family for one evening?” she asked.
Not that he could stop thinking about them or the shooting for one minute with her sitting across the table. “They’re a part of you, Allison. A big part. Being with you brings everything back.”
She touched the top of his hand with her fingertips. “I’m sorry. We have to find a way to move past all that.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
His heart clattered like horse hooves against his rib cage. Coward that he was, he didn’t ask what she meant. He was afraid she’d tell him.
To step away from the danger zone, Jake held up a bamboo skewer. “The teriyaki chicken is amazing. Want a bite?”
As soon as he asked, he wished he hadn’t. Feeding her a bite of chicken was too personal, too romantic. Already, he could imagine the moment. Allison’s lips close to his fingers. Watching her nibble the bite, her breath slipping like silk over his skin.
His insides shivered at the unwanted image.
This is the way he’d always feel if he let her close again. A mix of pleasure and pain fueled by a past that drew them together while simultaneously forcing them apart.
Thankfully oblivious to his random thoughts, Allison wiggled her index finger at something behind him. “Charity and the kids.”
Great. Another Buchanon.
Jake twisted on the chair, wary, anxious. He didn’t want Allison taking flack over a Chinese dinner. Her older sister came toward their table, and when Charity saw him, she smiled, an encouraging sign. Unlike their brothers, the Buchanon women had shown more pity than anger.
“Charity,” he said, tipping his chin, though he couldn’t bring himself to smile.
“Jake.” Up close, he noted that her smile was strained and didn’t reach her eyes. She wasn’t glad to see him, but he understood that, too. He was trouble with a capital
T
as far as the Buchanons were concerned.
If Allison noticed the tension, she played dumb. As chipper as a Christmas elf, she tugged the children close to her chair. “These little dumplings are Ryan and Amber.”
Amber dimpled up, a dark-eyed charmer already. Like her aunt, he thought.
“Are you a real cowboy?” she asked in that big-eyed innocent way of little kids.
“As real as they get, I guess.”
“You ride bulls, don’t ya?” Ryan, as blond as his mother but with freckles on his nose, looked vaguely familiar. Probably because of the photo Alison had shown him. He hoped that was all. Having a Buchanon kid mess with his bulls was the worst possible scenario.
“I try to.”
“I’m going to ride bulls someday.”
Jake’s gut lurched.
“No, you are not.” Charity scuffed his hair.
Expression mutinous, Ryan shrugged her off but didn’t argue.
“Your mother’s right, Ryan.” Jake figured the least he could do was discourage the boy, just in case. “Bulls are dangerous animals. Even experienced guys like me get hurt.”
“But you still ride.”
The kid had him there. “Maybe I’m not too smart. A boy like you can go to college and make money without putting your life in danger.”
“My dad has a dangerous job.”
“Yeah, he does, for a lot better reason than money. I heard he’s coming home soon.”
“A little less than six months. A hundred and seventy-one days to be exact.” Charity offered a genuine smile this time. “But who’s counting.” She put her hands on Ryan’s shoulders. “Come on, kids. Let’s find a table or we’ll be late to the football game.” She looked to Allison. “Are you going? The Bears and the Tigers are a big rivalry and this is the season ender. Tonight is win, lose or go home until next year.”
Jake’s teriyaki soured in his stomach. He’d seen the Beat the Bears and All the Way to State signs slathered on the store windows with white shoe polish.
“Movie night for us. You all have fun.” Allison bent forward and smacked a kiss on Amber’s cheek. “Love you, princess. You, too, Ryan, though I know you’ll gag if I kiss you in public.”
Ryan
Not that he could stop thinking about them or the shooting for one minute with her sitting across the table. “They’re a part of you, Allison. A big part. Being with you brings everything back.”
She touched the top of his hand with her fingertips. “I’m sorry. We have to find a way to move past all that.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
His heart clattered like horse hooves against his rib cage. Coward that he was, he didn’t ask what she meant. He was afraid she’d tell him.
To step away from the danger zone, Jake held up a bamboo skewer. “The teriyaki chicken is amazing. Want a bite?”
As soon as he asked, he wished he hadn’t. Feeding her a bite of chicken was too personal, too romantic. Already, he could imagine the moment. Allison’s lips close to his fingers. Watching her nibble the bite, her breath slipping like silk over his skin.
His insides shivered at the unwanted image.
This is the way he’d always feel if he let her close again. A mix of pleasure and pain fueled by a past that drew them together while simultaneously forcing them apart.
Thankfully oblivious to his random thoughts, Allison wiggled her index finger at something behind him. “Charity and the kids.”
Great. Another Buchanon.
Jake twisted on the chair, wary, anxious. He didn’t want Allison taking flack over a Chinese dinner. Her older sister came toward their table, and when Charity saw him, she smiled, an encouraging sign. Unlike their brothers, the Buchanon women had shown more pity than anger.
“Charity,” he said, tipping his chin, though he couldn’t bring himself to smile.
“Jake.” Up close, he noted that her smile was strained and didn’t reach her eyes. She wasn’t glad to see him, but he understood that, too. He was trouble with a capital
T
as far as the Buchanons were concerned.
If Allison noticed the tension, she played dumb. As chipper as a Christmas elf, she tugged the children close to her chair. “These little dumplings are Ryan and Amber.”
Amber dimpled up, a dark-eyed charmer already. Like her aunt, he thought.
“Are you a real cowboy?” she asked in that big-eyed innocent way of little kids.
“As real as they get, I guess.”
“You ride bulls, don’t ya?” Ryan, as blond as his mother but with freckles on his nose, looked vaguely familiar. Probably because of the photo Alison had shown him. He hoped that was all. Having a Buchanon kid mess with his bulls was the worst possible scenario.
“I try to.”
“I’m going to ride bulls someday.”
Jake’s gut lurched.
“No, you are not.” Charity scuffed his hair.
Expression mutinous, Ryan shrugged her off but didn’t argue.
“Your mother’s right, Ryan.” Jake figured the least he could do was discourage the boy, just in case. “Bulls are dangerous animals. Even experienced guys like me get hurt.”
“But you still ride.”
The kid had him there. “Maybe I’m not too smart. A boy like you can go to college and make money without putting your life in danger.”
“My dad has a dangerous job.”
“Yeah, he does, for a lot better reason than money. I heard he’s coming home soon.”
“A little less than six months. A hundred and seventy-one days to be exact.” Charity offered a genuine smile this time. “But who’s counting.” She put her hands on Ryan’s shoulders. “Come on, kids. Let’s find a table or we’ll be late to the football game.” She looked to Allison. “Are you going? The Bears and the Tigers are a big rivalry and this is the season ender. Tonight is win, lose or go home until next year.”
Jake’s teriyaki soured in his stomach. He’d seen the Beat the Bears and All the Way to State signs slathered on the store windows with white shoe polish.
“Movie night for us. You all have fun.” Allison bent forward and smacked a kiss on Amber’s cheek. “Love you, princess. You, too, Ryan, though I know you’ll gag if I kiss you in public.”
Ryan
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