Three Little Words

A statement easier to say than live.

The front door opened before she could ring the bell. Reese Hendrix grinned up at her.

“Hi,” he said. “Please tell my dad I need a puppy.”

His easygoing grin relaxed her. He was a good kid and she liked having him in class. She would think about that instead of his father, she told herself. Or the fact that she hadn’t been on a date since she was seventeen. Her boyfriend had gone to jail her senior year. Then she’d been accepted into the army. It had seemed foolish to date anyone she worked with. After a while, her covert assignments had made the idea of dating impossible.

But all that was behind her, she reminded herself. She was just a regular woman, living in a small town, joining a friend and his son for dinner.

Just then a large Lab-golden mix nosed past Reese to launch herself at Consuelo. The dog was all wagging tail and kisses. Consuelo grabbed her collar and told her to sit. The dog did as she said.

“You want a puppy when you already have all this dog energy in the house?”

Reese was wide-eyed. “Whoa, she doesn’t normally obey people like that.”

“You have to be firm without being mean,” she said.

She stepped into the house and handed Reese the cookies. They were in a large living room done in neutral shades. Even the big sectional sofa was brown. Fluffy leaned against her boy.

“You don’t think she needs someone to play with?” he asked, rubbing her head.

“She has you.”

He grinned. “We’re having steaks tonight. My dad’s grilling them. Usually we only have hamburgers, so this is special.”

“There you go, spilling all our secrets.”

Consuelo turned toward the sound of the voice. She saw Kent walking toward her. He wore jeans and a light blue long-sleeved shirt. He’d rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, which wasn’t any big deal but seemed really sexy.

Her gaze skittered around the room, as if unsure where to settle. That matched the fluttering she felt in her fingers and the uneasiness in her chest. Running was an excellent idea, she thought, even as she knew she had to stick it out. Not only because it was polite, but because in her heart she wanted to.

“Dad, it’s okay people know we don’t eat steak very much,” Reese said. He held out the plate of cookies. “Look at what Consuelo brought.”

“My favorite,” Kent said, never taking his gaze from her face.

“You don’t know what they are,” his son said.

Kent smiled. “I know.”

Consuelo felt herself flush, which hadn’t happened to her in a decade. “Thanks for having me over,” she said, the words barely making their way past her suddenly dry mouth. “I brought wine.”

“Thank you,” he said. “Come on back and I’ll open it.”

She followed him into a large, modern kitchen. There were plenty of cabinets and the countertops were granite. Reese looked from the grill on the patio to his father.

“Can I go play computer games until it’s time to cook the steaks?” he asked.

“Sure. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

Reese grinned at her. “Because I’m in charge of the steaks tonight.”

“A man who cooks,” she teased. “Impressive.”

Reese took off down the hall, Fluffy at his heels.

“I’ll supervise,” Kent admitted when his son had disappeared. “But I’ve been teaching him to use the grill this summer and he’s catching on really well.”

“Better than your brother,” she said. “Ford is a horrible cook. When we first moved here, he and Angel had a bet. Ford lost and had to cook dinner. It was supposed to be for a month, but the food was so horrible I made him stop after a couple of days.”

Kent went to a kitchen drawer and got out a corkscrew. “You lived with Ford?”

“Yes. He moved out because he and Angel compete too much. It became too dangerous for the furniture to have them wrestling all the time.”

Kent glanced at her. “Now you live with Angel?”

It took her a second to understand the implication of the question. “He’s a coworker. We’re friends. We’ve shared a house before.”

“Ever dated?”

Kent asked the question casually, as if the answer didn’t matter. She wanted to believe it did, although she wasn’t sure.

She took the glass of wine he offered. “If the real question is have I ever slept with him, then the answer is no. Like I said, we’re friends. Angel lost his wife and son a few years ago. Single-car accident during a storm. He went through a rough patch. I knew him before they died and I liked Marie a lot. Even if I hadn’t known her, Angel isn’t for me. I don’t want a guy in the business. It’s not like the movies. What we did together wasn’t romantic. Trust me.”

He pretended disappointment. “Don’t tell me action movies aren’t based in reality. Reese and I will be crushed.”

“You watch them a lot?”

“I’m the single dad of a thirteen-year-old boy. Some days action movies are all we have in common.”

“I like a good action movie. Except most of them get the fighting wrong and that’s annoying.”

“Kind of like being a doctor and trying to watch a medical drama?” he asked.

“Just like that.”

He gave her a wry smile. “Not too many shows about math teachers, so I’m an easy audience.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing. I’ll bet half your female students have a crush on you.”

Kent shook his head. “No way. I’ve cultivated an asexual demeanor in the classroom. Most of my students are shocked to find out I have a kid. A few have even come up and asked if I adopted. I’m their math teacher, not a man. I prefer it that way.”

An attitude she could respect, she thought grimly. Why was it every time she turned around, Kent was even more perfect?

“What?” he demanded.

She looked up at him.

He put down his wineglass and moved toward her. “You have it again. That look. As if you’re thinking of running away.”

Again. He didn’t say that last word, but it hung between them all the same.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “Maybe it would help if you listed your flaws.”

“I don’t understand. Why do you want to know my flaws?”

“To even the playing field.”

Kent stared at her. “You’re kidding, right? If anyone needs a level playing field, it’s me.”

“Why? You’re successful and smart. Responsible, good-looking and really nice.” She held up a hand. “I know you don’t like the nice part, but it sure works for me. Do you know where you live?”

He nodded slowly. “I’m clear on my address. So far I’m not exhibiting any signs of dementia. Do you find memory loss a turn-on?”

She managed a strangled laugh. “No. I mean look at the town you live in. Your house. It’s so normal.”

“Isn’t your house normal? Are you and Angel nailing the furniture to the ceiling?”

“I’ve never lived in a house before. I’ve never had a front yard or a backyard or a mailbox by the curb. I’ve never lived in the suburbs. People I don’t know wave at me here.”

“Do you wave back at them? It’s what’s expected. Because hitting them or shooting them is really frowned on.”

He moved toward her as he spoke. She found herself having to tilt her head slightly so she could meet his gaze.

“You’re not taking me seriously,” she complained.

“I am. I understand that this is different for you. I’m not sure of all the ways, but I respect that you’re trying to fit in. I really like that your past has given you an inflated sense of my appeal and I hope that you never correct your opinion.”

She found herself feeling slightly trapped by his body. Trapped in a good way. Because getting away from him would be a snap. Only she didn’t want to go anywhere. Scared as she was, she wanted to be right here—with Kent close and getting closer.

She put her wine on the counter, then found she didn’t know what to do with her hands. She started to tuck them behind her back, only that made her feel vulnerable. Then she twisted her fingers together. She felt herself getting uncomfortable and knew that anger was only a heartbeat away.

But before she could settle into her go-to emotion, Kent took her hands in his.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“A woman who tells the truth. That’s a new one.”

She smiled, liking the faint scent of soap and man. He was tall and broad, without being overly muscled. She found herself wanting to find out what men in the regular world did on a date. She wanted to listen to Kent talk about almost anything. She wanted to snuggle close and, for the first time in as long as she could remember, feel that someone might want to take care of her.

“Do you think disparaging women is really a smart move?”

“When I’m around you, I can’t think, let alone be smart,” he admitted. “I’ve accepted that. And the fact that you could crush my windpipe.”

She lowered her gaze from his dark eyes to his throat. “It’s not an efficient way to kill, but yes, I could.”

“I guess that means I’m taking my life in my hands if I do this.”

He drew her hands to his sides and then behind him. When her fingers touched his back, he released them and put his on her waist. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

His mouth was light and soft and more gentle than the brush of a butterfly wing. He didn’t grind or take or pull her against him. There was space between them. Too much space.

This was what she wanted, she thought. A kind man who respected women. A man who took only what was offered and would stop if she asked him to. A man who would never make her feel dirty or afraid.

He drew back and looked at her. His expression was concerned. “You okay?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I wasn’t ready.”

He stiffened and straightened, even as he took a step back. “I’m sorry. I thought—”

She read the emotions flashing through his dark eyes. Horror and shame were the dominant ones. There were others and each of them made her long for him more than she had before.

“No,” she said, grabbing his arm before he could say anything else. “I wanted you to kiss me. I wasn’t ready for how it made me feel.” She smiled. “I liked the kiss.”

He relaxed a little but didn’t move toward her.

She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled. He didn’t move. Of course, she could have forced him to do anything she wanted, but that didn’t seem like the best way to begin their first official date.

She released him and sighed. “It sucks to be short. Could you please just lean over and kiss me again?”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re not going to threaten me with violence?”

“I want to, but I told myself it was wrong, what with this being a date and all.”

“I’m impressed by your self-control. Impressed and relieved.” The seriousness returned. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. Very. Please kiss me.”

He moved toward her. “I love it when women beg.”

She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. Then they were touching everywhere and suddenly the situation wasn’t humorous.

She liked how he held her, as if he never wanted to let go. His body was warm and strong. Safe, she thought, letting her eyes drift shut. Perfect.

He touched his mouth to hers. There was more pressure this time. A hint of wanting. Gentleness still ruled, but she felt the potential of what there could be between them.

He didn’t try to deepen the kiss and he pulled back before she was ready. But instead of releasing her, he continued to hold her close. One of his hands lightly stroked her hair.

“Thanks for coming to dinner,” he murmured.

She let herself lean against him. “Thanks for asking me.”

“Anytime.”

She relaxed, feeling her defenses start to crumble. She might not understand how to do whatever it was they were doing, but with Kent there to guide her, she knew she could find her way.

* * *

“SO, THE BACK of Billy’s truck, huh?” Ford asked.

Isabel had just licked her ice-cream cone. She forced herself to swallow. “Excuse me?”

He winked. “Your first time. It was Billy, right?”

She glanced around. They were out on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The morning had been cool, but the afternoon had warmed up. Plenty of other people crowded the sidewalks as if everyone had suddenly noticed the changing of the leaves and realized there wasn’t much summer left.

“We are not discussing this,” she told him. “Not where anyone might hear.”

“You’re saying it’s the problem of being overheard, not the subject matter.”

“Mostly, although I’m not sure I want to talk about my first time with you.”

“Too late,” he said triumphantly. “You told me all about it in your letters.”

“You’re the most annoying man.”

“No way. You love spending time with me. I’m funny and nice to look at.”

She held in a smile. “Actually, what I most adore is your lack of ego. You’re so unaware of your charms.”

He bumped her shoulder with his. “My flaws keep me human.”

She licked her cone. “Then you’re one of the most grounded people I know. What made you think of Billy?”