Chapter 8: Cole

Cole PUSHED UP on the handlebars, enjoying the breeze against his skin. He couldn't stop smiling. His first day at the job, and while it hadn't been a cakewalk, the staff had welcomed him and his patients hadn't left scars. Starting on a Saturday where his only schedule was to handle whatever walked in the door wasn't his ideal way of easing into things, but it had gotten him into the groove fast. By the time he'd clocked out he felt like he might just like it here.

It had all started with Scarlett.

No.

Nope.

Not going there.

He sat back down on the bicycle seat and pedaled.

A month ago he'd been engaged. He wasn't getting involved with anyone.

He steered his way into the parking lot of David's Market, a small grocery store just off Main Street not far from where he lived. It was hard to stock the pantry when he could only grab what he could carry either on foot or on the bike.

Cole coasted up to the bike rack and swung his leg off.

"Afternoon, Doc." An elderly man lifted his hand and waved at Cole on his way out of the market.

"Afternoon." Cole nodded, no idea who the man was.

This was so much different from when he was a kid. Of course back then everyone would have known he was the son of the woman who'd just moved in with the local felon. That kind of reputation didn't endear a guy to people, but being the town vet did.

He turned to go into the store, but his gaze caught on a familiar green Jeep parked along the store's front. He stilled, studying the shadows. There was movement inside.

Cole stopped, rocking up on the balls of his feet. The parking lot and the store noise faded away and all he could see was her. It was like gravity pulling him toward Scarlett.

He should go in the store, get his things and go.

Then why were his feet taking him closer to her?

So much for keeping his distance.

He circled around to the driver's side of the Jeep parked a little way from the entrance. Scarlett sat slumped over the wheel, her face hidden from view by her hair. It was down in soft curls, the kind he'd wanted to tangle his fingers in.

Something wasn't right.

He lifted his hand and tapped on the glass.

Scarlett sat up straight with a gasp he could almost hear through the window. He forced himself to smile and waved, the first becoming an effort when he saw the tear track on her cheek.

Who the fuck had made her cry?

Cole tugged on the door and it opened.

"Hi." Her one word sounded watery.

"Hey." He leaned against the door and took her in. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

Her lips didn't even twitch.

Instead of shorts and a T-shirt she wore a knee length white sundress with a cropped jean jacket that sported white lace panels. Make-up highlighted her cheekbones, and the eyeliner made her eyes seem so big he could fall into them.

A date?

Some asshole hadn't treated her right.

"Who am I beating up?" he asked, doing his best to keep his tone light when he really wanted to know where this prick was.

"What?" Scarlett chuckled and pushed her hair out of her face. "No one. It's nothing."

"I'll be the judge of that." He lifted his hand then thought better of it. They didn't really know each other. "May I?"

"Hm?"

"You've got a smudge right here." He brushed her cheek with his thumb.

The moment he touched her skin he felt a zing of awareness. Her eyes widened, and she leaned toward him.

No.

Not a good idea even if he liked it.

He pulled his hand back, breaking the spell.

"Shoot." She sighed and flipped the visor down.

"What happened? Bad date?"

"Oh, God no." That inspired a laugh out of her. She took a tissue out of the center console and daubed at her face. "My cousin, Garth, is being an ass. We had an early afternoon wedding today and between a difficult bride and him, I'm just done."

Not a date.

Cole didn't like the idea of her cousin being mean to her, but he could at least understand complicated family dynamics. He had them in spades.

"There." She turned toward him, her smile back in place and her makeup fixed. Her smile was a bit plastic, kind of fake, but at least she wasn't crying.

"Beautiful."

"Thanks." Her gaze traveled down his torso. Did she like what she saw? Did it matter? "Did you start work?"

"First day."

"That's great. How'd it go?" Scarlett grabbed her purse, her cue to get him to back off.

"Pretty well, actually."

She slid out of the Jeep into the space between him and the vehicle. Her chin tipped up, and he found himself falling into those eyes.

They really had to give each other more space.

Cole took a step back. He couldn't get involved with her, not right now, which meant he was going to have to work on how to be a friend. He could do that, couldn't he?

"No one gave you a hard time or anything?" She looped her bag over her shoulder and stepped up on the sidewalk.

"No, everyone was really nice. I'd halfway expected people to hate me on principal." He joined her and together they walked into the market.

"I think everyone here has the benefit of knowing AK's history."

"I'm not the first then?" He'd gotten the drift there had been other men.

"The first she got engaged to."

Man, he was a sucker.

"Need a buggy?" Scarlett gestured at the shopping carts.

"Nah, I'm still stuck on the bike." He thumbed over his shoulder.

"Thought about buying a car?"

"Another one? Not yet." He figured Allie was bound to turn up sometime and when she did, he could either sell the car or bring it here depending on what she'd done to it.

"If you need to do a big shopping trip, I can give you a lift to your place. You don't live that far."

"You're busy. You can't be chauffeuring me everywhere." Though it would mean spending time together. Time he shouldn't allow.

"I'm offering." She put her hand on his forearm and he was a goner.

"You have to let me do something for you then." He pressed his hand to hers, memorizing the feel of her palm on his skin.

"Oh?" Scarlett glanced up at him. "Like?"

"Have dinner with me tonight." It was Saturday. She was dressed up. And he was tired of being in that house alone. He wanted to be free and right now he was losing all the reasons why being near her were a bad thing.

"Maybe another night?"

"Big plans?"

Her gaze dipped to his lips and back.

Was she resisting the urge to kiss him as much as he was her?

"No, I'm just not good company tonight."

"But I'm great company. We'll balance each other out. And, if I'm being honest, I don't want to hang out at my house by myself. I opened a few boxes this morning and found my old dog's things."

"The one that passed away?"

"Yeah. Festus. It was his time, but I miss going home without him there."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Dinner out might be good for both of us," she said softly and pulled away from him.

Cole didn't know if he should pump his fist or kick himself.