without. The house is small and cluttered and, well...let’s just say, as soon as a room is finished at the boardinghouse, I’m moving.”
“You won’t have much space there either.”
“I don’t care. It’ll be clean and quiet. That’s all I need.” She shrugged. “At least for now.”
Until she eventually decided that moving to Blackfoot Falls had been a bad idea. Nathan wondered how long that would take...two months, a year? Though she wasn’t the type to sit back and throw her hands up when things got bumpy. She dug in and searched for solutions. She’d proved that by going after the lumber.
“Oh, and I haven’t said anything to Liberty or Candace about me moving yet, so I’d appreciate you keeping that between us.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“Oh, my God, listen to me...you’re virtually a stranger and here I’m telling you personal stuff.”
“Guess we’ll have to do something about that,” he said, smiling at her confused look. “Have dinner with me tomorrow. You need the R & R, and we can get to know each other.”
“Tomorrow, huh? In Blackfoot Falls?” She seemed surprised, maybe even a little wary.
“I know the timing could’ve been better...” Damn, he hadn’t thought it through. He had every intention of being up front with her, explain that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. But did he tell her now or wait until they were having dinner? Hell, all he wanted was an easy friendship and sex. But how did you bring that up to a woman, even someone as worldly as Bethany?
“The timing?” She tilted her head, her expression puzzled. “Oh, you mean because of Liberty. No, I was thinking about how uncomfortable it might be for you to go on a date around here. Everyone would be all eyes and ears watching you get back in circulation for the first time.”
“Yeah. No. Not Blackfoot Falls.” He had no idea why the word date had distracted him. Probably because he’d been with Anne for so long he hadn’t dated anyone else since high school. In college he’d had sex with other women, but only when he and Anne had called it quits for a while. “Marge’s diner is the only place left since the Wagon Wheel closed.”
Senior year he’d started going out with Anne. She’d still been young and sweet, and he hadn’t pushed for sex. By the middle of the school term she’d assured him she was ready. Sometimes he wondered if losing her virginity to him had been the only thing that bonded them.
“I’m sorry,” Beth said, her fretful voice bringing him back. “I made an assumption and now this is awkward.”
“What assumption?”
“Dinner being a date, you getting back into that scene for the first time. Take your pick.” She hesitated, then found the door handle. “You know what, maybe I’ll see you tomorrow when I drop off Liberty.”
“Beth, wait.” He tried to catch her free hand, missed and gripped her upper arm. “You were right. I was asking you out on a date.” He slid his hand to the back of her neck. Her skin was warm and soft, and he could smell the sweet scent of her body. “Cut me some slack, I’m rusty at this sort of thing.”
“I’m not so great at it either,” she murmured. “Obviously.”
He smiled, not buying it for a second. “How are you at kissing?”
* * *
G OOD THING HE wasn’t waiting for an answer. Startled, at first Beth could only stare. He leaned closer, and she did, too, close enough to feel his breath on her face. He slid his hand from her nape to cup her jaw, his fingers exerting just the right amount of pressure to hold her still and cause something in her stomach to thump.
His lips were soft and firm, moving over hers, in no apparent hurry to do anything more than taste and learn. Her heart began pounding faster when he tested the seam of her lips. She parted them for him and liked that he didn’t rush inside her mouth. His gentle exploration gave her time to get used to what was happening, time to enjoy the warm