Free Finding Home by Megan Nugen Isbell Page A

meant, but I did now as his hands pushed gently behind my neck, his fingers threading into my hair.  He pressed his lips harder against mine this time and I welcomed it.  My hands remained paralyzed at my sides as he continued to kiss me, deeper and with more control as if he were concentrating on every move he made.  It was obvious he knew what he was doing because I think I felt his kiss in every nerve in my body. 
    When he finally stopped and pulled away, I could still feel his lips on mine and I hadn’t wanted him to stop.  I looked up at him, timidly at first.  I could tell he was nervous too, but not nearly as nervous as me.  Brandon had always been confident…even cocky and I could see that in him as he smiled down at me with a satisfied smile. 
    “You okay?” he asked after a few moments of silence.
    “Yeah…yeah,” I said quickly. “I’m good.” 
    “Do you have more cookies to bake?” he asked, turning away and heading back to the sugar cookies he’d placed on the cooling rack, picking one up and popping it in his mouth, ignoring the fact I’d told him no earlier.  I didn’t say anything though.  I just smiled and he smiled back.
    “I do.  Are you still willing to help?” I asked, making my way to his side at the counter.
    “I’m all yours,” he said, smiling over at me and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a deeper meaning to his words as I reached for the flour to start the next batch.
     

Six
     
    I don’t know how, but we didn’t talk about the kiss the rest of the afternoon.  We just continued to bake and laugh and I think Brandon ate half of my stash for the bake sale.  I didn’t care though.  There was still plenty left and Brandon stayed until every last item was neatly wrapped and ready to go. 
    When he left, I wondered if he’d kiss me again.  He did, but this time it was on the cheek, sweet and chaste, and I wondered if it was his way of telling me something…like I shouldn’t read into the kiss we’d shared earlier.  I didn’t ask him about it though. I just walked him out to the porch and stayed there, leaning against the railing as he got into his mom’s car and drove away. 
    I wanted to talk to someone about it, but I wasn’t sure there was anything to even talk about.  Sometimes things happen in the moment.  Maybe that’s all it was, a moment between two friends who shared a history.  Sometimes people find comfort in those they’re familiar with.  Maybe that was what happened with us…maybe not.  All I knew was that I’d liked it when he kissed me.  I hadn’t kissed many guys in my life.  The impressive grand total was four actually, including my kiss with Brandon.  None of them had felt like his kiss though.
    I tried not to obsess about it.  I tried not to think what his lips had felt like against mine and I tried not to wonder if I’d ever feel them again.  I had to work the next day, so my hectic schedule kept my mind occupied and I didn’t get a chance to breathe until my shift ended. 
    Waitressing was not my dream job, but I did enjoy it and it kept me busy and most of the time, it paid well.  It was at one of the few places to eat in Carver.  Just a little coffee shop on the edge of town that catered to travelers and older folks.  I got to talk to lots of interesting people, and for someone who loved to talk, it was a nice way to spend the days while I trudged through my course work to become a respiratory therapist.  I still had a few more classes to go since it’d taken me a while to actually figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. 
    Even though I enjoyed waitressing, I was exhausted at the end of each shift and it was no different tonight.  I was especially tired though because I’d been on my feet all day baking the day before.  It was almost seven o’clock when I walked out of the diner, making my way to my car.  The key fab had stopped working and I was struggling with inserting the key