“Why thank you ma’am.” He handed her the daisies he held behind his back. “For you.”
“Wow. Flowers. Thank you, they’re beautiful. My favorite.”
“I know they are.”
“What’s going on, Billy? When did you get into town?”
“We’ll talk about that later. Go take a shower and get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“Just get ready. Like you’re goin’ out.”
“Goin’ out where?”
“Jesus, girl, look at how I’m dressed and figure it out.”
There he was, the Billy she loved so much. She missed him, his self-assuredness, his cockiness. It was one of her favorite things about him.
“Don’t want to help me get ready?”
“Yes I do, but I’m not gonna. We’ll never leave this house if I do and I’ve got plans. So stop temptin’ me and go get ready.”
“Okay, okay. I’m going.” She walked toward the stairs, but turned around and smiled. “I’m so glad you’re here, Billy.”
“Whoo-wee, Renie. I told you to quit temptin’ me. You keep smilin’ at me that way…”
She ran down the stairs before he finished his sentence.
Billy took a deep breath in when she came back up the stairs. She had on a dark gray cashmere sweater. She knew he loved it. It was so soft, he loved holding her and sliding his hands up under that sweater. Oh God, he needed to stop thinking about sliding his hands anywhere on her body, or his plans would be shot to shit.
“You look beautiful,” he said when she stood in front of him. He looked her up and down.
She had a tight black skirt on that came just above her knees, black tights, and little black ankle boots. She left her hair loose, the way he loved it, down over her shoulders. He could eat her up, she looked so good.
“Let’s go,” he said, pulling her toward the door. “Do you have a jacket?”
“Will I need one?”
“We’ll be out late, so yeah.”
She grabbed a black leather jacket off the coat rack near the front door.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
Billy drove toward town, but kept going, in the direction of the ski area. When they passed it, she had no idea where he was taking her.
“Billy?”
“We are going to see the most beautiful view of the sunset in all of the valley.”
“Okay.” At least that explained why he was in such a hurry, the sun would be going down soon. She wondered how he knew about the view, though.
They stopped at a curve on the side of the road. Billy backed the truck in and turned it off. He was right, the view was spectacular—in the other direction.
He got out, walked around to her side, and opened the door. “Come with me,” he said.