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Sitting here inside Gallagher’s with “Give It All We Got Tonight” still playing and the memory of my miscarriage at the forefront of my mind as much as it was Rhys’s, he let go of my hand and pulled my chair up next to his. Then he hugged me and rested his head against mine until the song ended. That was when Mrs. Jenkins walked up with our lunches.
“Oh my! What’s wrong?” she asked us.
“Riley and I just remembered something,” Rhys said, wiping his eyes like I was.
“Is there anything I can do to help y’all?”
“No, ma’am, but thank you. We’ll be fine.”
After Mrs. Jenkins walked off, Rhys and I looked at each other.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “Because of you.”
He pressed his lips against my temple and held them there. I closed my eyes while taking in his comfort and appreciating his loving and giving ways. A couple of minutes later, we started eating and enjoyed our meals.
When we were done, I got a to-go box, but Rhys didn’t need one. He’d cleaned his whole plate and rubbed his belly afterward, so proud of himself. I just giggled at him.
While returning to his truck, I asked him if he had to take care of the B&Bs right away.
“No, I’ve got some breathing room,” he said. “Would you like to go do something else?”
“Cruise around for a little while. Maybe stop at Cypress Hills Outpost for some ice cream.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He opened the passenger-side door, and I hopped into Black Betty. After placing my leftovers on the console, I reached for my seatbelt.
“No, ma’am,” Rhys said, taking it from me. “That’s my job.”
I grinned, and he fastened me into my seat. He didn’t close my door afterward, though. He kept leaning against my right thigh, gazing directly into my eyes.
I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I knew what I was imagining with his ruggedly handsome face so close to mine. Then I gave in and did what I’d been wanting to do. I kissed Rhys. I pressed my lips against his and breathed him in, but only for a moment because he pulled away from me.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” I said.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m not. You just surprised me.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you before now, Rhys.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you, too, but wasn’t willing to risk ruining our friendship.”
“That’s why I held back. But I’m not doing that anymore.”
“Neither am I.”
Within seconds, Rhys had my seatbelt off me, my face in his hands, and his lips on mine. We were all breaths, tongues, teeth, and moans. We’d been starving for this, and finally, it was happening.
Then someone said, “Get a room.”
Rhys and I stopped kissing, looked in the direction the voice had come, and saw a guy walking across the parking lot. I didn’t recognize him, and Rhys’s lack of response let me know he didn’t recognize him. But the guy was grinning and gave us a “no offense” wave. When he got to his car, Rhys turned to me.
“I wish I could start this moment over with you,” he said.
“I don’t. It was all I imagined it would be. Why don’t we pick up where we left off?”
“Not here. I’m taking you home.”
