Page 6

She sat in her locked car while she scanned the duplex, the gravel parking area out front, the small porch in front of the twin doors. Nothing was amiss, but her senses were on high alert. She had trimmed the bushes herself so they would be both tidy and too small to hide a would-be intruder.

That’s when it hit her. She could see the bushes on both sides of the porch. Her heart slowed. The floodlight was fixed. The new bulb lit the entire parking area and half of the front porch.

Nicole rubbed her stomach, willing the churning to settle. She locked her phone and gathered her things, ready to finally head inside. When she looked up, Damon was standing on the front porch, hands on hips and feet planted wide.

He was scowling, too, because of course he was.

Nicole opened her car door, unfreezing Damon. He marched toward her, holding her door open then closing it behind her. “You okay?”

“He speaks,” she stage whispered.

“You sat in your car a long time. You looked scared.” He followed her to the porch. “I fixed the light.”

“I know. Took me a minute to recognize what was different, that’s all.” It took her three attempts to get her key slotted into her deadbolt.

“Tell me why that has you shaking and covered in goosebumps.”

“Tell me why you’re so grumpy all the time.”

He stood behind her as the door opened. His body radiated heat that hers wanted to absorb, as if she were solar powered and he were the sun. “Why isn’t your pickup truck here?”

“I bought supplies today. I parked it around back while unloading.” He pulled a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Can we talk?”

“Why?” Nicole knew the answer. He wanted to know why she was acting like a crazy person.

After a pause, he answered, “I enjoy your company and want more of it.”

Her heart stuttered. Now her stomach clenched with an entirely different sensation. “Really?” She breathed.

His lips were beside her ear when he whispered back, “really.”

“I-I have some beer we could drink on the deck.”

She felt his nod. Forcing her feet to move, she led him into her half of the duplex, pausing in the kitchen to grab a couple bottles of beer.

The air was cooler at night, but she wasn’t cold. Her body’s shakes had evolved to shivers of anticipation. A relationship might be impossible, but a little fun wasn’t off the table. It wasn’t realistic to expect herself to live like a nun for the next 70 years.

“Pumpkin beer?” His scowl redirected to the bottle in his hand before he trained his gaze on her. She bit her lip.

“Technically, it’s pumpkin spice.” Her shoulder lifted, a mirror to his cocked eyebrow.

He grunted in response, and she couldn’t resist a grin. Her nerves were melting into desire. She’d take his grunts and scowls and give him a reason to laugh and smile.

“I’d drink anything if it made you smile like that.” His pupils dilated. “Tell me why you were so scared when you got home.”

Now the chilly air penetrated, cooling her body. She didn’t want to talk about Kent or why she was in Maple Lane Falls.

“Tell me why you’re so grumpy all the time,” she deflected.

He looked pensive, taking a sip of beer while he stalled. When he swallowed, he grimaced.” I was in the army. For the last several years, I saw… combat. Difficult missions. Guess it changed me.” He lifted the bottle to his lips again, but this time he paused before lowering it. “I don’t mean to be grumpy, not at you. Never towards you. But I’m not the carefree, goofy guy I was as a kid. That person is… gone.” He stepped to the railing, looking into the distance.

Forcing herself not to overthink it, Nicole stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. He squeezed her hands to his stomach. Or maybe a brick wall. His abs were that hard and defined.

“I’ll tell you a secret.” He didn’t answer her, but he gave her forearm a squeeze, so she continued. “I like you all frowny and grunty. It’s driving me wild, if you want the truth.”

He cleared his throat, but it didn’t stop his voice from sounding gravelly and sexy as hell. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I think it’s the authenticity. Most guys put on a fake smile. Not you. You broadcast the grump. It’s refreshing.”