I couldn’t tell her that the trouble was that none of the ladies were her.
“Maybe cupid missed my grumpy ass.”
“I guess we’re both part of the single for life club,” she cocked her head. “What happened with Avery? I thought you two were a big thing.”
That jolted me. Everyone in town had thought that for a while. It still grated on me how that had turned out.
“Naw. I mean, she might have wanted that. I actually hadn’t known how young she was when I asked her out.” The girl had been in her mid-twenties. That waswaytoo young for my comfort level. I was thirty-six, and I wanted someone mature in my life. Someone like Rissy.
“I used to think I was too young for you.”
“You? Maybe when we were kids. But now…” I let that hang in the air while she looked at me with somber eyes.
She sighed. “When I was a teenager, four years felt like a billion. And now it seems like nothing.”
“Yeah…” My voice was husky and low as her eyes caught mine again, refusing to let me go.
For the longest time I’d thought of Rissy as Matt’s adorable little kid sister. Then at some point she’d grown up anddamn… she’d turned into a woman that I couldn’t get off my mind or out of my heart. She’d grown into her curves and ever since then I’d spent a thousand sleepless nights fantasizing about what I could do to her if Ievergot her in my bed.
The mood between us changed, and an electric charge filled the air. I drifted my boot under the table until I made soft contact with her shoe.
“Fuck that guy, whoever it is that stood you up tonight.” Then I went out on a wild limb. “Rissy, I’m in a serious date deficit. And it being Valentine’s and all, I think I’m going to die of a broken heart if a pretty young thing like you refuses to spend theevening with me. You think your date would mind if I steal you for the night?”
That earned me a laugh. And a sharp kick.
“Seriously. I’m fine. Thanks for the offer of a pity-date, Sawyer, but I’d rather spend the rest of the evening in my jammies drip-feeding ice cream into my veins.”
“That sounds awesome. And maybe we can watch a depressing drama while we’re at it. One where everyone dies, ideally. I keep my jammies in my truck so I can join you. But we might need to hit the grocery store for some ice cream before they close. We’ve got exactly five minutes before eight p.m. Isn’t that when Red Oak Market closes?”
Her cute little lips formed a tiny smile.
“No way, Sawyer. I wouldneverget into my pajamas with you. If we had a sleepover, I couldn’t trust you for a second. I’d be liable to wake up with toothpaste all over my face.”
I can’t believe she still remembers that.
Now I was the one chuckling. “Youcan’thold that against me. I was only sixteen.”
“Well, I wastwelve! You know what that was like waking up to find out that my older brother’s hot friend had drawn pictures on my face while I slept?”
Did she just call mehot?
Now it was like old time’s sake between us. We’d always had a comfortably flirty banter. The kind that had driven Matt crazy.
I let out a snort, even as my dick activated in my jeans. “For your information, Ionlydrew the flower on your cheek. Your brother was responsible for everything else.”
He’d covered her face in toothpaste and taken a polaroid for good measure.
The tiny slip of her smile turned into a grin, and I knew I’d succeeded in the first step of my mission. Tonight wouldn’t be an ultimate disaster for her.
There was still time to redeem Valentine’s Day.
“What do you say we get out of here and hit the Bear Den?” I asked. “We can drink too much and sing depressing break-up songs during karaoke hour. If we’re lucky, we could get kicked out for bad harmonizing. Max might even ban us for life.”
Marissa laughed and tossed her hair back, that gorgeous sparkle coming back into her eye that I was used to seeing. She still looked like a weepy, red-eyed woman, but at least now she was laughing about it.
“No way,” she shook her head. “If I doanythingtonight, I need to throw some axes. I’ve got some anger to burn off.”
“That’smy girl,” I drawled. “In that case, will you be my Valentine, Marissa Miranda Myers? I need a beautiful date for the Ozark Axe House tonight.”
