wrong?” Iasked.
“Nothing new,” she said quietly. “He was in my brother Alec’s class in high school. Now he’ll have something fun to tell the guys at poker night this week. Slutty Zara is still hanging out on Jasper Hill withtheboys.”
“Oh, fuck him!” I grumbled. “He’s driving around in a polyester uniform and a car that smells like whichever drunk last puked in it. Gossip is all he’s got. You’ve got the moon and the beer I brought you.” I pointed at the cooler we hadn’ttouched.
Her slim fingers stroked my bare knee absently. “It’s fine. It’s just a small town. Nothing ever changes. My reputation in high school was well deserved,anyway.”
I swept my hand down her dark hair, which was shiny in the moonlight. Zara had hardly ever confided in me before. “I was a total slut in high school,” I admitted to her. “Isn’t that what high schoolwasfor?”
“Sure—if you’re a guy.” She tipped her head back onto my shoulder and looked up at me. “The girls are supposed to keep their legs pressed together. But I didn’t. My brothers would punch anyone they caught talking smack about me, but I didn’t do myself anyfavors.”
“You know what, though? You probably terrified those boys. I’ll bet you were a knockout in high school. They were probably all praying you’d notice them and devastated when you shot them down. Including Mr. Nightstick, there.” I pointed toward the road where the cop had comeandgone.
“I gave him a hand job once under the bleachers during a homecoming game.” She delivered this confession while looking me straight in the eye, daring me tojudgeher.
It made me roar with laughter, instead. Then I kissed her. “He’s probably still dreamingaboutit.”
Zara sighed. “Is it okay if we leave now? It’s late. I should get somesleep.”
“Sure,” I said,disappointed.
ChapterSeven
Zara
IknewI shouldn’t have let it bother me. The arrival of Officer Brown—or Butchie Brown as we used to call him—was neither surprising norconsequential.
But it just reinforced my bigger problem. Dave was leaving, and I wasn’t going anywhere. Tomorrow he’d go back to his rich-guy pad—wherever that was—and I’d still be the bad girl who hadn’t quite figured out what to do withherlife.
And now I’d done itagain. I’d gotten spun up about a guy I couldn’t have. He was leaving, and I would miss him so freaking much. And it made me so mad at myself that I couldn’t even enjoy my last hourwithhim.
Would I everlearn?
Signs point to no, as my Magic 8 Ball usedtosay.
We drove back in silence, my poor attitude filling the interior of his rental truck. When we pulled into the lot behind the Goat, he cut the engine. The only sound after the engine died was the low, lonely grunt of a single bullfrog. And I smiled in spite of myself, remembering Dave’s disbelief when I told him what peeper frogssoundedlike.
And—damn it—the sound of frogs on a summer night would probably make me think of him for the next severalyears.
Time to cut himloose.
I put my hand on the door. “It’s been fun. And I know you didn’t really get what you, uh, came for this time, but I think it’s better if we just call it anight.”
He reached across the gear box and caught my hand before I could make my escape. “Not so fast, prickly girl.” His thumb massaged the palm of my hand. Since our first night together he’d become more sensuous thanrough.
Don’t get me wrong—he was still hot and bossy in all the best ways. But he liked to linger over me now. And I should have enjoyed it, but instead I felt like Dorothy when she’d been locked up with the giant hourglass, counting down the minutes until herbitterend.
Emphasis on bitter. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” Iadmitted.
“You don’t have to say a damn thing,” he rumbled. “Just kiss me goodnight atyourdoor.”
