he tore a strip off of you because you tried to go over his father’s head and have things your way.” Rory tucked the glass onto the rack and pushed the door shut harder than she intended. She straightened up to look at her sister. “What does it matter to you what he does?”
“Francie shook her head. “Don’t be one of those girls, Rory. Next thing you know you’ll be heading over to the mainland for an abortion.”
If ever there had been a moment when Rory could have physically hurt her sister, that was it. She could have smashed a glass and jabbed her in the throat.
Rubbing her hands together and taking deep breaths to regain her cool, Rory actually saw red as Francie walked away.
“I should have gone to work at the titty bar on the mainland,” she muttered to herself.
*****
Having changed out of her uniform, she was on her way down the path leading to the cottages when she heard her name, followed by a frantic series of honks. Noah was parked in the loading zone just a few feet away. He wasn’t in his car, but a massive black SUV.
“Where’s your little speed demon?”
“I don’t want it to get stuck in a rut, so I borrowed Dad’s Yukon. Did you bring your bathing suit?”
“I didn’t know I needed it.”
He grinned. “You’ll just have to wear your underwear, or else …”
“Don’t say it.” She laughed, thrilled at the thought of getting naked and wet with him, and jogged to the other side of the SUV. “Where do you plan on taking me that we might get stuck in a rut?”
“I’m not prepared to divulge that information yet.”
Once she was buckled up, he shifted out of park and headed down the long driveway. Rory glanced into the backseat and scowled. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“Is that a tent?”
Unlike his car, the SUV was an automatic, and so he was free to reach out and tuck her hand in his. “You’re not going to get prissy on me, are you?”
“That depends on where you take me.”
He rolled to a stop at the main road, then leaned in. “I thought you might not want me asking you for a kiss back there.”
Rory pressed her lips to his and closed her eyes. She recognized it as a kiss that said I missed you , even though they had only seen one another a few hours ago. She cupped his cheek and returned it, stopping when the need for more began to burn in her chest.
“All right, I’m in your hands tonight.”
He chuckled, and Rory hoped he knew that she meant it in every sense.
As they drove through the park and then on the roadway headed East, Noah told her about his adventures working in the lobby. She teased him when he said he actually enjoyed himself working with people, but he admitted that it was probably short lived.
After about a half an hour, she fidgeted. “We’re going awfully far.”
“And there’s still about twenty minutes left.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah. You’re not working tomorrow, so I figured why not?”
She met his grin with a dubious look. “Okay, now I need to know where you’re taking me.”
“Scared I’m going to chop you to pieces?”
“I wasn’t until you just came out with it without even thinking about it!” She gave him a punch in the arm. “Tell me.”
“I’m taking you to a very important piece of my history.”
“That could easily translate to the place where you bury the bodies.”
“All right, all right.” He squeezed her hand. “I bought myself a little plot of land and I thought it might be fun to spend the night there.”
Rory gawked at him. He just bought a plot of land? He didn’t even have a job, and he just outright bought it? She couldn’t even afford brand name instant rice and here she was riding shotgun with someone who made his first move in becoming a real estate mogul.
“What are you going to do with it?”
“I haven’t decided yet. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted it. I’m thinking maybe a summer cottage. Maybe I’ll build a few and rent them
“Francie shook her head. “Don’t be one of those girls, Rory. Next thing you know you’ll be heading over to the mainland for an abortion.”
If ever there had been a moment when Rory could have physically hurt her sister, that was it. She could have smashed a glass and jabbed her in the throat.
Rubbing her hands together and taking deep breaths to regain her cool, Rory actually saw red as Francie walked away.
“I should have gone to work at the titty bar on the mainland,” she muttered to herself.
*****
Having changed out of her uniform, she was on her way down the path leading to the cottages when she heard her name, followed by a frantic series of honks. Noah was parked in the loading zone just a few feet away. He wasn’t in his car, but a massive black SUV.
“Where’s your little speed demon?”
“I don’t want it to get stuck in a rut, so I borrowed Dad’s Yukon. Did you bring your bathing suit?”
“I didn’t know I needed it.”
He grinned. “You’ll just have to wear your underwear, or else …”
“Don’t say it.” She laughed, thrilled at the thought of getting naked and wet with him, and jogged to the other side of the SUV. “Where do you plan on taking me that we might get stuck in a rut?”
“I’m not prepared to divulge that information yet.”
Once she was buckled up, he shifted out of park and headed down the long driveway. Rory glanced into the backseat and scowled. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“Is that a tent?”
Unlike his car, the SUV was an automatic, and so he was free to reach out and tuck her hand in his. “You’re not going to get prissy on me, are you?”
“That depends on where you take me.”
He rolled to a stop at the main road, then leaned in. “I thought you might not want me asking you for a kiss back there.”
Rory pressed her lips to his and closed her eyes. She recognized it as a kiss that said I missed you , even though they had only seen one another a few hours ago. She cupped his cheek and returned it, stopping when the need for more began to burn in her chest.
“All right, I’m in your hands tonight.”
He chuckled, and Rory hoped he knew that she meant it in every sense.
As they drove through the park and then on the roadway headed East, Noah told her about his adventures working in the lobby. She teased him when he said he actually enjoyed himself working with people, but he admitted that it was probably short lived.
After about a half an hour, she fidgeted. “We’re going awfully far.”
“And there’s still about twenty minutes left.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah. You’re not working tomorrow, so I figured why not?”
She met his grin with a dubious look. “Okay, now I need to know where you’re taking me.”
“Scared I’m going to chop you to pieces?”
“I wasn’t until you just came out with it without even thinking about it!” She gave him a punch in the arm. “Tell me.”
“I’m taking you to a very important piece of my history.”
“That could easily translate to the place where you bury the bodies.”
“All right, all right.” He squeezed her hand. “I bought myself a little plot of land and I thought it might be fun to spend the night there.”
Rory gawked at him. He just bought a plot of land? He didn’t even have a job, and he just outright bought it? She couldn’t even afford brand name instant rice and here she was riding shotgun with someone who made his first move in becoming a real estate mogul.
“What are you going to do with it?”
“I haven’t decided yet. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted it. I’m thinking maybe a summer cottage. Maybe I’ll build a few and rent them
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