Disappointed that she didn’t get the reaction she was looking for, she sighed. “No. I’m ready to go.” She grabbed her purse out from under a table and hooked it over her shoulder. “Good night,” she called to Birdie.
Birdie waved without taking her eyes off the screen. It would have annoyed Wynn, but the girl was aware enough that no customer would go un-greeted. And she was thankful not to have an audience. Girls picked up on things boys were oblivious to—like when someone was trying to flirt with them.
Wynn bumped Judd with her hip. “Rough day?”
“No. Today was fine.”
“What was up with Wyatt?” Whatever happened had gotten under Judd’s skin. Maybe it was Wyatt’s confession that his marriage was in trouble. Despite their history, Judd wouldn’t want his cousin to go through tough times and certainly wouldn’t want his marriage to fail.
“I haven’t seen him.”
“Oh.” She ran out of things to ask about, and she didn’t want to poke the bear. He said he’d had a good day, but he was grumpy. Maybe what he needed was a little stress relief.
Up ahead, there was an alley between two tents. On a whim, she pushed him into the alley and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Judd stepped back and leaned away. “What’re you doing?”
Her initial reaction to his reaction was to jump back and pretend her dumb brain hadn’t come up with this crazy plan. But she was knee deep in it now, and he smelled like garlic and butter. “I’m going to kiss you until you lighten up.” She reached up and planted one on his lips.
He didn’t respond.
She tilted her head and buried her fingers in his hair, massaging gently. “This will go better if you participate.”
Judd moaned. He pushed her back. “You’re killing me, woman.” He didn’t sound upset at all. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I’m trying to have self-control.”
“Why?” She twirled his hair and he shuddered. That was more like it.
“Because … we’re in public.” He glanced both ways down the alley.
Something told her that wasn’t the whole reason, but she could only handle what she could see. “No one’s going to see us. And if they do, they won’t know it’s us.”
“Why not?”
“Because if you put your lips on mine and I put my lips on yours, our faces are completely hidden.”
He gave her a bad-boy smile, and her knees went weak. “How can I argue with that logic?”
“You can’t.” Her eyes dropped shut, and this time he was the one who kissed her. And what a kiss it was!
When they finally pulled apart, breathless, she gulped and asked, “Do you feel better now?”
“Yep.”
His short reply made her laugh. When she looked into his face, she saw the gentle, open man she’d come to care for and rely on. No more worry lines were etched around his eyes.
He leaned out and looked around before jumping out of the alley and acting like nothing had just happened. She didn’t have the heart to tell him he had lipstick on his cheek. Let him find it later—it would be a nice reminder of this moment.
“So, you were kind of tricky with that alley move back there.” He bumped her hip.
“Oh, I got moves, big guy.” She walked ahead of him, swinging her hips.
He jogged to her side. “How about more alleys? Any close by?”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him behind the entrance sign. The grass had been stomped down and the sign butted up against the fence, making an alcove. “How’s this?”
“Hmm. I like it.” He kissed her. “At this rate, we won’t make it to the truck.”
She giggled. “That’s the idea.”
