Forget You (7 page)

“Maybe I should come to this station late at
night all the time, and then I wouldn’t always have to wait in such
god-awful lines.” He opened the bag and set it on the middle
console between us. “Here is the continuance of our
juvenile
date.”

The word juvenile rolled off his tongue in a
playful, mocking way, and I smiled. After tonight, that word would
hold a new meaning for me, regardless if there was a second date
waiting in the future for us.

“Hold this.” He handed me a candle, and then
reached back into the bag.

“Is this our romance factor?” I teased,
flipping the small, stubby thing over in my hand.

“No, that’s our marshmallow melter,” he
said.

I kept waiting for some smart-ass thing to
pass from his lips, but nothing ever came. A small package of
graham crackers, some mini-marshmallows, and a chocolate bar were
what he pulled out of his bag next.

“What’s all this for?” I asked. “Are we
making s’mores?”

“We’re going to try,” he insisted.

Setting the ingredients in his lap, Sawyer
took the candle from me and grabbed a lighter from the glove
box.

“An unscented candle is our fire tonight.” He
set it on the center console, and opened the crackers. “I’m not too
sure how well this will work, but it’s worth a shot. I mean, how
much more juvenile can you get than s’mores and parking?”

“Parking?”

“Yeah, why else did you think I parked way
back here when there are plenty of spaces directly in front of the
store?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. The thought had
never crossed my mind.

“It’s sort of like Onion Mountain, don’t you
think? We’re on the bank, overlooking the highway, and small
section of town instead of a mountain valley, but at night, lights
are lights, whether they’re from houses or businesses.”

Onion Mountain. I wasn’t from Coldcreek or
Norhurst, so I’d never experienced Onion Mountain, but I was sure
that’s where Blaire had said she’d had her first sip of
alcohol.

As I settled back in my seat, a nostalgic
smile formed on my face. I could still get down with this moment.
“This is pretty great.”

Love gods, thank you for giving me a push
toward Soldier Boy when I needed it most, because tonight has been
the best date I’d ever been on. Hands down.

SAWYER

Five-thirty on Sunday morning came too soon
for me. The desire to press snooze on my alarm clock and stay in
bed to keep my dream alive was nearly overpowering. The reality of
it was, I would never be able to get back to the amazing dream I’d
been jarred from, even if I tried my damnedest. Eva had just been
about to unbutton my pants with her teeth.

Damn it.

Rolling out of bed, I yawned and stretched
with my feet firmly planted on the floor. I pulled on my usual
running attire, and made my way through my dark apartment toward
the door. After slipping on my sneakers, I scooped my iPod off the
coffee table and headed out. I clicked on my favorite Dubstep
station, and bass and a robotic screeching sound filled my ears. I
was down the wooden steps and jogging through the foggy early
morning in no time.

Clips from last night ricocheted through my
mind, sort of the way a pinball machine bounces that little red
ball around inside it. I’d never felt this crazed about a woman.
Ever. All the little things I noticed about her throughout the
night stacked up in my mind as I continued forward, my feet
pounding against the smooth concrete of the sidewalk. The way the
bridge of her nose crinkled, her sexy laugh, how she stared at me
when I had cupped her hands between mine and blew on them to warm
them up.

I was hooked.

Once I reached the flower shop on the corner,
I walked in place for a second before turning around and heading
home. Since I practically had all day to myself, I decided once I
made it home and showered, I would spend the rest of my morning
doing what I loved—riding my motorcycle.

Even though it had to be no more than
twenty-eight degrees outside, I still wanted nothing more than to
get out there and let some tension go. Motocross had been a part of
my life since as far back as I could remember. There was a sense of
freedom I couldn’t live without that overcame me when I rode.

Starting up the wooden steps toward my
apartment, I thought of how, even this moment—racing up these
stairs—held memories of Ryker. There were many times in the early
morning when we would race up the stairs side by side after a run.
He would always kick my ass; Ryker had always been faster than
me.

I unlocked my apartment door, and stepped
inside. Tossing the keys onto the coffee table, I shucked off my
sneakers and started toward my room. Three months. That was how
long it had been since my brother had passed. Somehow, it still
felt as though I was waiting for him to barrel through the door
behind me, and say something smart-ass about how I’d gotten lucky
beating him up the stairs this time.

There was no way that would happen though. I
knew it.

The thing that irked me most was that I
didn’t get to say my goodbye. I’d been studying for my MOS
position, and hadn’t gotten word my brother had passed until it was
too late to attend his service. Everyone said he would have
understood my reason for not being there to lay him to rest, but I
didn’t. I couldn’t grasp the reason as to why there had been a need
to lay him to rest at all.

Grabbing clothes from my dresser, I headed to
the bathroom for a long, hot shower. My cell chimed from in the
living room, where I’d left it on the coffee table beside my keys.
I hesitated before going to grab it, wondering who could he sending
me a text this early in the morning. It was barely 7 a.m. As I
scooped up the phone, Eva’s name and number lit my screen. My heart
hammered. Did she have as good of a time as I had?

Morning. Sorry to bother you so early, but
could you check to see if I dropped my debit card in your car
somewhere? ~ Eva

My lips formed a thin line. So much for her
having something needy and hot to say—something along the lines of
how she couldn’t sleep last night because she hadn’t been able to
get me and our awesome date out of her head—that would have been
nice.

Sure. I’ll go look.

I swiped my keys off the table, and started
toward the door. My phone chimed with a response from her before I
gripped the knob.

Oh. You’re awake. That’s great. ~ Eva

As I jogged down the wooden stairs for the
second time today, I typed out a message to her.

Yeah, I’m up at 5:30 every morning.

Why? ~ Eva

I smiled as I unlocked my car doors, and then
paused in my motions to respond to her.

I run.

Opening the passenger side first, I glanced
around the floorboard. There wasn’t any card that I could see.
Shoving my hand between the center console and the seat, I felt
something. I pulled out a green debit card with her name on it, and
smiled even wider than I had been, because this meant I had a
chance to see her again…in person.

Of course, you run. ~ Eva

What’s that supposed to mean?

It didn’t take her but a second to reply.

You’re incredibly in shape. I can see you
running every morning, completely dedicated and driven no matter
the weather conditions. ~ Eva

Her words surprised me, but in a good way.
They made me laugh and shake my head.

Thank you. And yeah, I’m sort of like the
mailman. Nothing stops me from getting in my morning run. Some
people like their coffee. Me? I prefer a run.

You don’t drink coffee? ~ Eva

I pocketed her debit card, and closed the
passenger side door. Locking my car, I headed back to my
apartment.

No. Too bitter tasting no matter how much
sugar or sweetener I seem to put in it.

Ryker had been the coffee drinker out of the
two of us. He’d also been the junk food eater, the biggest ladies’
man, and the alcoholic.

No date number two then. I can’t believe
this. My mind is blown. You hate coffee. ~ Eva

Now that made me laugh. Eva was a joker. A
sarcastic joker. And a flirt. She was flirting with me.

Too bad, and here I am standing beside my car
with your debit card in hand. Oh well, guess I can put it to use
and see how much cash you’ve got in the bank.

Whatever. Meet me at The Point at eight.
Preferably debit card in hand, please. ~ Eva

I didn’t have to know her all that well, or
even be in her presence, to know there had been some serious eye
rolling going on once she’d read my text.

I’ll be there.

She never responded. Slipping my phone in my
front pocket, I stepped inside my place and headed for the shower.
Eight a.m. was about an hour away, and I damn sure wanted to be on
time for our second date—because that’s what I was calling this
morning’s meeting, a second date. Hell, I’d even spring and buy her
breakfast when I got there to make it official.

* * * *

The Point was a pub. Why I’d thought they
would serve some form of breakfast besides a mimosa, I had no clue.
In fact, when I pulled up out front, I wasn’t even sure why Eva was
coming in to work so early. The same green Ford Escape that had
nearly ran me over pulled into the spot beside me. I climbed out of
my car, and sauntered toward the driver side window she’d just
rolled down.

“Good morning.” I nodded.

“Yeah. Hop in.” She shielded her eyes from
the sun, and motioned to her passenger side.

“We going somewhere? You’re treating this
whole debit card exchange like a drug deal.” I rounded her vehicle,
and opened the passenger side door.

“Breakfast, my treat. It’s a thank you for
bringing me my debit card,” she insisted.

“I’m down for that.” Date number two.
Check.

I buckled up, while inhaling the sweet
coconut scent of hers I was growing to love. As she pressed her
foot to the gas, I realized the other day when she’d barreled out
of Gareth’s Park exit she hadn’t been in a mad dash to get away
from me per say; that was just how she drove. Crazy fast.

“McDonalds or Burger King?” she asked,
cutting a left out of The Point’s parking lot.

“What?”

“Breakfast, which place do you prefer?”

“I don’t have a preference between the two,
seeing as how I rarely eat at either place.” I wasn’t a fast food
person at all. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I ate at
either place.

“All right, then I’ll decide. Since
MacDonald’s is closer, that’s where we’re going.”

“Okay.”

She came to a stop at a traffic light,
flipped her blinker on, and turned to narrow her gorgeous eyes at
me. “What? I’m a full-time college student and I work a part-time
job, fast food is nine times out of ten the way I survive.”

I tossed my hands up in the air. “I didn’t
say anything.”

“No, but you’re thinking something judgey. I
can see it on your face,” she muttered. The light turned green and
she gassed it again. At this rate, we’d make it from The Point to
the nearest MacDonald’s in record speed. “I do Pilates.”

“Excuse me?” I chuckled. What the hell did
that have to do with anything?

“I’m not totally unfit Mr.
I-run-every-morning-at-five-thirty. I attempt to eat healthy, when
I can afford to or have the time, and I do manage to squeeze in
thirty minutes six days a week of Pilates.”

Images of her bending and twisting in yoga
pants flashed through my mind. Now that would be something I’d love
to see one day. I was sure I’d have a heart attack then, but oh,
what an awesomely great way to die—death by watching hot girl do
Pilates. Hell yeah.

“Again, I didn’t say anything, nor was I
thinking it. I just generally don’t eat fast food,” I admitted with
a shrug.

“Well, if you’re not hungry, that’s fine. It
will save me some money. I just figured it was the least I could do
since you stepped out into the freezing cold this morning to check
your car for my card. And then for bringing it to me at work.”

She acted as though I was offending her.
“I’ll take a sausage biscuit.”

We pulled into the parking lot of MacDonald’s
and parked. Eva cut the engine, and held out her hand.

“Card,” she insisted.

I dug in my back pocket for my wallet and
retrieved it for her. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Climbing out, I raced around the vehicle to
meet her. “What time are you supposed to go in to work today?”

“Not until 9:45, we have a little while.” She
opened the door, and stepped inside the brightly colored place
before I could hold the door open for her. “Why?”

I shrugged. “Just wondering how much time we
have to enjoy this second date of ours.”

Eva glared at me from over her shoulder as we
made our way toward the line at the registers. “Second date, huh? I
thought this was more along the lines of a friendly breakfast for
returning my card.”

“No.” I shook my head, and grinned. “This
counts as a second date. You just happened to pick the place and
budget for it this time.”

“Oh really?” She chuckled. It was a great
sound, one that instantly made me even more thankful her card had
gotten lost in my car.

Thank goodness for beautiful mishaps like
that.

“So, where are we going for date number
three, then? Is this how it’s going to work—you pick one date and
then I pick the other?” she asked as we inched closer to the
register.

“Absolutely. You seem like the type who
enjoys a small level of control with things.”

“Nailed it.” She pointed at me.

After placing our order and grabbing our
food, we found a seat. I stared at her from across the table while
I unwrapped my biscuit. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail,
and there was some sort of glittery eye shadow illuminating the
lids of her eyes.