An inscrutable expression crossed his face. “Ah, yeah, you, too.” He jumped to his feet and extended his hand. “Great to meet you.”
The moment his fingers grazed over mine, I felt that same crazy jolt I’d experienced the night we’d really met. It made my insides go mushy and all of my lady parts sing out in yearning.
And it led to your current predicament, too. Just a reminder.
I forced another smile as I tugged my hand away and reached for his plate. I had a chance now . . . if my mother went upstairs to talk to her sister and Dad was in the kitchen making his disgusting coffee drink, I could linger here and at the very least, let Dean know that we had to talk.
But it seemed that fate wasn’t my friend tonight, because Mom lingered at the table while I began clearing the table.
“I’ll keep Dean company until you’re ready to serve your specialty,” she announced. “I want to hear more about your training this summer.” She settled back in her chair, and Dean, clueless that I needed to get him alone, beamed at her as he began to talk about his travels to Africa.
Stifling a sigh, I got down to work on cleaning up. I’d just finished loading the dishwasher when my mother wandered through the kitchen.
“Thanks so much, Will.” She leaned up to kiss my cheek. “I appreciate your help tonight. Really.”
“You’re welcome.” I hit theCleanbutton and shut the door. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go for a walk.” I patted my middle. “Exercise off some of that pasta.”
“Another walk?” Mom tilted her head, frowning. “And it’s dark out, honey. Cold, too.”
“I won’t go far,” I promised. “Maybe just around the block. Or maybe I’ll just sit in the garden. It’s so pretty out there, and not that cold, not really. I just need some air.”
“Whatever you want.” She waved one hand, glancing at the phone in her hand. “Oh, Aunt Von’s ready to talk. I’m heading upstairs.” She spared me one last glance. “Just don’t get lost walking around the post. Or kidnapped by the bogey man.”
“Neither seems likely,” I responded dryly. “I’ll probably go right to bed after I come inside, so I’ll just see you in the morning.”
“Okay.” With an absentminded wave, she left the kitchen.
I wilted, leaning my hips against the counter. Pretense and prevarication were a lot more exhausting than I ever knew.
Still, I hadn’t been lying about my plans for the rest of the evening. Grabbing my thick knitted infinity scarf off the hook by the side door, I slipped outside, wandering around the perimeter of the small garden before I ducked under a hedge and made my way carefully toward the front of the house. I felt more than a little like a deranged stalker, but this was the surest way of catching Dean before he disappeared back into the corps of cadets—and then what would I do? Stand at the corner of the academic area and hope that I recognized him when and if he passed me?
Some past resident of our house had placed a stone bench in secluded spot facing the public sidewalk. Mom had added a few cushions after she’d figured out that it was a perfect spot to watch the sunset over the mountains. During warmer months, she and my father often took their after-dinner drink to the bench to enjoy the last rays of sunlight.
Now, I silently thanked both the person who’d installed the bench and my clever mother as I settled myself to watch for a certain cadet to pass by as he left my home. I knew I might have a little bit of a wait, but what else did I have on my agenda for the evening? Not one damn thing, aside from telling my unwitting baby daddy about his impending parenthood.
Sitting in the quiet, the impact of what I was about to do hit me hard. It had been far easier when I’d assumed that I’d never see Dean again, that telling him wasn’t going to be an option at all. But seeing him tonight had brought back an avalanche of memories of our night together—all the details that I’d repressed.
This evening, I’d been all too aware of how often Dean’s eyes had rested on me, and more than once, I’d caught a subtle flash of heat and desire as if he too was remembering that night.
Along with my anxiety, I had to admit that I felt a twinge of regret that after I shared my news with Dean, he wasn’t ever going to look at me that way again. It made me want to cry, which definitely wasn’t an option. I didn’t want Dean to find me sniffling alone in the dark, with red eyes and a snotty nose.
Instead, I focused on my breaths, closing my eyes as I sought just a little peace.
ChapterSix
Dean
If this wasn’t a mind fuck, I didn’t know what was.
Willow. How often had I thought about her, dreamed about her, and okay, yeah, fantasized about her since that night? Too many times for me to admit without squirming.
But I’d figured that I wasn’t ever going to see her again. That night could live in my memory forever, and each time I pictured Willow, I knew I saw her a little sexier, a little more beautiful, a little more perfect than she’d actually been.
As it turned, however, I was wrong. Standing before me in Coach’s living room earlier tonight, within easy reach—and pulling her close a few moments before that had been incredible, like coming home to a place I hadn’t known I missed—she was lovelier and more irresistible than she’d been in my dreams.
What had become immediately clear, though, was that Willow wasn’t necessarily happy about seeing me. She was surprised, and I couldn’t blame her for that. Maybe the shock was masking her pleasure. She’d frowned, her forehead crinkled as she’d opened her pretty mouth to say something to me, something that didn’t seem like it was an expression of joy.
And then I’d heard Coach’s voice.
