CHAPTERFOURTEEN
LOU
This time,I keep the date to myself. No way do I want Bella to know because she’ll lecture me on the dos and don’ts of sex, and I’m nervous enough as it is. Hell, case in point, I was so jittery getting ready for this stupid date, I’ve got two cuts now thanks to the razor that I rarely use. It has rust on it, if that’s any indication as to its age.
What?
Why would I shave? I wear jeans all day every day. Sure, I wore a dress last week, but that doesn’t count.
Not only that, but I gave him my address. I need him to pick me up since Toni’s still in the shop. As soon as he pulls into the driveway, I’m going to run out and jump into his car. Dad doesn’t need to meet him. Why would he? He’ll be gone in a week, and no one will be the wiser. Also, I’m going to give him directions for the back way to Excelsior, over the gravel country roads. That way, we don’t have to go through town. And if he insists on going through town, I’ll lay down and no one will see me.
The gossip mill in this town is legendary. It’s bad enough everyone saw me eating dinner with the man, because that event started the whole town buzzing with wrong information. It went a little like this: Bella overheard people saying that Chase is the firstReturn to Zodiac Hillsperson to hit Zodiac Hills. Because of this, Bill gave me a shirt with Libra on the front. (I’m a Libra.) When the receptionist at the bed-and-breakfast, Betty, found out about this, she snooped into his registration information and discovered that he is, in fact, an Aries. According to Bill, Aries and Libra donotmix and I should hold out for an Aquarius man. I suppose he’s correct. Even the back of my new T-shirt agrees.
Hell, I don’t need a T-shirt to tell me Chase Ryder and I are not compatible. Sure, I don’t know him that well, but I trust my gut and it’s telling me that this thing with him is going nowhere.
* * *
I seehis car before I hear his motor. Opening the front door carefully, I tiptoe out onto the front porch. I’m waiting in the grassy area outside, and before he’s even had time to stop the car, I’m reaching for the passenger door handle. Of course, I wait until he comes to a full stop before I slip inside. But barely. Once my belt clicks into place, I snap, “Go.”
“What the hell?” He looks over at me, but he does as I ask. “Is there a semiautomatic-wielding father I need to worry about?” He laughs.
“Kind of.” I glance at him. “It’s only a shotgun, but still something you should be concerned about.”
“You’re kidding?” His voice sounds gruff. “You live with your parents?”
“I don’t like your tone.” I really don’t.
He stops at the end of the long driveway. His blinker is ready, flickering for a left turn.
“Turn right.”
He flicks the blinker to the other direction. “You live with your parents?”
“My father. Okay. I live with my father.” I could tell him he’s got health problems. Sure. I could tell him that. He’ll never meet him. “He’s got health issues.”
“Oh.” I can sense a shift. “You’re his caregiver?”
“Mm-hmm.” God. I’m going to hell. I really am.
No worries. This man will never meet my father.Ever.
“Oh, is he disabled?”
Okay. I can’t do this. Time for some distraction. Reaching my hand across the center console, I rest my palm on his upper thigh. “Is this really what you want to talk about?”
He looks down at my hand. His eyes travel up until our eyes meet. It’s not quite dark outside yet. I can see his Adam’s apple bob. “You have my attention.”
Thank God. “Do I?” I tilt my head slightly in a feeble attempt at looking coy. Or maybe sexy. Hell, I don’t know. This is not my forte. I move my hand up an inch. “Where are we going?”
“Hotel. Excelsior.” I’m only getting one word sentences out of the man. Hm. Interesting. Sliding my hand inward a tad, I give his thigh a little squeeze. “Which one?”
“A nice one. Look, sweetheart. If you don’t want me to pull off on the side of the road and take this into the backseat, you’ll need to move your hand back over to your side of the car.”
“Oh.” I snicker. “Gotcha.”
I hear him blow air out of his mouth slowly.
“Now that you’ve got us traveling all the backroads of Nebraska, can you lead us out of here to a main road?”
