FORTY
T
ripp paused sanding for a moment to run a hand over the surface of the wood.The honey-toned oak glowed in the sunlight coming through the open door of the workshop, its friction-warmed surface smooth as satin against his skin.
“Morning.”
He straightened as Willow stepped inside with Rufus, her hair loose around her shoulders and damp from a recent shower.The initial spike of joy at seeing her was instantly buried under a landslide of guilt and dread.“Morning.Sleep well?”
“Practically unconscious all night, but then I woke up in your big empty bed and felt lonely.”
He’d only left the bed because he’d been restless and didn’t want to wake her.“I like to start work early before it gets too hot.”
She nodded, a distinctly satisfied gleam in her eyes as she walked over and slid her arms around his waist, peering up at him with those beautiful brown eyes he could drown in.“I missed you.”
He dropped a kiss on her upturned lips.Couldn’t help sinking his hand into the back of her damp hair and deepening it.She tasted like his cinnamon toothpaste and smelled of his spicy soap and shampoo.He was addicted.
“Oh.Sorry.”
They broke apart to find his dad standing in the open doorway, wearing a sheepish expression.“Morning.I uh...I’m just gonna grab some coffee from your kitchen if you don’t mind.My machine’s not cooperating this morning.”
“Hi, Mr.Rawlings.”
He smiled warmly at Willow.“Hi yourself.”
She turned back to Tripp.Behind her, his dad gave him a grin and an enthusiastic thumbs up.“Rufus and I’ll go grab us some coffees and bring them out.Sound good?”
“Sounds great.”
“Just black for you, right?And one sugar one cream for you?”she asked his dad.
“You remembered.”
“Of course I did.”She aimed a secret smile at Tripp before leaving them alone.
Tripp stared after her, the sudden return of his inner turmoil filling his chest with concrete.
“So.”His dad sauntered forward, bouncing his eyebrows.“This is good news, huh?”
