Joey sank into the leather booth and flashed Cole a smile. He felt himself relax. He'd been right to insist. The restaurant was small, not too busy on a weeknight and the atmosphere cozy and friendly. Just what she needed after spending all that time at the hospital. He didn't bother with the menu since he always had the same thing. More interested in watching Joey, he leaned back comfortably and let the good feelings surround him. She'd changed into a dress, something blue, soft and swirly that had his hands itching to touch. In the dim light, her hair looked more golden than blonde, and each time she moved her head, her long, blue, earrings glimmered against the throat he longed to caress.
     The waitress came by, pad in hand. "Hey, Cole. Howya doin? The usual?"
     He nodded and looked at Joey, noting the little crease in her forehead as she studied the menu. "Problems?"
     "Uh, no..."
     Suddenly, he realized. He'd brought her to a steak house, for crying out loud! How stupid could a man be? He'd blown it for sure. Kicking himself, he asked, "Do you eat fish?"
     At her nod, he spoke briskly to the waitress, "See if there's any trout, will you?"
     "That's not necessary, Cole," Joey interjected softly. "I'll order a salad."
     "Nope. Here's your chance to try something good. Baked potato and a salad okay with you?"
     It was more than she usually ate, but Cole seemed determined to give her a treat. She nodded, touched that he'd go to the trouble.
     When their orders came, Joey averted her gaze from the huge slab of beef crowding Cole's plate and the relish which he put it away. Her fresh trout was superb. She ate it all, and finished most of her potato under Cole's approving gaze.
     Uncomfortable with this attention, Joey watched instead the parade of people who came by to say hello, wish Sam a speedy recovery and stay for an introduction.
     She caught the speculative glances between them and frowned until she caught Cole's eye. He was embarrassed but the look he gave her was so...intimate, she could do nothing but relax and return it. It felt good to sit here with him, surrounded by his friends, to feel part of his world for however short a time. With each introduction, she saw unfeigned interest in her and speculation in more than one person's eyes. Above all, she saw the respect and admiration the others felt for him, and in some indefinable way, felt proud of him, as if they belonged together. Across the room, she saw Millie, the dragon lady nurse who wouldn't help her the night she arrived. When their eyes met, Millie stared at her and then at Cole before looking away. Joey repressed a shudder. Some people were just unfriendly. Maybe Millie had feelings for Cole, the way she'd tittered and smiled at him the other night, but she had nothing to be jealous about. Nevertheless, when Cole saw the direction she was looking, he smiled at Millie, who smiled as she smoothed back her hair. Joey swung her gaze to Cole. "I'd say you made quite a hit with the lady."
     Cole cleared his throat. "It's nothing."
     "She seems to think so."
     "Ah, maybe we took in a movie or two."
     Joey hid a smile. From the looks Millie gave her, she knew there had to be more than an innocuous movie and buttered popcorn date, but if he didn't want to talk about his relationship with the nurse, that was his business. She had no right to question him.
     As if eager to get past an awkward moment, Cole urged her to order a piece of pie. "Can't pass up the chance to try this. Flathead cherries, best in the world."
     She smiled tolerantly at his statement but one bite convinced her. His return look wasn't tolerant at all. It was masculine, seductive and sensual. She put her fork down and stared at her lap.
     "Joey?" He leaned across the table, shutting out the restaurant around them.
     She dragged her gaze back to meet his. It roamed over her face, lingering on her slightly parted lips, her eyes and then returned to her mouth.
      Her breathing quickened. Held by his eyes, she waited.
     "Let's get out of here." He stood, dug deep in his pocket, and tossed some bills on the table. With a hand under her elbow, he helped her rise and walked her out of the restaurant. He paused by his truck, looking down at her.
     She sensed his indecision, his wrestling with control. She felt the same things herself. How could something this improbable happen to her? Even when she and Tom were first married, she'd never felt this anticipation, like a fever, taking over and shoving out all sensible thought. It blotted out reason, common sense and everything else that reminded her she'd known this man only a few days.
     Something took over her, something wild and impulsive and reckless. It reduced her to quivering knees and trembling hands, concentrated every ounce of her on the big man who stood so close to her that she could feel his body heat, feel the rise and fall of his chest with every labored breath he took.
     "I'd better get you back," he said hoarsely.
     Thankful for the reprieve, hating the interruption, she turned, inadvertently brushing her breast against his hand on the door handle. He groaned, released the handle and before she knew it, caught her up in his arms and pressed her close to his chest. "Joey...damn it."
     Oh, sweet heavens, it felt so right! For a moment, Joey drifted in the pleasure of being held close to his strong, lean, masculine body. It overrode all her senses. She breathed in the scent of him, leather, outdoors, all man. Driven by a need beyond her understanding, she lifted her face to his.
     His mouth lowered, brushed hers once softly, then settled in with a hunger that made her moan in response. Immediately, he lifted his mouth, then gently, tasting, sipping, slanting his head for just the right angle, he kissed her again and again.
     "You're so small. So tiny," he muttered.
     She lifted herself on her tiptoes to better reach him. Headlights swept through the parking lot, pinning them for an instant in their bright glare. Cole swore and swung her behind him in a move so fast she barely caught her breath.
     When the newcomers disappeared inside the steak house, Cole turned, and still sheltering her with his body, brushed a kiss across her tousled curls. "I'm too old to be necking in parking lots," he muttered as he helped her into the cab.
     She arranged her skirt, taking cleansing breaths, trying uselessly to rid her body of the deep, steamy urges. It would take more than the cool night air to do that. Cole climbed in and started the truck. The silence dragged as the tension between them grew more taut. Desperate to ease the strain, she leaned forward and flicked the radio on. A country ballad filled the air. He made a move to turn the volume down, but she stayed him with a gesture.
     He looked at her curiously. "You like that?"
     "I love that song." She hummed the next few bars. "I'm a big fan."
     "Somehow, I thought you'd turn your nose up."
     "Shows you, huh?" she tossed back. The stressful atmosphere in the cab eased with a shared grin.
     Until his grin turned into a full-blown smile. A man's smile, confident and sure of his masculinity. It warmed the space between them. She didn't need to scoot next to him to feel the heat of his body or the hot looks he sent her way.
     "So you like country music?"
     She rattled off the names of her favorite performers. At her sigh over the last name, he said nonchalantly, "Heard he was playing in Vegas this week."
     "I know. I'd love to see him sometime, but it's just never worked out."
     He said something under his breath. Joey looked at him for explanation, but he said nothing. She let it go and leaned her head back against the seat, singing along under her breath. The lyrics, a man proclaiming he would love his woman forever, didn't do much to calm her. Her senses, so attuned to his, reacted every time Cole moved.
     The short drive to the hospital was over much too quickly for either of them. Cole scowled at the lighted windows of the RV. "I won't go in with you, but dammit, I want to be with you. Not like this."
     She sucked in her breath at his blunt speech.
     "Come out to the ranch tomorrow. Spend some time with me, look around."
     She was shaking her head 'no' before he finished speaking. "I can't leave my mother."
     "She'll be fine. Maybe she'd prefer to spend a little time alone with your father."
     The idea hadn't occurred to her. Stopping to consider how she'd feel like if she were in her mother's place, Joey nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right. I hadn't taken into account how I would feel if I were she." She halted, caught by the thought of Tom's dying alone. She swallowed hard. "In her place, I think I'd welcome some private time."
     Cole made a noise deep in his throat. In the low light from the dashboard, Joey read the curiosity in his eyes, and knew he wanted to question her. He surprised her instead. "So, give her a break. Come spend the day with me tomorrow. I've got a couple things I need to look after, but then the time is yours."
     She wanted to say 'no', to run as far and as fast as she could away from him. Feeling curious about another man made her feel guilty, as if she was somehow being unfaithful to Tom. She rubbed her hands up her arms. "Let's see how it goes, okay?"
     He gave her a long, heated look, then finally said, "You got it."
     He walked her to the door, then pulled her out of the light and into his arms. His mouth was on her before she could say anything, and then she didn't want to. Thoughts of disloyalty vanished, burned away by the heat of Cole's mouth. Desire spread through her like the sheet lightning overhead; her pulse drummed through her ears louder than the thunder.
     A cool wind blew up, fresh and smelling of rain. Reluctantly, Cole lifted his head and dragged his mouth away. "This isn't enough. I need more than kisses."
     Shaken by the sudden and inexplicable yearning she felt for Cole, she drew back. "It's going to rain."
     "Yup."
     "So go home before you get soaked."
     His laugh was harsh. "It's going to take more than a cold shower, Joey."
     Reaching up on tiptoe, she brushed her lips across his, and retreated before he could claim her mouth in another hungry kiss. "Good night."
     She felt like a teenager all over again when she entered the RV to find Marie waiting for her. She sat on the couch with her arms crossed.
     "What was all that about?"
     Joey turned from watching Cole climb into his truck, then shut the door. "Nothing."
     "Joey, you couldn't like to me when you were a girl and you still can't. What was that man doing?"
     "Being a friend, that's all."
     Marie Carpenter sank back into the cushions and gazed steadily at her daughter. "Since when do friends talk about kisses and cold showers?"
     "If you heard that, why are you giving me the third degree?" Joey heard her voice, defensive and angry, and felt fourteen all over again.
     Marie held her gaze for a moment longer, then dropped her eyes to her lap. "I'm so upset that I don't seem to have any control over my mouth."
     "It's all right." Joey pulled herself together and dropped down beside her mother. "I know you're worried about Poppa."
     "Oh, I'm feeling much better about him now, dear. The doctor says he's going to make it." Marie placed her hand over Joey's and squeezed. "It's you I'm worried about. Did I ever tell you how proud I am of the way you pulled yourself together after Tom's death? I understand how devastated you were."
     "Thanks, Mom." Joey sat back on her heels and gazed up at Marie's face. Though the last several days had left their mark, and her hair was uncharacteristically disheveled, Marie was still an attractive, vibrant woman. Joey suspected that if her father had died, it wouldn't be long before Marie was accepting comfort from another man.
     Why then did her mother bring this up now? Why the guilt trip? She didn't need any reminders, thank you very much. She was an adult, a mother of two, and on her own. She was fully capable of making her own decisions. And regretting her mistakes, like the one she'd made tonight.
     She stood and moved a few paces away, keeping her back to her mother so Marie wouldn't see the guilt on her face.
     "Joey?" her mother said, drawing out the syllables. "I've been meaning to ask you something..."
     "What?" Joey asked without turning around.
     "Why on earth did you have to do so much so fast? You look so different."
     "Don't you like the way I look?" Joey couldn't keep the hurt from her voice.
     "It's not that. It's just that—well, you do look years younger. You've lost so much weight—"
     "Only fifteen pounds." Joey faced her mother, hands running over her slim hips. "I feel better this way."
     "It looks good, dear, it really does. But did you have to go to such extremes?"
     Joey sighed. "How often do we have to talk about this?"
     "It sounds like you're rejecting Tom."
     "Tom's as much a part of my life as he ever was! Do you think I don't remember him every day of my life?" Guilt spurring her on, she asked vehemently. "How could you say such an awful thing?"
     "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, dear. It's just that you got over his death so quickly. So easily."
     Joey yanked her hand away and stood quickly. "What you see is on the outside, Mom. Do you think a new hairdo, clothes and new makeup can take the place of the man I've loved ever since I was sixteen?"
     Marie pursed her lips and studied Joey. "What am I supposed to think when I see you acting silly over that cowboy?"
     Joey bristled at the sneer in her mother's voice. "That's not true."
     "Oh?"
     That one word, inflected with more questions than a single syllable could hold, was one word too many.
     "Mother, I understand you're worried about Poppa. So am I." Joey took a deep breath. "I can even understand why you're taking it out on me, but leave Cole out of this. He's done nothing but be helpful and a comfort."
     Marie's eyebrow rose along with her voice. "A comfort?"
     "Yes. And before you go reading something into that, let me tell you that's he's helped me just by being there. And that's all there is to it."
     "Really? Then who did I hear talking about kisses?"
     Joey flushed.
     "You've been acting like a love-struck girl around that man. Can't keep your eyes off him."
     Joey swallowed the quick retort that came from deep within her. It would do no good to accuse her mother of doing the same thing. No doubt it was the strain of the last few days that had her off-balance, looking for a way to relieve the stress bottled up inside her. Taking her time to cool down, Joey slipped off her shoes and began to undo the buttons on her dress. "I'm not looking for a new man, Mom."
      "Then why the new you? Trying to look younger, act younger. Why all this if you aren't looking for another husband?"
     "I did it for myself," Joey kept her voice low and controlled. "To help me, just for me. I'm not looking for a replacement for Tom."
     Marie attacked from another angle. "Then how could you sell the business so fast?"
     "Or kiss somebody new the way she'd just kissed Cole? How could she have responded to him the way she had? How could she do that if she was still married in her heart to Tom? Feeling guiltier than ever, Joey sank into a chair. "I had to sell."
     "Why? You and Tom worked it together, made it out of nothing-—how could you get rid of it? Didn't it mean anything to you?"
     Joey ran her hand through her curls. "Of course it did! You know how hard Tom and I worked. You think it was easy? It was ours-—every shovel and every plant in that business was ours."
     "Then why sell? A booming landscaping business-—why not keep it for the kids?"
     "Didn't you hear me, Mom?" Joey leaned back against the soft cushioned back and closed her eyes. "It was ours, Tom's and mine. I couldn't face going to work and expecting to see his face at the desk next to mine. Or wait for him to come walking in from some job, with his boots all muddy and a big smile on his face. I couldn't do that!" Joey's anger disappeared as quickly as it came. "Oh, let's not fight over this, Mom. We need to be thinking about Poppa now. We need to stick together."
     After several tense minutes, Marie sighed. "I suppose you're know what you're doing." She glanced at her watch. "I should be getting to bed. They're moving Frank out of the coronary care unit tomorrow, so I'll be able to spend more time with him."
     "Oh, that's good news!"
     Marie stood, then looked down at Joey's rumpled curls. "You won't do anything silly, will you, dear?"
     "Silly?" Joey echoed, her thoughts still on her father's recovery.
     "With that man."
     Joey's insides tightened. She'd already done something silly. Heavens help her, it had felt so right. "His name is Cole. Cole Lassiter."
     "I know that tone, Joey. What are you up to?"

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Chapter Six -- posted December 7, 1997

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Last updated: January 4, 1998