The Drifter (6 page)

“This is a first,” Jack said.

“You’ll like her,” Charlie said. “And whatever you do, tell her you like her boots.”

They drove downtown and parked a half block from the restaurant. The dining room had a scattering of guests and Charlie saw Eve sitting at the end of the bar, a bottle of wine open in front of her and a man he didn’t recognize.

The guy wasn’t any older than Eve and was dressed in casual business attire, a freshly pressed shirt and trousers and a navy blazer. Charlie glanced down at his clothes, a T-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. He thought about running home to change, but his curiosity got the better of him.

The bartender recognized him and gave him a wave, then leaned over to Eve and informed her of his arrival. She turned and smiled, then slid off the bar stool to greet him. “Hi,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I promised these two an ice cream sundae,” he said, pointing to Garrett and Brenna. “Can you fix us up?”

“Sure,” she said.

“Hi,” Jack said, holding out his hand. “They be long to me. I’m Jack Finnegan and this is Garrett and Brenna. I’m an old friend of Charlie’s.”

“This is Eve,” Charlie said. “Eve Keller. Jack is my college roommate.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “You’re the first friend of Charlie’s I’ve met.”

“I could say the same for you,” Jack replied. “Charlie’s been telling me all about you.”

Her eyebrow went up and she glanced back and forth between the two of them. “Really?”

“About your cooking,” Jack said. “And…other things.”

“Well, why don’t I take the kids back into the kitchen and we’ll get started on the sundaes? You guys look like you could use something to drink. Kenny, get these boys a cold beer, would you? And finish up the wine order with Ed.”

Charlie watched as she escorted the kids through
the bar and into the kitchen. Unlike him, she didn’t seem to be nervous around children.

“She’s nice,” Jack said.

“She is. And beautiful. And smart. And talented.” He looked over at Jack. “And I’d be a fool to let her go, wouldn’t I?”

“Yeah, you would. She runs a restaurant. You could have all the free food and beer you wanted. I should bring Jenny here for dinner. She’d like this place.”

“They only serve vegetables,” Charlie murmured, watching Eve through the open door of the kitchen.

“Jenny is crazy about salad. That’s all she ever eats. You two should come over for a barbeque some night this week.”

“Only if you barbeque vegetables,” Charlie said. “That’s all Eve eats.

“I can do that,” Jack said.

Charlie smiled. This was a big step, finding mutual friends, socializing with other couples. It’s what normal people did when they were involved in a relationship. And wasn’t that what Charlie had been looking to experience—a normal relationship?

“I’ll bring the beer,” Charlie said.

“D
O WE HAVE TO DO THIS NOW?
”
Eve asked. She dipped her spoon into the pint of ice cream she was eating and took a bite, savoring the creamy taste. After the sundaes that afternoon, Charlie had insisted she bring home a variety of the homemade ice creams she served in the restaurant. He’d finished the chocolate truffle after dinner and she was working on the butter pecan. “Thinking about redesigning your kitchen is too much like work.”

They’d spent the past four hours in bed and it was now nearly three in the morning. Eve sat on the counter next to the sink in Charlie’s kitchen and Charlie was sprawled in a kitchen chair dressed only in his boxer shorts, eating a bowl of cereal. “I was just thinking since you like to cook so much, I’d make this kitchen a bit nicer.”

“Oh,” she said, feigning shock. “It’s not enough
that you use me for sex. Now you want me to cook for you as well?”

Though her words were meant to tease, she felt a certain sense of pride that she could satisfy both his stomach and his libido. Men were so simple. Sex and food. That’s all they really required to be happy.

“No!” Charlie said. “I just want you to be comfort able here. And I know decent appliances are what you’re used to.” He stood up and crossed to where she was perched, setting his bowl in the sink. “I have a surprise for you.” He pulled the drawer open next to her legs and withdrew a kitchen knife, still resting in its store package.

Eve stared at it for a moment. First, the hiking boots and now this. It was an odd gift, but she knew the brand and the price tag that came along with it. “You bought this for me?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of like keeping your toothbrush in my bathroom. Now you have a knife you can keep in my kitchen.”

“These knives are expensive,” she said, taking the package from his hand. Her gaze met his and she smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, dropping a kiss on her lips. Charlie stepped between her legs and slid his palms up along her thighs, letting them come to rest on her hips. She was naked beneath his t-shirt and though they’d just spent hours in bed, his touch
still had the capacity to send a thrill racing through her body.

“Are you going to share that ice cream or are you going to eat it all yourself?” he asked.

She held out a spoonful of the butter pecan and then fed it to him.

“So what do you think?” he continued. “What should I do with this kitchen? Should I tear every thing out and start from scratch?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “The cabinets are gorgeous. They’re original to the house. The leaded glass in them would cost a fortune to reproduce. I’d have them stripped and refinished. And then maybe hire a cabinet maker to replicate them so that you could put a few more on that wall.” She pointed to the spot beneath her. “Take this one out and put in a dishwasher.”

“What else?” he asked.

Eve sighed. He seemed to be obsessed with his kitchen. This was the third time he’d brought it up today—once at the restaurant after Jack and his family had left, once more when they were making dinner and now again. “The sink and countertops need to be replaced. There’s probably a hardwood floor under the linoleum. If it’s in good shape, you could strip it. I’d put granite in for the countertops. Although concrete might look really cool. Then you need to upgrade the appliances.”

“After all that, would this be a kitchen you could cook in?” he asked.

She frowned. “Sure.”

“Good,” he said. “I’ll get started on it next week.”

“Why? Hire someone to do it after you leave,” she suggested. “Then you don’t have to put up with the mess.”

“I’m not planning on going anywhere, so there’s no reason not to start now,” he said.

Eve stifled a gasp. Though they hadn’t talked about the future, she’d just assumed that he’d be off on another adventure within the month. Actually, she was counting on it. Too much time with Charlie Templeton was not a good thing. “What do you mean?” she asked, the spoon frozen halfway to her mouth.

“I’m going to stick around for a while.”

“How long is ‘a while’?”

“I don’t know,” Charlie said. “Longer than a few weeks. Longer than a month. Maybe even longer than a year.”

“When did you decide this?” she asked. “And why didn’t you tell me?”

“What difference does it make?”

She slid off the counter and shoved the ice cream into his hands. “It makes a lot of difference. I thought you were going to leave like you did last time. That’s what I was prepared for.”

“You want me to leave?”

“Yes!” She cursed softly. “No. I just—” Eve drew a deep breath. “I want to be prepared.”

“For what? I don’t understand.”

“This is supposed to be a short affair and nothing more. After a week or two, it will end and we’ll both get on with our lives. That’s all I want. That’s all I can handle right now.”

He stared at her in utter confusion, his brow knit into a frown and his eyes filled with suspicion. “So you want me to leave? What if I don’t?”

Eve stiffened her spine at the challenge in his voice. “You’re free to do whatever you want. I’m just saying that what’s happening between us won’t necessarily continue.”

“Fine,” he said. “But now I feel like I’m the one being used.”

“I just think it would be better if we kept things simple between us.”

“Right.” He shrugged. “I’m cool with that. Simple is better.”

Eve could hear the anger in his voice. They’d never argued before, though she knew Charlie could be stubborn when he didn’t get his own way. Though they’d only been together for a short time, already this was beginning to feel like a real relationship. And though Eve wanted to believe that there might be a future for them, she couldn’t indulge in a fantasy that might never come true.

Charlie was a drifter, unable to settle down in one place, unable to commit to one woman. She knew it and so did he. And this silly attempt to pretend differently was a delusion that would hurt them both. He’d been spending time with his friend Jack and no doubt had developed a case of envy.

“Don’t be angry. I’m just not that anxious to get involved again. The divorce made me rethink what I wanted out of life. The only person who can make me happy is me.”

“Well, that’s a pretty cold way to look at things,” he said.

“Charlie, you’re the living, breathing epitome of that philosophy. Don’t deny it. Your life, up until now, has been all about you.”

“So you don’t think a person can change? Maybe I want to adjust my priorities.”

Eve shook her head. In all her experience with men, the one thing she knew was that they didn’t change. Either you learned to live with what they were or you moved on. “Of course,” she lied. “People change all the time.” She glanced at the clock above the sink. “I should really get home.”

“It’s three in the morning,” he said.

“I know. But if we go back in that bedroom, we’re not going to sleep. And I have a big group coming in for lunch tomorrow. I can’t afford to sleep in.”

“I thought we were going camping tomorrow?”

“That’s going to have to wait.”

He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her body against his. Charlie nuzzled her neck. “Don’t go. I’ll let you sleep. I promise.”

“No. I think it would be good to spend the night apart.” She walked toward the bedroom, collecting her clothes along the way. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She could tell he wasn’t happy about her decision, but for her own self-preservation, Eve had to practice a bit of common sense. If she spent every night with him, then their relationship would be much more than she ever intended. A night in her own bed would do them both a world of good. Eve tugged on her jeans, then slipped her bare feet into her clogs.

“Come on, Eve. Don’t do this,” Charlie said. “This isn’t some game we’re playing. It’s all right to admit that you enjoy sleeping with me.”

“We don’t do a whole lot of sleeping,” she reminded him.

C
HARLIE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING
was risky. Hell, he’d spent a good portion of his lecture fee on new camping equipment and Eve hadn’t really agreed to the trip. Not definitely.

He jumped out of his SUV and jogged up the front walk, then rapped on the door. A few seconds later, Lily appeared, her hair wet, a robe wrapped around her slender body. “Hi,” she said.

“Is Eve here?”

“Yeah. She’s in the shower. Come on in.” He followed her inside. “Do you want some coffee?”

“Sure,” Charlie said. He waited, pacing back and forth along the length of the living room while she fetched a mug for him.

When she returned, she gave him a wry smile. “So you gave in first. That’s good. I like that. Sometimes Eve can be so stubborn. She needs a man who is willing to compromise.”

“Where is the bathroom?” he asked.

“Top of the stairs on your left,” Lily said.

Charlie grinned. “Thanks.” He took the stairs two at a time, then slowly opened the bathroom door. The shower curtain was translucent and he watched the silhouette of Eve’s naked body as she rinsed her hair.

“Do you need help washing your back?” he asked.

He saw her jump, then the shower curtain flew back and she poked her head out. Water dripped off her hair and clung to her dark lashes. “Hi,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

Charlie held out the mug. “Coffee. Hurry up. We have to pack your clothes and get on the road. We’re burning daylight.”

“We’re what?” Eve stepped out of the shower, her body glistening in the light coming through the bathroom window. Charlie bit back a groan, fighting the temptation to reach out and smooth his hand over her
damp skin. In a matter of seconds, he could have his clothes off and they could get back in the shower and see what warm water and naked bodies might do.

He cleared his throat. Though he thought about sex a lot, and Eve even more, he had something different in mind for the day. “We’re going camping today, remember?”

She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. “I—I didn’t think we’d finalized those plans,” Eve said, reaching for a towel. “I told you we had a big group for—”

He grabbed the towel from her hands and began to dry her face. “We have to go today,” Charlie said, bending down to run the towel over her legs. “I have to be back Thursday for my lecture on Friday night.”

She stared at him for a long moment. “All right,” she said. “Go down and tell Lily that I’m taking a few days off. I’ll be ready in a half hour.”

Charlie grinned. That was a lot easier than he thought it would be. He’d anticipated a series of not-so-valid excuses followed by an outright refusal to accompany him. Obviously, after their argument last night, Eve wanted to put their relationship back on track. And what better way than a night or two in the wild?

On schedule, Eve appeared a half hour later, bundled in warm clothes and carrying an overnight bag. She wore the hiking boots he’d purchased for her,
along with the wool socks. “What’s in the bag?” he asked.

“My stuff,” she said.

“You don’t need anything more that what you’re wearing,” he said, taking the bag from her shoulder. “In fact, you don’t even need everything you’re wearing.”

“I at least need clean underwear,” she said, bending down to rummage through the bag. She stuffed panties and a lacy bra into her jacket pocket.

“We’re hiking at mid-day. It will be warm. You’d be better off in shorts and a t-shirt. Just bring a light jacket. And a pair of pants. And dry socks.”

“This is exactly why we shouldn’t be going,” she said. “I don’t even know what to wear.” She began to strip off the sweater she wore. “What about pajamas?”

“We’ve never needed them before,” he teased.

“We’ve never slept in the freezing cold before. I know enough to know that it’s cold at night in the mountains. There’s still snow up there.”

“We’re sticking to the foothills. The weather will be chilly, but there won’t be any snow.”

When she’d finally decided what to bring, Charlie gathered it up and carried it out to his SUV. He shoved it into the top compartment of his pack, then helped her into the front seat.

He headed the truck southwest, toward the Nederland area. There were plenty of places to hike and
camp in the national forest and they were close enough to home in case Eve was completely miserable.

As they passed the Hotel Boulderado, a famous old Victorian-era hotel that featured luxurious rooms, Eve pointed out the window. “I’ll treat,” she said. “A night at the Boulderado. A soft bed, a big bathtub.”

“I’ve spent hours in the kitchen with you,” Charlie said. “Now it’s time for you to see a bit more of my world.”

“To what end?” she asked. “When you spend time in the kitchen with me, at least you get a meal out of it. What do I get out of this?”

“Time alone with me. In a sleeping bag. Fresh air. Exercise. Maybe we’ll even see a bear.”

“Except for the bear, I could get all that at the Hotel Boulderado,” she said. “And I’d have a real bed.”

They stopped for coffee and to Charlie’s surprise, after a jolt of caffeine, Eve’s mood brightened considerably. By the time they reached Nederland, she was interrogating him about the food he’d brought along and the cooking utensils she’d have available for the evening meal.

Charlie had planned the trip carefully, knowing that if he threw too much at her all at once, she’d never want to hike with him again. He’d chosen to trek along a familiar forest service road for three or four miles, then cut off on a trail that led to a flat and spacious campsite.

He wanted Eve to like this, to enjoy an outdoor adventure with him. He wanted to share the things he loved about the outdoors in the same way she shared her love of cooking with him. It was what couples were supposed to do. And more than any thing, Charlie was starting to look at the two of them as a couple.

There were so many places he imagined showing her, so many cultures to eat their way through. Some of the best food he’d ever eaten was in little out-of the-way places in exotic locations. He was beginning to imagine a life for them, all laid out in front of him. And in the same way he used to get excited about a new adventure, he was anticipating the challenges of loving Eve.