“I feel so bad. He’s been in love with her for over a year, and every time she brings another guy around, she crushes him a little bit more.”
“Does she know how he feels?” Colin asked.
She frowned. “She thinks he has a crush, so she doesn’t take him seriously. She says that she wants to stay single and just enjoy life, but I don’t think she is enjoying life. I think she would love to have someone, but that she’s afraid of being hurt.”
After he signed the bill, Colin took her hand and said, “You have to let them work this out. If you interfere, you’re just going to upset Kara.”
“I know,” she admitted, “but I know that Pete is exactly what she needs. I just wish she’d give him a chance.”
They walked out of the restaurant, but Colin paused before they got to his truck.
“I know that you have to get up early to go to your Moms, but I’m not ready for our night to end.” He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as he spoke.
“It’s still early,” she responded. “What did you have in mind?”
“I have a bottle of wine in the truck. How about the gravel pits?” he suggested.
“Okay,” she agreed with a smile, reaching up to give him a soft kiss on the lips. “Thanks for dinner.”
He leaned into her and deepened the kiss. “My pleasure.”
When they got to the gravel pits and snuck through the fence, Colin opened his bag and produced a blanket, a bottle of wine, a corkscrew and two glasses.
“Looks like you thought of everything,” Briana said, pleasure lighting up her face.
He spread out the blanket near the edge of the water and opened the bottle as she got comfortable. He poured her a glass and handed it to her, sitting down so their thighs touched.
He held his glass up to her and said, “To second chances, and to the most amazing woman I know.”
“To second chances,” she toasted.
She took a sip and looked out over the water. “It’s a beautiful night. I love the way the moon shines out over the water. It’s magical.”
Colin looked at her face reflected in the moonlight as he tried his wine. He felt the familiar longing and contentment that he always had when he was with her.
“Hey.” She turned to him with a wicked grin. “Wanna go swimming?”
“We don’t have our suits.”
“You gonna let that stop you?” she asked as she stood up and placed her glass on a nearby rock and began to pull her shirt over her head.
Colin watched, awestruck, as she shimmied out of her skirt, then walked to the water and looked over her shoulder at him as she took off her bra and threw it on the ground next to her.
She gave him a come-hither smile. He jumped to his feet and yanked his shirt over his head. When he pulled at his buckle, he watched as she strode to the water and dove in, her gorgeous body softly glowing in the moonlight.
He almost tripped in his eagerness to get his pants off, but quickly righted himself and finished taking off the rest of his clothing. It seemed he was no longer capable of rational thought. His sole focus was on getting in that water as fast as possible.
He barely registered the chill of the water as he dove in the direction that Briana had gone. When he surfaced, she was a few feet away from him, treading water as she waited.
He swam up to her and pulled her to him. She wound her arms around his neck.
Their lips met frantically, both of them reveling in the feel of their wet bodies meeting beneath the water, forgetting momentarily to kick their legs in order to stay above water.
They stayed in the kiss for a moment, as their heads submerged, then pulled apart and resurfaced with a few kicks.
They were both laughing as they came up for air, then began to slowly swim towards the shallow end. When they reached solid ground, they came together, bodies hot and eager to touch.
Briana moaned into his mouth, as Colin began to lose control. Their hands were everywhere, the silky feel of her body turning him on more than he’d ever been. He broke from her lips and trailed kisses along her jaw and neck as her hands roamed freely under the surface.
The light shining in his face barely registered, as Colin licked and nibbled eagerly along Briana’s shoulder, fueled by the soft sounds emitting from her throat.
But when he heard a voice say, “Come out of the water and leave the premises, you’re on private property,” the fog in his brain began to clear.
They broke apart and looked over towards the voice, which had come from a police officer. He shined his flashlight in their direction.
“Come out of the water folks,” the officer said again.
Colin was almost to the shore when he realized that he and Briana were naked. She hid shyly behind his body.
“Um, Sir, we’re going to exit the water, but would you mind turning off the flashlight and allowing my date to get her clothes?” Colin said loudly, trying to sound firm but respectful at the same time. He didn’t want to anger the cop and get them in any further trouble.
The light went out and the policeman turned. They ran from the water to their clothes and dressed as quickly as possible, their bodies’ slick and no towels available to dry off.
Once they were dressed, Colin threw everything back into the bag and thanked the officer as they made their way back towards the fence.
“Just remember this is private property and it’s not safe to be out here at night,” the police officer called after them. “Don’t let me catch you here again.”
“Yes, Sir,” they both yelled back at him as they scurried down the road to Colin’s truck.
When they got inside, they both started laughing, and soon Briana was overcome by giggles.
“I was so scared when he started talking,” she managed. “I never heard him come up.”
“Neither did I. I almost had a heart attack when I realized what was happening.”
Briana giggled all the way back to her house. She tried to make her hair look presentable, but without access to a mirror and brush, she just threw it up in a bun on her head.
When he parked in front of her house, he turned to her and asked, “Can I walk you to your door?”
“Of course.”
He smiled, his dimples causing her heart to flutter in her chest. He held her hand up the stairs and turned her towards him when they reached her door.
“Thanks again for coming out with me, Bree. I had a wonderful time, cops and all.”
“So did I,” she agreed. “I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”
He leaned down slowly, watching her eyes as he drew near. He brought his hands up to either side of her face and held her gently, as his lips touched hers.
She brought her hands to his hips, digging her fingers in as the kiss melted every bone in her body. As he deepened the kiss, she moaned in his mouth, which caused his head to feel light and his pants to grow too tight.
He took a few more minutes to torture himself, but stopped when he still had it in him to do so.
“Call me when you get back from your mother’s?” he asked her, leaning his forehead against hers so he could catch his breath.
“I will.” She reached up for one last kiss before she opened the door and closed it on him leaving him with a sexy smile.
Colin stood there for a moment, staring at the place her beautiful face had just been, and realized that he may be in over his head this time.
Chapter Twelve
Briana rose early the next morning and got ready to drive out to her mother’s. As she was getting dressed, she couldn’t help but think back to her date with Colin.
She felt herself softening towards him. When they were together it felt just like it used to, comfortable and right, with a hint of sexual tension.
She worried about letting him get close to her again. She’d been hurt so badly when he’d broken up with her, but she had to admit that she was starting to like him for the man he was now, not just the boy he’d b
een. He’d been through a lot over the past few years, and he’d had to grow up and realize that the dream he’d always pursued would never come true now.
She was really enjoying spending time with him, and she had to admit, kissing him now was hotter than it had ever been when they were in high school. She just hoped she wasn’t making a mistake by trusting him again.
She called goodbye to Kara as she walked out the door, and smiled at the grunt that answered her. It only took thirty minutes until she turned down the long, dirt road that led to her mother’s farm.
When she got out and shut her car door, she smelled cooking bacon coming from inside the house.
She loved breakfast at her mother’s. When she walked through the door, she was overcome by the feelings of safety and security that she remembered from her youth.
The décor was a mix of items from Briana’s childhood and the new furniture that her mom and Ray had purchased together. The house was full of warmth and charm, and screamed of comfort and happiness. It was one of Briana’s favorite places.
She walked into the kitchen, tiptoed across the floor, and wrapped her arms around her mother, squeezing her tight.
“Oh, Briana,” her mother said breathlessly. “You startled me.”
Her mother turned and threw her arms around her, hugging her close and kissing her cheek.
“It’s good to see you, Baby Girl,” she said with a big grin.
Briana thought her mother was gorgeous, with her grey hair styled in a sleek bob, and her face a map of years of laughter and happiness. Other than during the period of time after her father passed away, her mother had always been the happiest, most optimistic person that Briana knew.
She loved her to pieces.
“It’s good to see you too, Mama.”
“Come on over and have a seat. I’ll call Ray and we can all sit down and enjoy our breakfast.”
Briana sat down at the table and poured herself some coffee, putting a little cream and sugar in it.
When Ray walked into the room he went right over to kiss the top of Briana’s head, before sitting in his seat.
“Hello, Bree,” he said with a smile. “It’s good to see you again. Your mama’s been missing you.”
“Now, Ray, I know Briana is a busy girl with a life of her own,” her mother countered. “But I always welcome her visits.”
“I’m sorry it’s been so long, Mama. I’ve just been so caught up in work,” Briana explained, feeling a tug of guilt at her mother’s words. “I almost have my application finished for culinary school.”
“That’s wonderful, dear,” her mother said, patting her hand. “And don’t worry about coming to see me all of the time. You need to live your life, and I need to get used to you being far away again. When you get accepted to that school and move to Austin, I won’t get to see you as much.”
“I’ll come home whenever I can.”
“I’m sure you will. Now, tell me… what’s this I hear about Colin being back in town?”
Briana blushed though she should have known that her mother’s friends from town would be keeping her up-to-date on all of the latest gossip.
“He’s back,” Briana admitted. “He got injured and won’t be able to play football anymore, so he came home. He’s helping his daddy at the store now. But you know him, Mama. Running the store isn’t what he wants to do for the rest of his life. He’s thinking about trying to coach.”
Briana’s mother looked at Ray with a smile and then back at her daughter. “Sounds like you sure know a lot about it,” she said with a wink.
Briana shoveled a piece of French toast into her mouth, trying to buy herself some time to compose herself. She couldn’t prevent her embarrassed flush.
“That’s okay. I can wait,” her mother said with a smirk.
Ray just chuckled and helped himself to some more bacon.
Briana swallowed and took a swig of her coffee, trying to dampen her suddenly dry mouth. “Um, yeah, I’ve seen him,” she stuttered.
“Really?” her mother asked gleefully. She’d always loved Colin and had expressed the hope that Briana would get back together with him someday. “That’s wonderful, Bree. Are you two getting along?”
“Yes, Mama. We’ve talked a bit and I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.”
“I’m so happy, dear. The two of you were always such a good match.”
Satisfied that her mother was going to leave the conversation after having said her piece, Briana enjoyed breakfast and then joined her mother for a walk around the farm. They spent a nice day together, catching up and talking about Briana’s plans for her culinary school application. As they sat at her mother’s favorite bench overlooking the pond, she brought up Colin again.
“So, when you said you’ve talked a bit, what does that mean?” her mother asked. She nudged Briana’s arm and smiled.
“We went on a date.”
“Really?” She drew the word out. “That’s interesting. How’d that go?”
“It was really nice, Mama. I’m comfortable with him. When we talk, it feels just like it always did, like we haven’t been apart all of these years.”
“You said he’s had to deal with a lot of changes,” her mother prompted.
Briana held onto her mother’s hand and looked out over the water. “Yeah. He’s had to let go of his dream and find a new one. He’s really changed, Mama. He was always sweet, but even I can admit that he was pretty self-involved in high school. He knew what he wanted and was willing to do whatever he needed to do to make it happen. Now he seems to be putting his parents’ needs ahead of his own. He’s grown and realized the consequences of his actions. I’m really enjoying getting to know the man he’s become.”
Briana’s mom just made a hmmming sound and they sat there in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company. When she walked Briana to the car, her mother engulfed her in one last hug before pulling back to look at her, brushing the hair off of Briana’s forehead.
“Give Colin a second chance, Baby Girl,” her mother said softly. “Your father and I always liked him. You complimented each other so well.”
Briana just smiled and kissed her mother on the cheek, before getting in her car to drive back home.
She spent the next thirty minutes thinking about what her mother had said, and trying to decide how she felt about it.
Chapter Thirteen
When Briana got home on Saturday night, Kara told her that Rich had put together an impromptu barbecue at his parents’ house for the next afternoon. They were out of town for a few weeks, so he thought it would be the perfect time to get everyone together.
Briana got up and went to the grocery store to pick up a few items that she could contribute to the party. She decided to make a spinach and raspberry salad and trifle for desert. Just as Briana wrapped up the dishes, Kara came out in a blue-green summer dress with strappy sandals.
“Ready?” Kara asked as she coated her lips with a shimmery gloss.
“Yup. I just need to grab my bag. You have your clothes for work?”
Kara patted the small backpack that she carried, frowning as she said, “Yes. It stinks that we have to work tonight. We’re going to have to leave just when the party gets goin’.”
Briana ran to her room and grabbed her stuff, then met Kara at the car to load everything. When they arrived at the party there were already quite a few cars lining the streets in front of the house. They followed the sound of the music and the smell of the grill around the side of the house and let themselves in through the gate. Pete and Nicole were sitting and talking at one of the folding tables, while Rich manned the grill. Colin, Kent and Roni stood awkwardly by a long table of food, talking intermittently.
Briana and Kara headed towards the table to put the dishes down and said, “Hi,” to Pete and Nicole as they passed.
Kent walked over to Briana and leaned down to give her a kiss. She stood still, conscious of the fact that Colin was watching and unsure o
f how the next few minutes were going to play out. Kent pulled back and looked down at her face.
“Everything all right, Bree?” he asked confusion showing on his face.
“Yeah,” she responded. “Everything’s fine.”
She couldn’t stop her eyes from darting to Colin and Roni. Kent followed her gaze and then turned back to her.
“Is there something going on that I should know about?” He looked like he was trying not to get upset.
“Um, let’s go inside and talk,” she responded leading him through Rich’s sliding glass door.
“Don’t tell me you fell for his shit already, Bree,” Kent started before she had a chance to close the door.
She saw Colin start, as if he was about to follow them inside, but she shook her head at him and turned to Kent. She looked up at him, her gaze taking in his blond hair and beautiful grey eyes. He’d always been so good to her, never pressuring her for more than she was ready to give. She felt horrible that she couldn’t give him the one thing he’d always hoped for.
Her.
“Kent, it’s not about Colin,” she began. “I love you, and I always will, but we both know that this thing we’ve been doing for the past few years isn’t good for either of us.”
He dragged his hand through his hair as he paced around the room. “Don’t tell me it’s not about him. Things were great before he got here. Look, Bree, we have an understanding… we always have. If one of is with someone, we back off. It’s fine. I’ll let you have your fun with Colin, then I’ll be here for you when it’s done.”
He stopped in front of her and she saw the hope on his face. She knew then that she had to let him go. He deserved better than what she had to offer him.
She walked closer until their bodies were almost touching and placed her hand on his cheek. “You deserve better than this, Kent. Better than me. You’re a wonderful guy. You deserve to be with a girl who will give you all of the love that she has to offer. Who will appreciate how kind and amazing you are.” She looked into his eyes, “We can’t do this anymore. Whether or not things work out with Colin, I won’t be back to use you as my crutch. But I will always cherish you as my friend.”