“I have a knack for them.” She nodded. “I’m fluent in Spanish and German and not too bad with Italian and French.”
“You told me you want to visit relatives in Hamburg and Berlin one day,” he said. “Communicating with them won’t be a problem for you.”
He didn’t recognize a word as she spoke her following sentence in German. She smiled. “It’s one of my mom’s favorite sayings. It translates to ‘Life is no pony farm,’ which means, ‘Life can be challenging.’”
Tucker chuckled. “She’s got that right.”
“I just started learning Swedish.” She shifted in her seat. “I’ll get back to you when I’ve got that one down.”
“Why Swedish?”
“I want to go there in the future.” Her eyes had a faraway look. “Maybe I’ll take a Baltic cruise and visit other Scandinavian countries. Oh, and I want to go to Estonia while I’m there. I hear Tallinn is gorgeous.” She sighed and met his gaze. “What about you? Are you interested in traveling?”
He nodded. “I’ve thought about traveling to Great Britain and Europe, but never sat down and made plans.”
“Life gets away from a person, doesn’t it?” She leaned forward. “Just think of all the adventures you could have. Three of my cousins spent their honeymoons in Europe. They went to different places from each other, and they all came back with wonderful stories.” She smiled. “I’m quite envious.”
“I’m sure you’ll make your dream of visiting Europe happen.” He returned her smile, thinking about going on a trip like that with her, if things went the way he hoped they would. “Are you ready to head home?”
She glanced at her watch. “I didn’t realize so much time had passed.” She looked at him. “Spending time with you makes me forget everything else.”
Tucker nodded. “I feel the same way.” He eased up out of his chair as she stood. He gathered the empty containers and drink cups, carried them to the waste bin, and disposed of them.
Yeah, he could spend hours with Ellie, but it felt like it would never be enough.
* * *
Ellie had a delicious feeling as they walked out of Honey Bear’s, and she was high on the pleasure of spending time with Tucker. The night was cool. He retrieved her quilted coat from the back seat of the king cab and helped her into it.
He opened the passenger side door of his vehicle and closed the door when she was settled inside. It was a big step onto the running board to get into the dually truck, and she appreciated his gentlemanly efforts.
The drive from Phoenix to Chandler passed quickly as they chatted. They talked about local happenings in King Creek and Gold Canyon. The former was a small town, but the latter was even smaller.
He glanced from the road and looked at her. “Do you miss living on a ranch?”
“Sometimes.” She thought about it. “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.”
He flashed a smile. “I knew you’re still a country girl at heart.”
Ellie studied him. He was interested in her enough to see if she’d consider living on a ranch again. One thing you couldn’t do was part a cowboy from the country, as their roots ran deep. So, she needed to decide if she’d be willing to create a life there again. It was a decision she had to make before their relationship went any further. It wouldn’t be fair to continue if that wasn’t a path she was willing to follow.
Truth was, she could imagine herself living in the country with Tucker and starting a family one day in the future. The thought filled her with warmth. She wasn’t sure why she was having such serious thoughts about the man so soon, but there it was.
When they reached her community, he parked, opened her door, helped her down, and walked her to her front door. They were both quiet, and she wondered what he was thinking.
Should she ask him inside to continue the evening and have a drink? But would he think that would be an invitation to take it farther than she was ready to go?
But they could just talk, right? Nothing more. He was a gentleman, so she knew he wouldn’t pressure her.
They reached her doorstep. She faced him, her back to the door. “Would you like to come in?” She stumbled over her words, feeling utterly off balance, her confidence deserting her for the moment. “It’s fun talking with you.” God, if that didn’t sound lame.
He braced one hand on the doorframe, caging her in. He held her gaze, his eyes dark and smoky. “It’s not a good idea.”
Her heart stuttered as he ran his thumb along her lower lip, and tingles raced through her. His voice was a low rumble as he spoke. “Before I go, can I kiss you?”
A surge of pleasure made her almost lightheaded. “I’d like that.” Her voice was husky as her self-confidence returned. She moved closer to him so their bodies touched.
He lowered his head, and she shivered as she slid her palms up his chest and clasped her hands behind his neck, waiting for him to complete the connection. His breath was warm as it brushed her lips. Anticipation made her heart beat faster before his mouth met hers.
