Free Small Town Girl by Linda Cunningham

looked around. It was a pretty kitchen. The cabinets were whitewashed with wrought iron hinges and pulls, in quiet contrast to the pale yellow walls. There was a window with a deep sill over the kitchen sink. Open shelves were on either side. Lauren noticed there was antique crockery displayed, a vase, a small trophy of some kind, and a silver frame with a picture of a girl in a white dress. Lauren leaned forward, peering for a better look at the picture. The girl was caught in the middle of laughing, her head back, her dark hair swinging out behind her, her hands clasped in front of her. She was looking straight at the camera and her beauty was undeniable.
    Caleb came back into the kitchen, pulling a black T-shirt over his head with one hand and carrying his work boots in the other. He pulled out one of the chairs around the kitchen table and sat down to put his boots on. He answered her question as he laced them up. “In this town? Ha! No, you’ll just have to put up with some small town chivalry.” He straightened up and gave her a searching look. “Unless, of course, you want to stay here for the night.”
    “What are you suggesting! Never mind, I’ll walk home!” She whirled around to the door. Chivalry, my ass! she thought. She should have known better.
    He was on his feet and beside her. He touched her arm, and she turned around to face him. She was acutely aware of his physical proximity, the heat of him. Before she could protest, he said, “I wasn’t suggesting anything. If you’re afraid to stay there alone especially without your car, I’d certainly pull out the couch and you could sleep here. And what are you suggesting? What kind of person do you think I am? I don’t make a habit of propositioning strange women.” He paused, then added with a slow smile, “Even if they’re as pretty as you.”
    He had turned the tables on her. Lauren had to return the smile. “Thank you. A girl can’t get too many compliments.”
    “I was sincere.”
    They looked at each other for a long moment, each recognizing the mutual attraction, each confused as to what to do. They were standing so close together, Lauren was aware of the clean smell of him, fresh from his shower. He made a movement with his hand, just brushing her upper arm, as if to draw her in. Automatically, she tilted her head up and back, her lips slightly parted. Suddenly he let go of her, dropping his hand to his side. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds. I just didn’t want you running out the door. Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”
    She went meekly outside. He closed the door behind them. “Aren’t you going to lock it?”
    Caleb laughed out loud. “You can tell you’re not from around here! Nobody locks their doors. Here, climb in.” He opened the passenger door of the white Dodge pick-up truck parked in the driveway. “Give me your hand. It’s a long way up.”
    “I’m okay, thank you,” replied Lauren primly. No matter how good his touch felt, there was no need to encourage anything, but he ignored her, and placing his hands around her waist just above her hips, he boosted her into the big truck. Her heart leaped at the thrill; even after he let go, shut the truck door, and walked around to the driver’s side, Lauren could feel the pressure of his hands where they had held her. He had hoisted her as easily as if she had been a small child.
    She felt unexpectedly safe as she settled into the seat and pulled the seat belt around her. The driver’s side door opened, and Caleb stepped up into the truck.
    “Sorry about the messy vehicle,” he said, hastily gathering up some papers and putting them into the back seat of the extended cab. “This truck gets to be sort of an office sometimes, when I’m running from job to job.”
    “Oh, that’s fine,” said Lauren politely. “I understand.”
    Caleb backed the truck out of the driveway. They were silent most of the way. Lauren felt the awkwardness of