“Sorry,” she let off on the gas a bit. “I got a little excited.”
“Yea, I can see that.”
Savannah took one look at Patrick and discovered that he was staring at her breasts. “Crap,” she tried to turn a little away from him in her seat. Dang it all. “Sorry. I can’t help it.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. If that’s because of me, I’m damn flattered.” A blush and a little gasp was all the response he got from her. “Am I the reason you’re excited, Savannah?”
“Patrick, I think I’m in over my head here,” she gave him a hesitant glance. “I’m teasing you and we don’t know one another at all.”
A contrite feeling filled Patrick’s heart. He was a big guy and she was a small woman who had graciously agreed to spend time alone with him. She had no idea that he felt like he had a vested interest in her safety and well-being. She had no idea that he felt like he had known her for years. No, it didn’t matter that she had flirted outrageously with him. It was his job, first and foremost, to be a gentleman. Patrick smiled to himself – that is, until she got to know him better, and then he could ravish her to his heart’s content. “Hey Honey, it’s okay. I wouldn’t hurt you for anything. It’s my job, firs protect you, not scare you.” He wanted to reach out and touch her pretty face, but he kept his hands on his side of the car.
“No, no,” she quickly took back water to reassure him. “I didn’t mean to infer that I’m afraid of you. I’m a pretty good judge of character, and besides, you’re a Marine. If you can’t trust a Marine, who can you trust?”
“So what did you mean?”
“I meant that I gave you the wrong impression. I came on to you like I knew what I was doing, but I don’t. Plus, there are a lot of things about me that you don’t know.”
She looked so sad that Patrick wasted no time in laying her fears to rest. Pushing a strand of long silky hair behind one shell pink ear he whispered. “I find you totally captivating, Savannah. And I can’t wait to get to know you better. However experienced or inexperienced you are is just right – because it’s you.”
Savannah didn’t know what to say. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was afraid Patrick could hear it. “Thank you, Patrick.” What else could she say? He was probably just offering friendship, but being his friend would be the easiest thing she had ever done. She just wished it could have been more.
The Boondocks restaurant was located only a little over a mile from the memorial, so they were there before they knew it. When she pulled into the parking lot, Patrick appreciatively noted the atmosphere and the scenery. It reminded him of home, of Evermore. The dark green, lazy waters of Bayou Teche moved slowly by the restaurant. Wooden docks had been built down to the water and people were standing at the edge tossing food into the water for the catfish, turtles and alligators. The whole town of St Martinville had a historical ambience to it. There were ornate churches with large statues on their front lawns and several plantation style Bed and Breakfast hotels lined the streets. “This is nice; I love to look at the water while I eat.”
Savannah liked it, too. She might not know who her people were, but Louisiana was definitely her home. “I do, too. My patio has a view almost this good.”
“I’d like to see it sometime,” he hinted, but she didn’t hear him, she was already on the move. Patrick had every intention of going around to open her car door, but she bounced out before he could get both feet on the ground. Reaching in the back seat, she took out a book almost as big as she was. “Here, let me carry that serious tome for you.” He held out his hands and she relinquished her burden with a polite ‘thank you’. “What’s good here?”
“The fried whole catfish is wonderful. I love the spices they put in the batter. And if you like, we can sit on the patio and feed the resident alligator some hushpuppies.”
“That sounds good; I’d love to feed the alligator. I grew up not too far from the Mississippi. Have you ever heard of Evermore Plantation? My grandfather was caretaker there when I was growing up.”
“Of course, I have heard of Evermore. It’s one of the most beautiful plantations in the South. How lucky you were! My job with the Culture Center gives me an opportunity to help all the plantation owners with historical preservation efforts as well as tourism. I’ve been to Evermore several times, the slave cabins that are still standing there are one of our state treasures.” Her face grew animated with her excitement and Patrick could see how much she loved her work.
“When I was a kid I played around those cabins even though I thought they were haunted. And there’s an old well there that I’ll have to tell you about sometimes.” Would she believe him about the night he saw her face in the dark waters? He hoped so.
There was a line to get in the restaurant, so they had to wait for a few minutes on the front verandah. Patrick stood next to her. Every now and then his big body would nudge against hers and she would feel a hot and wild flush surge through her body that made her want to rub up against him so bad she could have cried with longing. Savannah
