He grinned, but the slightest furrow marred his brow. “You okay?”
“I’m a little wound up, I guess.” That was putting it mildly. Never in her adult life had she fantasized about being kissed, passionately and publicly. But that’s what she was thinking about. She wanted him to kiss her, to reassure her he was here, alive and well.
“Wound up?” he asked, leaning close. “You cold?”
She shook her head, then nodded. His arms slowly slid around her waist, triggering a shudder so strong she swayed into him. She stared at the pressed and starched blue shirt beneath her fingers, comforted by the feel of his heartbeat beneath her palm.
“Annabeth?” His voice was low and rough, drawing her gaze to his. “What’s wrong?”
She couldn’t put it into words. It had been so long since she’d felt like a woman, since she’d been aware of a man the way she was aware of him. It was exhilarating—and absolutely terrifying. “I guess I got scared.” She tried to smile. “Been a while since I’ve seen you risking life and limb, you know?”
The furrow on his brow deepened. “Worried about me?”
She swallowed, the knot in her throat preventing her from answering. So she shrugged, staring at his chest again.
“Hey.” He tipped her head back.
She hadn’t meant to stare at his mouth, but she did. And her imagination went crazy.
“You keep that up and I’ll kiss you.” His whisper was husky, making her shudder again.
Her gaze met his, locking with those baby blues.
“You’re beautiful.” His gaze traveled over her face. “And, after some dancing, there will be some kissing.”
She stepped away from him then, tugging the coat closed. “Then let’s go dancing.”
The look of surprise on his face had her laughing.
The rest of the night was like a dream. He took her to the only bar in Stonewall Crossing the locals frequented. She’d been there a handful of times, but had quickly learned that socializing with her students’ parents could have negative side effects. Those times, she’d tended to hang by the pool tables, not the large retrofitted barn dance hall in the back. She loved dancing but since Greg died, she hadn’t danced.
Ryder was the perfect gentleman, all charm and sass. He proudly introduced her to people she didn’t know and reintroduced her as Mrs. Boone to those she did. After the initial shock, the response was pretty positive. And the shock was to be expected. He was who he was, with the reputation he had. To say settling down with the elementary school principal was a little out of character was a huge understatement.
“If he was going to settle down, there was no doubting who it’d be with.” John Hardy, Ryder’s boss at the garage, was all smiles.
Annabeth smiled back at him. “Are you saying he’s been sweet on me?” She had to ask.
John laughed. “Oh, honey, that’s an understatement.”
Ryder’s arm rested along the back of her chair, his fingers playing absently with her hair. He was talking to another man, Mario Rodriguez, one of the vet techs at the teaching hospital, totally unaware of their conversation.
“I never knew.” Annabeth had a hard time believing Ryder cared about her in a romantic way.
“’Course not.” John took a sip from his longneck. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Ryder took it hard when Greg died, real hard. Some days I could smell the liquor from the night before in his sweat. He didn’t know which way was up. Then you called.”
Annabeth leaned forward too, curious. “I called?”
He nodded. “You invited him to dinner.”
She’d invited him to dinner several times...
“You lit into him for missing Cody’s birthday.” John shook his head.
Annabeth remembered then. Two years ago. “Cody was disappointed,” she murmured. But that wasn’t the whole truth. She’d been disappointed. Not seeing him there, among their friends and family, had felt wrong. If she dared admit it to herself, she’d been relying on Ryder even then.
When she looked at John, he was watching her. “He needed to know you missed him. That was all the permission he needed, I think.”
“Permission?” she asked.