started toward the parking area. When Nate slipped an arm around me I noted again what an amazing effect he had on me. An hour ago I was tired and cranky, and now every part of me, including my hair, felt animated.
“I’ll be coming back in town tomorrow evening,” Nate said. “Would you like to have dinner?”
“With you?” I stopped. “Are you ever amazed at what comes out of your own mouth?”
By this time we’d reached his car. In the darkness I wasn’t sure of the color, but I thought it was between bronze and sand. A Lincoln Navigator. The man traveled in style, much better style than when I’d first ridden with him. That day he’d been in an old beat-up Camp Green Clover van, but it had still been pretty wonderful, if I remember correctly.
“So, dinner tomorrow?” he asked again. “How about if I pick you up around seven? We could listen to some jazz afterward.”
He leaned against his car and slid both arms around me, pulling me to him. Then, his arms tightened and I could feel the muscles as he brought me even closer. I don’t think I was breathing. Then his mouth came down on mine. I’ve had some hot flashes in my days but nothing to equal the heat of that moment.
The first kiss was soft. The second was longer and harder. I kissed him back, and for a minute thought I was going to melt right down through his arms and become part of the parking lot.
“Hey, you two cut that out!”
I jumped. It was that darn Bruce, coming up the walk behind us. He was with his wife, and she was shaking her head at him. He was grinning and even his beard couldn’t hide it. “Did I scare you? I didn’t want you to get carried away.”
Nate said, “You mean like this?” He bent me over backward and kissed me dramatically.
Once I could stand again, I said to him, “Let me guess, you wanted to grow up to be the sheik.”
“And you are my blonde heroine.”
“That’s hellcat to you,” I said.
Nate was smiling. “So, my blonde hellcat, seven tomorrow night?”
“I’ll be ready.”
Once Nate had closed the door, Bruce and Delphine walked by. Bruce said, “New boyfriend? You look like you’re about three feet off the ground. Just don’t fall off your cloud.”
“I’m not a bit worried,” I said. Nate drove away with a last wave, and I saw Bruce and Delphine go toward their pickup, which was in the neighbor’s driveway behind a Dumpster.
I let out a sigh. Maybe I was three feet above the ground. What’s more, I intended to stay there.
Just the thought was smug and seemed to tempt the fates. No one stays on a cloud all that long; seems there’s always something sooner or later to knock you off. In my case it was sooner.
I was off my cloud first thing in the morning.
Six
The sky was the sort of deep turquoise-cobalt blue mix that Austin is famous for. The grass was sharp emerald green, and the tent was still teal and white stripes. It would have been a nice mix to look at from my bedroom. With me still in bed.
“Why don’t we do about forty minutes?” Beth said. “Then we’ll be back and still have time to change before the tea officially opens.”
It was too early in the morning; we were wearing shorts and T-shirts ready to go for the gusto, or whatever it is that you get as a result of a forty-minute walk.
“We could drive down to Sweetish Hill and get some croissants first,” I suggested.
“We had whey shakes and that’s plenty. Think of them as milkshakes,” she said as we passed the tent. I didn’t see anyone outside, and it was closed off, so apparently the guard was asleep inside.
“Why don’t we set a route,” I said, “and if we get done before the time is up, then great. And maybe it will take us longer than forty minutes.”
“You’re conniving.”
“I’m back-timing. It’s now eight fifteen. If we walk forty minutes, that’s nine.”
“Five of.”
“Close enough. The volunteers will be arriving, so we won’t have time to shower and get
“I’ll be coming back in town tomorrow evening,” Nate said. “Would you like to have dinner?”
“With you?” I stopped. “Are you ever amazed at what comes out of your own mouth?”
By this time we’d reached his car. In the darkness I wasn’t sure of the color, but I thought it was between bronze and sand. A Lincoln Navigator. The man traveled in style, much better style than when I’d first ridden with him. That day he’d been in an old beat-up Camp Green Clover van, but it had still been pretty wonderful, if I remember correctly.
“So, dinner tomorrow?” he asked again. “How about if I pick you up around seven? We could listen to some jazz afterward.”
He leaned against his car and slid both arms around me, pulling me to him. Then, his arms tightened and I could feel the muscles as he brought me even closer. I don’t think I was breathing. Then his mouth came down on mine. I’ve had some hot flashes in my days but nothing to equal the heat of that moment.
The first kiss was soft. The second was longer and harder. I kissed him back, and for a minute thought I was going to melt right down through his arms and become part of the parking lot.
“Hey, you two cut that out!”
I jumped. It was that darn Bruce, coming up the walk behind us. He was with his wife, and she was shaking her head at him. He was grinning and even his beard couldn’t hide it. “Did I scare you? I didn’t want you to get carried away.”
Nate said, “You mean like this?” He bent me over backward and kissed me dramatically.
Once I could stand again, I said to him, “Let me guess, you wanted to grow up to be the sheik.”
“And you are my blonde heroine.”
“That’s hellcat to you,” I said.
Nate was smiling. “So, my blonde hellcat, seven tomorrow night?”
“I’ll be ready.”
Once Nate had closed the door, Bruce and Delphine walked by. Bruce said, “New boyfriend? You look like you’re about three feet off the ground. Just don’t fall off your cloud.”
“I’m not a bit worried,” I said. Nate drove away with a last wave, and I saw Bruce and Delphine go toward their pickup, which was in the neighbor’s driveway behind a Dumpster.
I let out a sigh. Maybe I was three feet above the ground. What’s more, I intended to stay there.
Just the thought was smug and seemed to tempt the fates. No one stays on a cloud all that long; seems there’s always something sooner or later to knock you off. In my case it was sooner.
I was off my cloud first thing in the morning.
Six
The sky was the sort of deep turquoise-cobalt blue mix that Austin is famous for. The grass was sharp emerald green, and the tent was still teal and white stripes. It would have been a nice mix to look at from my bedroom. With me still in bed.
“Why don’t we do about forty minutes?” Beth said. “Then we’ll be back and still have time to change before the tea officially opens.”
It was too early in the morning; we were wearing shorts and T-shirts ready to go for the gusto, or whatever it is that you get as a result of a forty-minute walk.
“We could drive down to Sweetish Hill and get some croissants first,” I suggested.
“We had whey shakes and that’s plenty. Think of them as milkshakes,” she said as we passed the tent. I didn’t see anyone outside, and it was closed off, so apparently the guard was asleep inside.
“Why don’t we set a route,” I said, “and if we get done before the time is up, then great. And maybe it will take us longer than forty minutes.”
“You’re conniving.”
“I’m back-timing. It’s now eight fifteen. If we walk forty minutes, that’s nine.”
“Five of.”
“Close enough. The volunteers will be arriving, so we won’t have time to shower and get
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