The Country Duet(50)

“So, what’s your major, Chloe?” I take a long drink from my Mountain Dew.

“Ag Business, and how can you drink that stuff?” She wrinkles her nose and points to the cup in my hand.

A pang of agony slices through me, remembering Teale and our conversations about Mountain Dew. Everything reminds me of her, but I recover quickly, brushing it off.

“It’s tasty.” I wink at her. “How do you drink that shit?”

“Water?” She raises her eyebrows in confusion.

“Yeah, water.” I lean in to whisper in her ear. “It’s boring, shy Chloe.”

I don’t miss the shiver that rushes over her skin, or unsteady breathing. The flare of excitement between us is more thrilling than I thought it would be. Once our food is served, I keep a hand on the top of her leg under the table. Chloe finishes before I do and reaches down to lace her fingers into mine.

“Want to go?” I turn my head and ask her.

She wordlessly nods.

So wrapped up in the moment, we don’t tell our friends goodbye as we walk out into the night.

“Are you sure you didn’t want to go to that other party?” I ask as we walk down the sidewalk.

“No, it’s really not my scene. Just sitting in my dorm room night after night gets old though.”

I grunt, understanding what she’s talking about all too well. “I hear you.”

She reaches in her back pocket, pulling out her cell phone. “It’s still early.”

“Yeah.” I nod. “Not even ten o’clock yet.”

“Ice cream?” Chloe steps further into my side, causing me to drop her hand.

The night air is chilly. It feels great to me, but her tiny shivers and the goose bumps racing over her skin tell me a different story for her. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and tug her into my side.

We play our own version of twenty questions on the walk. By the time I pull open the door to the ice cream shop, we know each other’s favorite colors, food, where we grew up, and how many siblings we have. Chloe grew up in Eastern Idaho on an Angus ranch. Our love for our own ranches and riding horses makes everything flow naturally between us.

There’s no tension, not even sexual. Chloe isn’t out for a one-night stand to get her daggers into me. It’s simple. She’s a shy girl who took a chance talking to someone who she normally wouldn’t.

“Ladies first.” I place my hand at the small of her back, guiding her to the counter.

“What can I get you?” the worker asks from behind.

“One scoop of vanilla, please.”

I lean over Chloe with my front pressing into her back and whisper into her ear. “You’re so boring. Water and now vanilla ice cream? Live a little, shy one.”

Chloe turns her head to face me and our lips graze, shocking both of us. I lick my lips and then go for it. Our lips press together, gliding along one another until we hear someone clear their throat.

Chloe’s face is fire red with embarrassment. She buries her face in her hands. I pull her back closer to me, holding her in my arms. It doesn’t feel right, like it did with Teale, but it also doesn’t feel wrong. The point being I’m feeling something other than pain for the first time in a long time.

“Anything else on this one?” the worker asks.

“She’s feeling a bit dangerous tonight. Toss some sprinkles on that.”

Chloe giggles in my arms.

“And for you?”

“Waffle cone with a scoop of Rocky Road and Grasshopper.”

We walk down to the cash register with me holding her from the back. I don’t let go of her until both of our ice creams are ready and I need to pay. Chloe tries to get out her debit card, but I beat her to it.

“That’s disgusting.” She points to my ice cream as she slides into a booth.

I glide right in next to her until the sides of our legs are pressing against each other.

“And that is boring.” Using my spoon, I steal a scoop of her ice cream.

“Hey.” She swats my hand, giggling.

That sound does something to me. We both lean in closer, more interested in kissing again than eating ice cream. It takes everything inside of me to not compare Chloe to Teale and just enjoy the moment.

The bell above the door shrills throughout the shop, letting us know we are no longer the only customers. We both pull apart slowly, not breaking eye contact until the squeal of a young child distracts us.

In slow motion, I turn to look at the door. Big mistake. Teale stands frozen in the doorway with her little girl tugging on her hand. Her gaze is fixed on me. All of the color drains from her face, but the hurt is heavy on her features. My heart sinks while my stomach grows thick with sickness.

“Mommy.” The sweet, little girl tugs harder on her mom’s hand. “Hurry.”

She still doesn’t move, drinking me in. Chloe clears her throat next to me.

“Are you okay, Hunter?” She grabs my hand on the top of the table.

I turn to look at her, immediately missing the vision of Teale. “Fine.”

“What just happened?” she whispers.

“But, Mommy, you promised ice cream.” A whiney voice floats through the shop.

“Hunter,” Chloe urges.

“Let’s go,” is all I offer.