they passed fewer and fewer cars. At the turnoff for the highway, he went in the opposite direction, circling around the industrial park and coming out on a two-lane road that narrowed quickly. About three miles up the way was a park. Hardly anyone used it, even in the summer. He thought it would be quiet there and they could spend some time getting to know each other.
He'd planned the outing specifically for a time when her kids were gone, but he knew himself. If he and Sandy stayed someplace private, like his house or hers, the temptation to make love would be too strong. He wasn't worried about her rejecting him. He was more concerned about her saying yes and then having second thoughts. Better for them not to do it, than for her to live with regrets.
But he didn't want to think about that now. Not with the soft summer-afternoon breeze blowing in his face and Sandy plastering herself against him.
She laughed again. 'Everything looks different from the back of the bike,' she called. 'It's as if I'm seeing Glenwood for the first time.'
'Do you like it?'
'I love it! Don't turn, okay?'
Before he could answer or ask why, she released him and raised her arms in the air. 'Look at me!' she called.
'Damn it, Sandy, hang on. You could hurt yourself.'
'I'm fine.'
'I mean it,' he growled. He didn't dare turn around and look at her. He didn't want to jiggle the bike at all and upset her balance.
'You're a stick-in-the-mud,' she said, leaning close to him again and wrapping her arms around his waist.
'And you're crazy.'
'Maybe.' She rested her chin on his shoulder. 'I like this a lot. I might get a bike.'
'Sure. It's real practical with three kids.'
She chuckled. 'Now you sound like me.'
Up ahead he saw the park. At one end were several brick barbecues and rest rooms. He drove past those to the small duck pond surrounded by grass and trees. Several picnic tables had been put in place. He slowed the bike, then stopped it. After standing up, he moved forward on the seat.
'You can slide off now,' he told her.
'Okay.' Sandy grabbed his shoulder as she swung her leg over the seat, then she stepped away. While he set the kickstand, she pulled off her helmet.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright with excitement. 'That was terrific. I can't wait to do it again. Can I drive home?'
He looked at her. This was not the Sensible Sandy he remembered, but he liked this adventurous woman. 'No. It's not as easy as it looks.'
'Kyle.' She actually pouted at him. She stuck out her lower lip and tilted her head to the side. 'Are you sure?'
He fought against the need to pull her hard against him and kiss her into forgetfulness. 'I'll teach you to ride the bike, but not here. The parking lot is too small and it wouldn't be safe.'
'But you will teach me.'
'Yes, I said so.'
'Good.'
While he took off his helmet, she walked toward the small pond. A family of ducks were taking their nap on the grassy slope. She walked close to them, stopping only when one of the large birds opened its eyes and glared at her.
'I won't hurt you,' she promised, bending toward the ducks. 'It's okay.'
Her red shorts pulled tight across her derriere. As Kyle walked toward her, his palms itched to cup those curves and pull her against his arousal. He was so hard, it hurt. He welcomed the pain. He liked that Sandy turned him on. In a strange way, he liked knowing they couldn't make love today. The anticipation would make the consummation sweeter.
He placed his hand on the small of her back. She straightened and smiled at him. A headband held her light brown hair off her face. It had grown in the last few weeks and now fell about an inch below her shoulders. He liked the way her hair moved easily and caught the light. Hell, he liked everything about her.
He gazed into her eyes. 'You're very beautiful,' he said quietly.
'Kyle, I thought we agreed no lines.'
'It's not a line.'
He continued to stare at her, memorizing her features, grateful she hadn't changed much in the time she'd been gone. For a moment, he thought about confessing his sixteen-year-old crush, but he decided against it. He didn't want her to think this was only about the adolescent desires of a fourteen-year-old boy.
Slowly, so she could pull away at any time, he slipped his hand down her back, over the curve of her derriere to her hip, where he captured her fingers in his. Her gaze never left his. She didn't move at all, except to tremble slightly and catch her breath.
'Come on,' he said, tugging her hand.
They walked over to the picnic tables and straddled them, facing each other. With his legs spread apart, it was impossible to hide his physical reaction to her closeness and his own erotic thoughts. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to notice or not. He liked the idea of her knowing she turned him on, but only if it didn't embarrass her too much. He wanted to get to know the adult Sandy and that wouldn't happen if he scared her away.
She raised her chin slightly and stared at the trees above them. 'It's lovely here. I'm surprised the park is empty.'
He motioned to the open field across the road and the wooded area behind the pond. 'There isn't anything around here, and most people don't want to make the drive. At night we have to patrol the area though. Teenagers come here to park.'
'Oh? I never did.' She raised her eyebrows. 'But I'm sure you were a regular.'
'Every weekend.' He grinned at the memories. 'I had my first encounter with paradise right here in the back of a '68 Ford Mustang.' He rubbed his lower back. 'There wasn't a lot of room to maneuver. Of course, I was pretty inexperienced, but very enthusiastic. The first time.'
'How many times were there?'
'That night? About five. I was just getting the hang of it when it was time to go home.'
She leaned one elbow on the tabletop. 'There is something to be said for the enthusiasm of youth.'
'I prefer the skill of experience.'
She straightened and folded her hands in her lap. 'Yes, there is that, too. Well, now that we're here, what do you want to talk about? Is there a specific type of conversation when one is having fun?'
Why had she changed the subject? If he didn't know better, he would think she was suddenly nervous. But at what? It couldn't be the fact that they were alone. Maybe he shouldn't talk about his sexual past. It was probably not the smartest thing to do. Although he doubted she'd been threatened by his romantic escapades at the age of seventeen.
'We don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to,' he said. 'The point was to break out of the regular routine. I see you convinced Lindsay to go to camp.'
Sandy wrinkled her nose. 'She agreed to try it for a day. If it's horrible, I promised she doesn't have to go back. I realized the other day that she hasn't had a chance to make any friends since we moved. Nichole has Mandy, and Blake is hanging out with Robby. Lindsay is pretty much stuck around the house.'
'Or haunting me,' he said grimly.
'Oh, Kyle, she's just a little girl.'
'She's a barracuda. The only good thing about your being mad at me was that I didn't have to worry about an ambush every time I left the house. She was always waiting for me, wanting to do things.'
'Do you want me to tell her to leave you alone?'
'No.' He scooted forward until their knees were touching, then he stretched back on the bench and rested his head on his hands. 'That would mean explaining why I'd like her to lay off and I still want to avoid hurting her feelings if I can.'
