Still, it needed tending to before it got that way. She picked up the lotion, took off the cap, then put a little on her index finger. She leaned over and dabbed it on his cheek.
“There,” she said, surprised at the softness in her voice. “Feel better?”
His eyes didn’t move from hers. “Much.”
The swirling of butterflies in her stomach was now at a fever pitch. When his gaze dropped to her mouth, she could barely breathe.
He’s going to kiss me... and I’m going to let him.
***
If Sophie knew how badly Joe wanted to kiss her, she’d probably slap him. At the very least she’d walk right out of his house and call a friend or an Uber to come get her. Having made several mistakes already, he was determined not to screw up now. He yanked his gaze from hers and stood, the movement almost painful—and not because of the bee stings.
“Uh, it’s probably safe back at the range now,” he said, turning his back to her as he tried to get his wits together. “Claude probably has the exterminator on the premises by now.”
“Oh. Right. I’m sure it is.”
He turned back to her, wondering if he was imagining that she sounded disappointed. Of course, he was, because now she wasn’t even looking at him. She was scanning the room, and he was thankful the cleaning service he’d hired to come by twice a week had decided to come out today instead of yesterday. Usually his place, while not dirty, was messy, mostly due to him being so busy, which was why he’d hired the service.
Why was he thinking about cleaning, anyway?Because it’s better than thinking about kissing Sophie.He pressed the ice pack to his arm, but what he really needed was a cold shower. If he couldn’t keep his focus on something other than Sophie, he’d end up kissing her, and that would be strike three in her book.
He tossed the ice pack on the counter and headed for the front door. “I’ll make sure the truck is empty of critters,” he said as he opened the door, then walked out without waiting for her response. When he got outside, he drew in a deep breath.Get it together, man!
Serious about making sure his truck was clear of bees, he checked everything, including the engine, which not only bought him time to collect himself but also proved that they were finally free of the pesky insects. He walked back to the house and poked his head inside the front door.
“It’s safe now,” he said, then nearly laughed out loud at the irony. His emotions were definitely not safe, and the sooner he got her back to the range, the better.
He opened the truck door for her, barely thinking aboutthe gesture because he’d always done it. He even opened the door for his sister, although she, being the independent woman she was, always pitched a fit. Which was why he never failed to open the door for her. He climbed in the driver’s seat, and a few minutes later they were headed back to the range.
The silence in the cab was overwhelming. Why weren’t they talking? Everything had been easy until...Until you almost kissed her.Had she sensed that he’d wanted to? He had no idea. If he’d learned one thing this evening, it was that he couldn’t trust his emotions.
Joe turned into the parking lot, which was now empty except for Sophie’s car and Claude’s classic Crown Victoria. The old man was holding a can in each hand and spraying them around the stall where the teenagers had been. When he saw Joe pull up next to Sophie’s car, he hurried over to them. Joe rolled down the truck window.
“What happened?” he asked when Claude reached them.
“Idiot kids.” Claude scowled, looking like he was ready to exterminate some teenagers. “They saw a hole in the roof and started throwing balls at it, trying to see if they could get one in. I was going over there to tell them to knock it off when bees started coming out of the hole. You know the rest.” He shook his head. “I guess I should thank them. At least we weren’t busy, and now I know I need to inspect for more nests. Anyways, I’m closed for the night, obviously. Did you two leave anything?”
“The club I used and the golf ball bucket,” Sophie said. “I can get them for you.”
“I’ll put them up.” Claude lifted the cans. “Back to work I go.”
Joe rolled the window back up as Claude took off. Hefrowned, wondering if he needed help. As soon as he said goodbye to Sophie, Joe decided to find out. He turned to her, prepared to see that she’d opened the door and was already halfway out.
But she remained in her seat, looking at him.
“Joe,” she said, her tone serious. “I need to ask you something.”
He was surprised. “Sure.”
“Why didn’t you want me to go out with Landon?”
***
Sophie had spent the ride back to the golf range trying to stem her disappointment.
She’d been so sure Joe was going to kiss her, then felt like a fool for being completely wrong. Then again, what did she know about men? When was the last time she’d actually kissed one? Never, since the last kiss she’d experienced was a perfunctory one from her date at the senior prom, and that didn’t count. How pathetic. Thirty-five years old and never been kissed. How humiliating. At least by the time Joe pulled into the parking lot, she had disabused herself of the kissing idea.
But there was one thing she wanted to know. She hadn’t planned to ask him, but now that their friendly evening was over and he’d made up for interfering in her life, she wasn’t sure if she’d have the opportunity again. She needed to know why he had been so against her going out with Landon.
