Goodnight Kisses by Wilhelmina Stolen Page A

door open, climbed in,
and through the slit in the hood, watched him work.
    “Okay, try it now.” She pumped the gas and twisted
the ignition. After a few tries, the engine started.
    He dropped the hood closed, and rubbed his hands
together, wiping away gas and oil. “They say a woman always
remembers her first lover.”
    She squinted one eye closed against the sunlight.
“Are you making another point?”
    “This guy’s always going to be in your head.” He cut
a coy grin as he scrubbed his left thumb. “You might want to give
that some thought before you go jumping into his bed.”
    Why did he make her intentions sound so vulgar?
“Thanks for the advice.”
    “This guy.” He rested an elbow on the side mirror.
“He knows you’re a virgin, right?”
    “He knows, McCrea, and I don’t need
you to protect me. He’s not like Willard or any of the other guys
at Tubs.” She stretched across the seat to roll the passenger
window down, and a cool breeze rushed in, scattering her hair. She
gathered it into a ponytail and twisted it into a crude
knot at the base of her head. “I’m leaving for college in a week,
and I’m afraid if I wait for him to make the first move, I might
not get the chance at all. The truth is; I think I’m falling for
him.”
    His face drew into a deep scowl. “Does he know
that?”
    A sigh left her. Not one ounce of intuitiveness.
“No. He’s clueless.”
    His quiet study made her
uncomfortable. She had seen the same consideration a few times and knew his questions were brought on by a need to protect.
McCrea was looking out for her. He wasn’t worried about competition
from her mystery date, or losing her to another man. So much for
giving him competition. In need of a quick getaway, she pushed
the brake down and pulled the truck into drive. “Look, I trust
him. Plus, he’s older than me and more experienced.”
    His head lifted from its downward tilt with a deep
breath. “That’s what scares me.”
    “Don’t look so worried. He’s like you. He’s always
in control.”
    “Every man has his limits,
darlin’.” His eyes darkened with heavy lashes that
lowered to her breast. “Even me.”

    ~~~

    McCrea dodged the fist aimed at his
nose and counter-punched the man delivering the blow. The hard
knock to the man’s jaw sent him spinning around and into the
bar. “Come on, Benny boy,” he grinned. “Is that all you
got?”
    Ben blinked to focus, but before he
could charge forward, an arm clamped around McCrea’s neck and
hauled him backwards . “Shit!” he said, briefly
seeing the faded Semper Fi tattoo of Old Ed Tubs as he watched his
favorite Stetson fly into the air.
    “I’ve had enough of you two!” The
bartender was strong for his age and mean when you pissed him off.
And they had. He and Jess were always up for a healthy brawl, and when beers were involved, things could get
ugly.
    “Ed!” McCrea croaked out as he dragged him towards
the door. “Ed!”
     
    “Y’all are tearing my bar all to hell!” Ed threw him
to the floor.
    “We were just having fun.” He
rubbed his throat and scooted against the wall to avoid being
trampled by Jess and Scotty, who were brawling a few feet
away.
    Ed pointed a stubby finger at him.
“This is the last time─ Ooph !” his threat was interrupted when a
hard right from Scotty sent Jess into him. The short and stocky
frame of the ex-navy seal absorbed the blow and barely moved
him.
    When the creases in Ed’s brow deepened, Jess said,
“Oh shit.”
    Ed gritted his teeth, grabbed Jess by the collar and
delivered a hard, swift punch to his mouth.
    Jess’s head bobbed. He blinked, dazed by the punch
and fell to the floor beside McCrea.
    “Damn kids,” Ed mumbled and stepped
over them to break up another fight. Tubs Roadhouse was the only
bar big enough or brave enough to handle tonight’s much-anticipated bachelor party for the last unmarried Langford
brother, Scotty.
    Jess worked his jaw from left to right and