believe in that shit. Tipping the longneck bottle, he drank. Maybe if he had a couple more of these, he could sleep tonight.
A couple crickets chirped, their voices sounding loud in the quiet. Thinking about heading upstairs to fetch another beer, he heard Maggieâs car pull into the drive, watched the swath of light her beams cut through the darkness.
An overhead light went on when she opened her door, and quiet music from her radio spilled into the night. Apparently Rita had cooked more than the girls could eat because Maggie got out and her head disappeared into the back seat. She came out with a plate of goodies.
His stomach rumbled. Heâd worked off every bite of that long-ago pizza.
Maggie walked Dottie to her door and saw her safely inside. She still wore those sexy-as-hell shoes, and his engine kicked into overdrive.
When she started back to the car, he called out, âHey, Red. Got any more food stashed away in that car?â
Her head swiveled around, hand to her heart. âGeez, Brawley, you could give a girl a heart attack.â
âDidnât mean to startle you.â
âDidnât you guys eat tonight?â
âYeah, but we busted butt. Iâm starving again.â
She opened the back door and took out another plate. âYou know my mom. She always makes twice as much as we need.â
âI was counting on that.â
She made to hand him the plate, but he shook his head. âJoin me. Hold on a sec.â He zipped upstairs and grabbed two more beers.
Coming back down, he saw sheâd moved to Dottieâs little turquoise table and had unwrapped a taco salad, complete with sour cream and guacamole.
He handed her a beer, then broke off a piece of the shell and used it to scoop up salad. Mouth full, he mumbled, âMmmm. Your momâs one of the best cooks in the county.â
They sat in the moonlight and devoured the salad.
She laughed. âGuess I was hungry, too.â
Their fingers touched, and he linked their hands, held tight when she tried to pull away.
âBrawleyââ
âNo, letâs not fight. Not tonight. Give me fifteen minutes under the stars, Maggie. Surely we can manage that.â But he wondered if he could. He wanted, desperately, to kiss her.
âYou ever go swimming at the hole anymore?â he asked.
When she shook her head, the moonlight glinted off her hair, her earrings. She looked for all the world like a fairy princess.
âNot anymore,â she said. âItâs been years.â
âWanna go?â
âNow?â
âYeah.â
âYouâre crazy, Brawley.â
âAbout you.â
Her sigh filled the garden. âI really do have to go. Iâm a businesswoman, and I have to be up early.â
He nodded.
She stood. âThis was nice. Thanks.â
He took both her hands in his. She swayed toward him, started to kiss his cheek.
âNo.â He met her lips with his. Hunger, raw and deep, ripped through him. He tasted the same emotion on her lips, in her. One kiss led to another and another.
Breathing hard, she broke away, running her fingers through her hair to push it off her face. âI canât do this. It was never a question of chemistry. We had that in spades.â
âWe still do.â His voice was husky and ragged.
âI canât and wonât deny that.â
âCome upstairs with me. Stay the night.â He trailed kisses along her neck, her collarbone. She shivered, and he knew she was close.
But she put her hands on his arms and pushed away. âI canât.â
âI know I handled things badly, but how can you hold it against me so long?â
She didnât answer. Simply turned to walk away.
He grabbed her hand and kissed it before she melted into the night, leaving him standing in the dark, wanting more. So much more.
He wanted to bawl like a baby.
Chapter Seven
A pesky ray of sunlight caught him square in the