The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil #1)(76)

There was something profound in that, I knew it back then.

He didn’t.

Until now.

And he definitely knew it now.

And he definitely liked what he knew.

I knew that because he kissed me.

Repeatedly.

Not deep and wet and hungry.

Soft kisses. Sometimes invading my mouth but just to stroke it with his tongue. Sometimes just brushing my mouth with his. Sometimes nibbling my lower lip.

Again and again and again.

I was holding on to his shoulders, my head tipped back, my mouth on offer to him. It was his and he could take it, kiss me like that until the sun rose, until the leaves turned brown, until the world stopped spinning.

The problem was he actually couldn’t.

I had to get home to my sister. Sleep. Go to work the next day.

And he had to let me.

He knew that better than me because he quit kissing me and murmured against my lips, “Loved tonight, sp?tzchen. Text me when you’re home safe. And see you tomorrow.”

I nodded, my forehead bumping against his and I saw his eyes smile.

My body felt fluid, not entirely from the sex, but from his soft kisses and sweet words, when he moved away from me and I turned and climbed into my car.

I started it and waved at him and didn’t worry that I looked like a dork.

I was his dork.

Johnny Gamble’s dork.

His sex kitten.

His woman.

So I could wave like a dork if I wanted to.

I waved again as I drove away, looking into the rearview mirror at him standing and watching me go, Ranger sitting at his side.

And I drove home thinking I was still ecstatic about what was happening with Johnny.

But I was no longer scared.





The Veil Dropped

Izzy

“WELL, ALL RIGHT.”

I looked from my computer to the door to see Deanna waltzing in after saying that.

She closed the door behind her.

I glanced back at the computer and again to Deanna before I said, “Addie and Brooks won’t be here for lunch for another half an hour.”

“Know that, baby girl, but just to say, heard the word,” Deanna replied.

“What word?”

“The word from Sally, bartender at Home, who gave it to Norma, who owns Home, who had her hair done this morning by some chick I don’t know, but at my hair salon, Image, where my stylist Crystal is. And Crystal knows you and me are tight. Crystal also overheard Norma telling her stylist that Sally was totally in the Shandra camp, until you did whatever you did with Johnny, being all kissy and sweet and then making him laugh real hard. Now Sally’s an Izzy convert, and from this story, Norma’s switched sides and Crystal too.”

It felt vaguely good that I was winning the townspeople of Matlock over.

But mostly I didn’t care.

“This doesn’t matter, Deanna,” I reminded her.

“Just came in to give you the thumbs up for a job well done,” Deanna replied.

“It isn’t a job. I was having drinks with my guy.”

“Your guy?”

I grinned at her. “Well, he calls me ‘his woman’ so I’m thinking it’s safe for me to call him my guy.”

Her eyes started sparkling. “Yeah, I’d say that’s safe.”

I had a feeling my eyes were sparkling too.

We sparkled at each other for a while before she said, “You do know, Johnny Gamble hasn’t been Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky since Shandra took off on him.”

I felt my sparkle blink out.

“Sorry?”

“This is what Norma said to Crystal. He’s a regular at Home. Not a barfly but he goes to catch a game. Throw back a beer with a bud. It’s the only bar in town so even me and Charlie are regulars there, though they don’t have martini glasses, so it ain’t really my style. It’s just my only choice unless I wanna mix my own drinks and sometimes, girl, I just am not in the mood.”

“They don’t have a wine list either,” I shared something she probably knew.

“Dire,” she muttered. “Anyway,” she perked up, “Johnny Gamble has not exactly made it a habit to pick up some chick and canoodle with her at Home, but it’s safe to say he definitely hasn’t roared with laughter, those were Norma’s words to Crystal, at all. Ever. For three years.”

I found this alarming.

“He hasn’t . . . laughed?” I asked for confirmation.

“I don’t know. Probably no one knows. No one has spent twenty-four seven with the man. Seen him. When I did, he seemed normal, not moody, but not bright and cheery either. He just seemed kinda . . . detached. Like he was going through the motions.”

I felt my body lock as memories of our first morning together hit me like a shot.

Johnny, standing out on the deck, deep in thought, drinking coffee.

Removed.

Then there was when we were talking about vegetables and I’d been being a goof and he’d burst out laughing.

It was the first time I’d heard him laugh in our then short acquaintance.

I remember thinking it was beautiful.

But rusty.

It didn’t sound rusty anymore.

“Iz?” Deanna called.

I focused on her.

“Maybe I am a miracle worker,” I whispered.