I could tell by the way she straightened her shoulders Autumn was trying to come up with a way to decline the offer. It would be a first for me, that’s for sure. But suddenly a rumble sounded from her direction and I watched as the blush creeped up to her cheeks.
“Betrayed by your stomach,” I said with a chuckle as I moved out of her personal space and retreated back to the door.
“Fine. Yes, I’m hungry. I know a great spot.”
She waited for me as I closed up the camper and together we strolled over to my truck parked in front of the house. Something inside me wanted to reach out for her hand, but I suspected it would be crossing a line.
When I first met, or collided, with Autumn, she’d seemed interested in me. Her eyes had glazed over and she’d fisted my shirt, but once I mentioned the flowers were for dinner, her entire demeanor had changed.
“You know,” I said to her as I opened the door to the passenger side. She was a tiny thing and without thinking I placed my hands on her waist and lifted her into the truck. My fucking palms sizzled from where I’d touched her. I wondered what it would feel like to touch her bare skin.
“Know what?” she asked as she settled in the seat, adjusting her seatbelt. I’d lost all train of thought by the mere touch of her body. It took me a moment to remember what I was going to say.
Clearing my throat, I replied, “The flowers were for Lily, if you hadn’t figured that out.”
It was fascinating watching her brows furrow as she connected the dots. It was clear she thought I was going out on a date or meeting up with a woman. And while I adored Brett’s wife, our relationship was purely platonic.
“Does that change things?” I added as I leaned closer into the vehicle, my hands bearing my weight on the frame of the truck.
“I. . .I don’t know.” Autumn’s tongue peeked out as she licked at her lips and turned her face forward, away from me. Her profile was just as striking as seeing her head on. “I still hate that you bought my house.”
“There is that. But maybe you can see that I’m not such a bad guy.”
Closing the door, I strutted around the front of the truck and hopped into the driver’s side.
Autumn remained quiet on the drive, only pointing out something when I asked. It didn’t bother me, though; I didn’t care for a lot of noise and chatter when I drove.
I found a place to park on the street right in front of the place she called The Purple Goat. This town had the funniest names for restaurants. The Purple Goat, The Witch’s Brew, and The Naan Stoppers were just a few.
Just as I was about to get out of the truck, Autumn placed her hand on my arm. I could feel the warmth of her palm beneath my light jacket and it made my stomach clench. Fuck, she was turning me on with just the simplest of touches. I wondered if she had any idea the way she was affecting me.
“Look, Colton, the second we walk in there, or anywhere, together, the rumors are going to start. Imagine the gossip rags, but on a smaller scale with people that live just next door.”
“But they don’t know me?” I countered. Surely, I wasn’t going to be the backbone of some small town gossip. That was all just a rumor in itself. Right? Brett and Lily had never mentioned anything more than a little smidgen of chatter here or there.
“They don’t, but they will. And they know me. My coming home was perceived as somewhat. . .scandalous. I don’t want to add fuel to the fire.”
Placing my hand over hers, I patted it gently. “I’m a big boy. I can handle it.” Not really. I hated false claims, but I could see how it was affecting Autumn. Her eyes were wide and her mouth pinched in the corners. She looked worried and a little miffed that I wasn’t being more cautious.
“Okay,” she said as she removed her hand and gripped her binder for dear life. She was using it as a shield again, pressing the large white plastic against her chest.
Another yearning came over me as we walked through the entrance to The Purple Goat. I wanted to wrap my arm around her waist, hold her body against me, show everyone she was mine. Especially the dozen or so male eyes that tracked her every movement as we were seated at a booth near the bar.
Autumn fidgeted with the drink menu as I took in the place. It reminded me more of an English pub than a weird eclectic diner, which is what I had been expecting based on the name.
“How’d this place get its name?” I asked Autumn as I grabbed my own copy of the drink menu.
“No idea,” she said as she placed her menu and binder aside. Her dancer-like arms came up and rested on the table as she clasped her hands together. “It’s been a well-kept secret for decades. Also, there is no regular menu. You eat what the chef makes. And believe me when I tell you that everything is delicious.”
“I trust you,” I told her as I eyed a local brew that sounded right up my alley.
“Really?” I glanced back at to find Autumn staring at me in both awe and confusion. Her doe-like eyes were wide, making the blue irises sparkle under the dim light of the restaurant. Her plump lips parted forming the shape of a tiny O. Somehow my simple statement had rendered her shocked and speechless.
“Yeah. I knew the moment I met you that I could trust you.”
“How?” she whispered, still in amazement.
“I don’t know. I just get a good read on people. My coaches always said it helped with my game.”
“Huh.”
She was still perplexed when an older man came to the table and introduced himself as Harold. He instantly brightened when he saw Autumn sitting across from me. In the two seconds he’d been at the table, I’d already watched him crack a joke at Autumn’s expense and tears glistened from the corner of her eyes as she laughed. The giggle was melodic and honest, just like her.
By the time he stepped back to the bar with our drink orders, I couldn’t remember what he’d said was being served for dinner. But as I told Autumn, I trusted her judgement.
“So, want to show me your goodies?” I probed as I reached for her binder, only for immediate pain to splinter across my skin as she slapped the back of my hand.
“You could ask nicely.”
“Autumn, I would be honored if you could please share with me the well-researched information you found regarding the house.” I even threw in my signature smirk at the end. It was usually the way I could get Nina to end whatever argument she was having with me at the moment.
“Um. . .yeah. Okay.”
At least I knew the smolder worked on just about everyone as Autumn opened the binder and turned it to face me. A server placed our drinks on the edge of the table and we both immediately reached for our respective glasses.
As she flipped through the pages, I took note of how much effort it must have taken to find such detailed work. There were images of furniture that would have resided in the house and the pattern of wallpaper that used to decorate the walls. She had multiple images of similar homes and colors that I could draw inspiration from and utilize. Autumn’s notes were so detailed that she had ten pages of paint color and wood stains that would achieve a true historic aesthetic.
It may have been a working farmhouse, but it was extravagant nonetheless.
