He gave her Chihuahua bobblehead another soft flick, this time sideways as she headed west toward Kingshighway Boulevard, which was a few blocks from the store.
“Unnerving but definitely cool.” He looked her way and gave her a crooked smile. His eyes were warm and rich like chocolate syrup.
Kelsey had never thought of herself as an easy blusher, but her cheeks superheated. She focused on driving and not trying to notice him in her peripheral vision. Driving right past the entrance to the hardware store a few minutes later didn’t help either. She turned around in a gas station and backtracked. “So how good is that sense of direction of yours? With no cell, you’ve got no access to Google Maps. Can you get back to the house okay?”
“I can, but I appreciate the concern.”
Kelsey stopped in front of the main doors and slipped her car into Park. She bit her lip, not sure what to make of the way Kurt’s gaze traveled over her before he got out. Or the way he paused the longest over her lips before looking into her eyes. This made her mouth turn dry. She swallowed, and the sound seemed loud and awkward in the quiet car.
“I’m running by the store for snacks. Can I pick anything special up for you?” she asked.
“You chose well on the pizza. I’m sure whatever you get will be fine.” Kurt pulled out his wallet, but she waved him off. “The pizza was on you. It’s my turn.”
“Fair enough. I’ll see you back at the house in an hour or so.”
“Sounds good.” She rolled down her window as she drove away, hoping to cool her burning skin. This whole rehab thing would be so much easier if she didn’t find Kurt so attractive. Thankfully, he’d been so distracted by her bobblehead that he’d hardly seemed to notice her missed entrance to the store.
The most convenient grocery store was a mile from the house, so she headed that way. The mental focus needed to zoom through the aisles would get her mind off the way she’d salivated just a bit at the sight of his sculpted hand toying with her bobblehead. Working with him was one thing. The dogs demanded most of Kurt’s and her attention. But she needed to get ahold of herself when it came to things like this. She wouldn’t deny she was crushing on him. But that was all it was going to be, an I’m-not-telling-a-single-soul crush.
He was too different from her for anything real to happen between them. He was an ex-marine, and before he’d agreed to the job, she’d overheard him make it clear to Rob that he had no intention of staying in Missouri. But this was her home. She loved it. Loved being close to her family and watching her sweet nieces grow up. Loved the shelter and the pulse of this just-big-enough city.
And besides, she wasn’t ready to put herself out there by falling for another guy only to be rejected. Once had been traumatic enough. It happened during her sophomore year of college and had turned into one of the worst experiences of her life. Steve had been her chem partner, and they were both pre-vet. They met freshman year and had become great friends. They hung out all the time and were dedicated study partners. One night right before December finals, she threw caution to the wind and went for it.
Kelsey had thought taking it to the next level with Steve was the natural next step. She was even having secret thoughts about marrying him and running a vet practice together. They were great together. They had so much in common—from favorite movies to a love of animals to a weakness for Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, steak fries, and mochas with extra whipped cream.
They were sitting on the same side of a booth in a popular coffee shop, cramming for their biology final, when it happened. He’d snuck in a bottle of Baileys for their coffees, and she was just tipsy enough to let go of her inhibition. He’d turned to whisper something in her ear about the kids at the booth in front of them, and she’d been so close to his lips. She’d kissed him and even leaned in more when he started to pull away before the kiss got deeper.
While the kiss was her lead, taking it the rest of the way was his. She’d dated a guy in high school for over a month, and they’d done a lot. A lot lot. But not everything. So, it surprised her how easily she accepted Steve’s offer to go to his car and slide into the backseat. He was putting on a condom when she told him she loved him. He stopped long enough to look at her and say her name, but the three words she thought for sure would follow never came. Instead, he kissed her full on the mouth, and in the swoop of minutes, her virginity was a thing of the past.
Maybe it had been true love on her part; maybe it was a crush. Either way, her feelings hadn’t been
