made inappropriate comments and had the worst pick-up lines she’d ever heard, but deep down he was a good guy who looked out for her.
Pierce opened the door and waited for Tammy to get into his truck. She climbed in and then ran her fingers through her hair and applied some light pink lip gloss she’d bought at the grocery store before Pierce made it around to his side of the driver’s side of the truck.
“So, I don’t think I've thanked you for all you’ve done for me today. I don’t know what I'd do without you, Tammy,” Pierce said with a deep sincerity in his voice.
Tammy felt herself blush as she looked down at her skirt to try to keep him from noticing. “You’re welcome. It’s my job.”
“Your job? Tammy, I'm just a job?” Pierce asked slowly.
Tammy could hear the hurt in his voice. “You know you’re not. But we also know that I’m just the flavor of the moment for you. You’ve never paid me any attention and the only reason you are now is because I’m helping you.” Tammy had to get it out there. Suddenly she felt strong enough to finally know the answer. She raised her head and looked at Pierce. The well-shaped jaw, the short stubble covering his face, and his hazel eyes flashing. He looked relaxed, but she knew he wasn’t.
“It's true, Tammy. I never did pay you enough attention, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know you were there. You were too nice. Too good. And I wasn’t grown up enough to realize that you were also the type of woman I should've been paying attention to. Then in one kiss, the last two years slapped me in the face.” Pierce smiled to hide his embarrassment and then gave her a wink.
Tammy laughed and felt the tension ease. She had just found her confidence and suddenly she felt like a teenager again. But then she remembered talking to Bridget and how she had to earn the respect of the men she worked with and she did that by not backing down. Confident Tammy returned and she kept her eyes on Pierce, refusing to look back down at her clasped hands resting in her lap.
“But,” Pierce started before glancing quickly at her with a wicked grin on his face, “it appears that our kiss didn’t affect you as it did me.”
“Well, then maybe you don’t know me like you think you do. It seems to me that we both think we know each other when we really don’t.” Tammy looked and saw the freshly painted Keeneston water tower off in the distance. Their time was coming to an end too soon. No matter how bad she wanted to be Confident Tammy, she needed Pierce to be the one to come to her after all these years of chasing him.
“Well, I know a way to get to know each other better,” Pierce winked and Tammy laughed as she gave him a swat. “No, no, I really do. It’s almost six; how about I take you out to dinner at the café? I’ll even walk you home.”
“Are you asking me out on a date?” Tammy’s breath caught as she tried to keep from bouncing up and down in her seat with excitement.
Pierce chuckled. “Yes, that’s typically what a man means when he asks a woman to have dinner with him.”
“At the café? Everyone will talk,” she warned.
“Tammy, are you trying to talk me out of asking you out?” Pierce teased as he pulled onto Main Street.
“No! I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting yourself into. Dinner sounds great.” Tammy noticed she was bouncing her knee in excitement. She took a breath and told herself to act like she’d been on a date before. Of course she had, just not with her dream guy whom she measured every other date against!
CHAPTER NINE
Pierce opened the door to the café and Tammy walked in. She paused as she waited for him to come to her side. She looked around as she waited for the heads to turn and whispers to start, but so far no one seemed to notice.
Tammy almost jumped when she felt Pierce’s warm, strong hand settle on the middle of her back and gently urge her forward to an empty table right
Pierce opened the door and waited for Tammy to get into his truck. She climbed in and then ran her fingers through her hair and applied some light pink lip gloss she’d bought at the grocery store before Pierce made it around to his side of the driver’s side of the truck.
“So, I don’t think I've thanked you for all you’ve done for me today. I don’t know what I'd do without you, Tammy,” Pierce said with a deep sincerity in his voice.
Tammy felt herself blush as she looked down at her skirt to try to keep him from noticing. “You’re welcome. It’s my job.”
“Your job? Tammy, I'm just a job?” Pierce asked slowly.
Tammy could hear the hurt in his voice. “You know you’re not. But we also know that I’m just the flavor of the moment for you. You’ve never paid me any attention and the only reason you are now is because I’m helping you.” Tammy had to get it out there. Suddenly she felt strong enough to finally know the answer. She raised her head and looked at Pierce. The well-shaped jaw, the short stubble covering his face, and his hazel eyes flashing. He looked relaxed, but she knew he wasn’t.
“It's true, Tammy. I never did pay you enough attention, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know you were there. You were too nice. Too good. And I wasn’t grown up enough to realize that you were also the type of woman I should've been paying attention to. Then in one kiss, the last two years slapped me in the face.” Pierce smiled to hide his embarrassment and then gave her a wink.
Tammy laughed and felt the tension ease. She had just found her confidence and suddenly she felt like a teenager again. But then she remembered talking to Bridget and how she had to earn the respect of the men she worked with and she did that by not backing down. Confident Tammy returned and she kept her eyes on Pierce, refusing to look back down at her clasped hands resting in her lap.
“But,” Pierce started before glancing quickly at her with a wicked grin on his face, “it appears that our kiss didn’t affect you as it did me.”
“Well, then maybe you don’t know me like you think you do. It seems to me that we both think we know each other when we really don’t.” Tammy looked and saw the freshly painted Keeneston water tower off in the distance. Their time was coming to an end too soon. No matter how bad she wanted to be Confident Tammy, she needed Pierce to be the one to come to her after all these years of chasing him.
“Well, I know a way to get to know each other better,” Pierce winked and Tammy laughed as she gave him a swat. “No, no, I really do. It’s almost six; how about I take you out to dinner at the café? I’ll even walk you home.”
“Are you asking me out on a date?” Tammy’s breath caught as she tried to keep from bouncing up and down in her seat with excitement.
Pierce chuckled. “Yes, that’s typically what a man means when he asks a woman to have dinner with him.”
“At the café? Everyone will talk,” she warned.
“Tammy, are you trying to talk me out of asking you out?” Pierce teased as he pulled onto Main Street.
“No! I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting yourself into. Dinner sounds great.” Tammy noticed she was bouncing her knee in excitement. She took a breath and told herself to act like she’d been on a date before. Of course she had, just not with her dream guy whom she measured every other date against!
CHAPTER NINE
Pierce opened the door to the café and Tammy walked in. She paused as she waited for him to come to her side. She looked around as she waited for the heads to turn and whispers to start, but so far no one seemed to notice.
Tammy almost jumped when she felt Pierce’s warm, strong hand settle on the middle of her back and gently urge her forward to an empty table right
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