Still Fine at Forty by Dakota Madison

delicious in his tight black jeans and button down white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to show off his muscular forearms. I loved the casual look on him.
    I was wearing a coral silk blouse and a short white skirt that Mel had picked out for me. Cody whistled when he saw me. “Every time I see you, you get even more beautiful.”
    When he bent down to kiss me, I was instantly drawn to him. I was never addicted to anything in my life but I was already hooked on Cody’s lips, and mouth and touch. We were both breathless when Cody finally withdrew.
    “If we don’t go now,” he said, “I’ll take you into the bedroom for the rest of the night and we’ll never eat.”
    He grabbed my hand and we headed out of the hotel.
    When we exited the lobby, the Jeep was nowhere in sight. “Are we walking again?” I asked.
    “Do you mind? It’s such a beautiful evening.”
    I shook my head. “I love taking walks. I walk Pugsy about a mile every day.”
    “I can’t wait to meet him.”
    I grinned. That certainly implied a future together. Maybe Mel was wrong and this was more than just a vacation fling after all.
    As we walked down the main street, I stopped in front of a wonderful metallic javelina statue I had liked when I went shopping with Mel.
    “Sedona is known for its artwork,” Cody said.
    “This piece is fantastic.” I remarked, still admiring the piece.
    “Why?” he asked.
    “It’s got such realism to it. It’s like you can see the texture of the animal’s actual fur even though the work is made of metal. That couldn’t have been easy for the artist to do.”
    He smiled. “It’s not.”
    “So, when do I get to see some of your work?”
    “You just did.”
    I blinked in surprise. Of all of the outdoor art pieces around town, I had picked Cody’s. There was that amazing connection between us at work again.
    “It’s fantastic,” I said. “Do you have any other stuff around town?” 
    “A few things. I’m trying to save the best stuff for my own gallery.”
    “I’d love to see your work sometime,” I ventured. He had yet to invite me to his place.
    He kissed the top of my head. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to make one more quick stop before dinner.”
    I nodded.
    Cody grabbed my hand and pulled me down a side street and then down a narrow alleyway. The sun was setting and it was a bit scary. I had no idea where we were going or why.
    Then I noticed a small sign attached to a chain fence. Jim Miller Jeep Tours. Beyond the fence were two rows of jeeps, about eight in total, and a small outbuilding.
    Cody opened a large metal gate. He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me through. As it got dark, I noticed a small light come on in the back of the building.
    Cody led me toward the lighted area. A rugged man, probably in his late 40s, looked up from a Jeep he was in the processes of washing, and smiled at me.
    He wiped his hands on a towel then approached with an ou tstretched palm. “You must be Jenny,” he said and his grin became even wider.
    “And you must be Jim Miller,” I ventured.
    “What gave it away?”
    “The sign out front.”
    Jim placed a hand on Cody’s shoulder. “This young man has told me a lot about you.”
    I nodded because I couldn’t say well, he’d told me almost nothing about you .
    Jim turned his gaze at me again. “You’re more beautiful than Cody described.”
    I could feel my face turn red with embarrassment. “Thank you,” I managed to squeak out. I liked that Cody had been talking about me with Jim.
    There was a sudden awkwardness as the three of us struggled for what to say next. I got the impression that Jim was not a man of many words.
    Cody finally broke the tension. “I wanted you to meet Jim because he adopted me when I was sixteen.”
    That took me back a few steps. It wasn’t what I was expec ting to hear but it made sense why Cody had his last name and was a little evasive about it. And he had mentioned what an awful