Page 17 of An Uncertain Road

Jensen had no idea what possessed him to needle Flora this way. Maybe it was the sting he still felt from her words on the beach. Thinking back over the conversation, he could see where he’d gone wrong, the words he’d let out that must have upset her. But there was no reason she needed to lash out at him, accusing him of being unable to protect those he’d promised to look out for.

The cutting remark he’d made in the winged ship hadn’t been kind. He couldn’t deny that. But the way she’d reached out and grabbed his arm when the fake storm startled her—as if she wanted to lean on him for protection—stirred up a longing he didn’t want to explore. And now he was in the mood to make her as uncomfortable as that had made him.

But it was backfiring. The feel of her body lined up against his was taking over all his senses. If he leaned forward the slightest bit, he’d be able to bury his face in her hair. She tensed as he whispered the challenge in her ear, and it felt as though a rock dropped into the pit of his stomach.

But he didn’t step away. He couldn’t. She turned a bit toward him, enough to look over her shoulder and meet his gaze. Her eyes were intense, flashing with temper over his dare and—at least, he hoped—the same awareness of their proximity that he was feeling.

And she didn’t move away either. Instead, she reached out and plucked a piece of cheese from the wall, as outlandish as that action was. Looking back at him again, she kept her confident gaze locked with his as she deliberately raised the bite and put it in her mouth. He nearly lost his composure right there, the longing to pull her into his arms almost more than he could resist.

But the moment of desire was broken when her face twisted into an expression of horror. She twirled around to face him, covering her mouth with one hand as she spoke around the bite of cheese. “This is terrible. I need to get rid of it or I’ll be sick.”

Jensen immediately pulled the handkerchief from his pocket. “Here, use this.” Then he pulled her forward to shield her from the other visitors as she spit the offending cheese into the cloth and balled it up.

Flora looked up at him once she was done, her expression vulnerable. “Thank you. I’m sorry, but that was awful. I doubt you’ll want your handkerchief back.”

“I have others. We’ll get rid of it when we see a garbage can. Let’s get you out of here.”

He found himself putting one arm around her shoulders and leading the way through the crowd to pass over a narrow bridge built into a hallway. They emerged from the door at the end into the heat and sunlight of the July afternoon, and Jensen sighed in relief. Fred and Beth had claimed a bench near the building, so he took Flora over and gestured for her to sit with them.

Beth’s eyes flicked back and forth between them as Flora sank onto the seat. “You look as green as that cheese, dear. Are you well?”

Jensen didn’t want to explain what had led to Flora taking that bite, and he doubted she did either. “It must have been too much time with that smell, combined with the heat. Let’s take a rest somewhere.”

A groan came from Beth’s direction. “I was so hoping we could do some of the rides, like the circle swing and Whirl the Whirl. They’re right down there.”

Flora shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly stand to be tossed around that much, Beth. But why don’t you and Fred go on? And Jensen, of course. If you’d rather?”

Did she mean for it to sound as though she’d prefer if he stayed with her? Because it sounded that way to him. “I’ll stay and make sure Flora doesn’t take a turn for the worse. You two go on. We’ll meet you at the restaurant for dinner.”

Fred and Beth traipsed off hand in hand to find more fun while Jensen lowered himself onto the bench next to Flora. “Do you want to sit here a while? Or find somewhere cooler?”

“Somewhere cooler sounds perfect. I heard Beth talking about a theatre. Maybe there will be a show we can watch.”

Jensen found the theatre with little trouble, and they settled in to watch the variety of vaudeville acts that crossed the stage. They were entertaining enough. Jensen even found himself chuckling alongside Flora’s lyrical laugh. He hated to admit how much he enjoyed looking over to see her smiling again. He could hardly remember now why he’d felt the need to push at her earlier. Watching her enjoy life was so much better than frustrating her.

By the time they left the theatre, evening was falling. Flora looked up in wonder as the electric lights outlining every rooftop in the park lit the whole place up. “Isn’t it beautiful, Jensen?”

His heart skipped a beat or two as he watched her face, the glow from the lights making her look ethereal, highlighting her already beautiful features. Who cared about some strung-up lights when he could look at Flora?

And just like that, Jensen realized he’d gotten himself into a dangerous situation.

They continued walking, but his heart had dropped out of his chest. He was falling for Flora. He’d promised to watch out for everyone on this trip, and now his heart was betraying him, opening him up to making mistakes, ones that could have lethal consequences. Having an adventurous woman like this in his life was too much of a risk.

The mistakes were already happening. Since he’d met her, Jensen had gotten roped into being the mechanic for a ten-day automobile tour. He’d been put in charge of three people who not only didn’t have the sense to stay out of such a dangerous event, but they sought it out. And now he found himself willing to risk both his and Flora’s hearts, just because she was lovely and he enjoyed her company more than he’d ever expected.

No, letting that happen was a complication he couldn’t allow. Putting a little space between them, Jensen silently led the way to the restaurant. Thankfully, Fred and Beth were on time and already waiting for them by the door. He’d have to take care that he spent as little time alone with Flora as possible on the rest of this journey. She cluttered his brain in the worst way.

The supper went by in a blur, and they finally returned to the hotel. Jensen was exhausted and thrilled to be alone for the first time all day. Yet rest alluded him. He paced his room for a time, but then headed downstairs to sit in the lobby and read a newspaper, hoping it would be boring enough to quiet his roiling thoughts.

Instead, he found Fred, who saw him before he could sneak away to find a more secluded spot. Fred grinned and waved for Jensen to join him. How could he say no?

Jensen settled into a winged chair near the one Fred had claimed in an alcove away from the front desk. He might as well get a few minutes of small talk over with, then excuse himself. “What brings you down here this evening? I thought you’d spend every moment with Beth, this being your wedding trip and all.”

Fred crossed his legs and looked up to examine the intricately designed ceiling. “Adjusting to married life is taking a little time. I find I occasionally need a moment of quiet to myself.”

Jensen stifled a laugh. Beth did tend toward constant talking. In comparison, time spent with Flora included frequent stretches of comfortable silence that were actually a balm to his spirit.

He shook his head. He had to stop thinking of Flora like that, imagining what a lifetime of moments spent with her might be like. “I suppose it’s easier to find that time at home than on the road.”