The Bradford Station

Chapter 8

Hayden

"Where are you going all dressed up?" Dad asks as I come down the stairs.

Waiting for quitting time had been hard, knowing I had this date to look forward to. "Out to dinner with a friend."

"From high school?"

Not wanting to get into it with him, I give a non-committal "Mmm. Haven't seen them in a while." If a while means a day.

"Have fun. I have work tomorrow so I'll probably be asleep by the time you get home."

"Be safe." I lean down, kissing him on the cheek.

"You too."

With a wave, I grab my purse and am out the door. The excitement in my stomach is weird for someone my age, but it's there. Maybe because I've never met someone who intrigues me like Danny does or perhaps it's because I feel as if we're sneaking around. Either way, I'm excited to see him tonight. Getting into my car, I smooth the shirt I'm wearing over my stomach and hope I still have what it takes to date.

It's been a while.

Months.

If we're counting, almost a year.

I'm beyond ready to get back into the dating world again, to let my hair down, and maybe just a little bit of my freak flag fly. Backing out of the driveway, I turn toward the BBQ joint and admire the setting sun. The sunsets here are the paintings in galleries. They're the perfect end to a day. The relaxation I've missed and needed. Driving up the mountain, I grin as I pass the spot where Danny and I met.

Three miles further and I'm at Mountainside.

His Jeep is parked in a spot next to the door and he's waiting inside.

Since he's not paying attention to me, I allow myself to look at him. To take in the strength of his jawline and the way his hair hangs slightly in front of his eyes. My fingers itch to push it out of his face so I can see what he looks like unobstructed.

When he turns his gaze to me, I realize I'm busted.

His s**t-eating grin turns his face into a mask of happiness. I can't help but grin back. We both get out at the same time, meeting in the middle.

"Hey." He puts his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. "You lookÉ" He seems to not be able to articulate what he wants to say.

"Thanks." I push a blonde curl behind my ear.

"Beautiful," he finishes up.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

We stand in silence. Not awkward though. We're both observing, possibly trying to figure out what the other is about.

"Have you eaten here before?" He asks, putting his hand at the small of my back and ushering me toward the door.

There's a slight shiver where he touches me. I've never had this kind of visceral reaction before and, immediately, I want it over and over again. "Yeah, but it's been a few years."

When we get inside, the lady at the hostess station greets us. "Hey Danny, how's it going?"

Judging by the way she's smiling at him, he comes in here a lot and she enjoys seeing him. "Good, can we get a booth in the back?"

She gives me a once-over. It's hard to tell if she's bothered I'm here with him or impressed that I am. "Right this way."

Again, he places his hand at the small of my back, causing the same reaction as before. At least I don't have to wonder if it was real or not. Judging by the way the slight touch makes me feel, the chemistry between us is definitely there.

"After you." He indicates I should take a seat in the booth. Scooting all the way over to the end, I motion for him to take a seat next to me. "Same side sitter, huh?" His pink lips curve up into a smirk.

"Not all the time."

"You calling me special?"

Shaking my head, I say, "I'm callin' you lucky."

The hostess places our menus in front of us. "Enjoy your meal."

"Thank you." But my eyes don't move from him. Danny Ramirez has all of my attention. Reaching over, I grab the menu in front of us, thumbing through it. "What do you suggest? I haven't eaten here in years."

"Everything," he laughs. "It's all good. You're not the type of woman to come to a place like this and order a salad, are you?"

Scoffing, I tell him, "No, I enjoy food. Sometimes a little too much."

"Looks just about right to me." Those dark eyes of his move up and down my body.

He takes me slightly off guard since I'm not used to someone who flirts the way he does. At the same time, it's flattering.

Beyond flattering.

"But to answer your question, it's all good. I've never had anything I haven't liked. We can get a few appetizers and eat off them if you want?"

Now this is the type of guy I like. Someone who's willing to not go with the status quo. He seems to enjoy not doing all the expected things. "Sounds like a really good idea."

The waitress comes over, asking what we want to drink. Sweet tea for me and water for him. When she asks if we're ready to order, I defer to him.

"I'll leave it up to you," I tell him. "You choose what we eat. No more than three, though."

He peruses the appetizer menu, seeming to pick out three of them in quick succession. Almost as if he's been thinking about it all day. I mention it to him after the waitress leaves.

"I have." He reaches down, rubbing his stomach. "Worked with my dad and did a workout with the rest of the rookies in the tri-county area."

Crossing my legs under the table, I turn in toward him. "Why don't you tell me a little about your work?"

"You have to know," he laughs. "It's what your dad's done for the past twenty years."

"There are some things I do and a lot I don't. He was never very big on letting us know what was going on while he was there. He didn't want us to worry, which I understood, but now I'm curious."

"Most of the timeÉ" He stretches his arm across the back of the booth.

I curl into him, enjoying the warmth of his body surrounding me. It's been a long time since I've been with a man and not a boy. The college guys were all about getting what they wanted. Meaning there wasn't much getting to know them. There was no wining and dining. No long talks about what we wanted out of life. No questions about what the other person did for a job.

"Most of the time," he starts again, "we're doing regular maintenance work at the firehouse. Checking fluids on the engine, making sure our equipment is up to code, things like that. Right now, I'm the cook."

"Cause you're the rookie?"

"Yeah." He inhales deeply. "Can't wait until that's no longer my nickname."

"How long are you considered one?"

"Until the first year. At my evaluation, I'll officially be off the probationary period. For me, it's six more months."

"Do you like it?"

His eyes shine bright. "I love it. It's all I've ever wanted to do. If it had been up to me, I would've gone out for the squad when I turned twenty, but I couldn't."

"Why not? Unless it's too personal, I just wanna know everything I can about you." With others, I might have been embarrassed to admit it, but there's something about the way he's been openÉI want to know it all.

"No, I find myself wanting to tell you anything you wanna know. My dad," he starts, but our food is delivered.

We situate ourselves, digging into the appetizers we got before he starts again.

"My dad, he needed help with the family business."

"The lawn service?" I take a forkful of the BBQ covered fries.

"Yeah, although it's more than that. When he named it, I don't think he realized how much it would grow. My older brother was getting a degree in landscape architecture. We wanted to move from just cutting lawns and things like that. As a company, we wanted to grow, to build places where people could enjoy spending time outside, and then we purchased all the equipment for snow removal. I still work with them two days a week."

"Isn't that tough, especially with the regulations you're on as a probationary?"

"Very tough, but I would never say no to my family. Not when they've supported me from day one. It won't be much longer, though. We've hired quite a few new employees and once they're trained the way my dad likes them, I'll be able to let go of my two days. Sure, there'll be times when they'll need help, but I won't have to do it every week."

"Good." I give him a grin. "I think I'd like to spend more time with you."

He grins back. "A lot more time. As much as we can manage."

"Sounds good to me."

We talk much longer than I thought we would. When I finally grab my phone to look at the time, I'm surprised to see we've been here for three hours. They'll be closing soon.

He stretches his arms above his head, whistling when I show him the time. "It doesn't feel that long at all."

"It doesn't," I agree, "but I guess we should be going. If not, they're going to kick us out."

He waves the waitress down, grabbing the check. Adjusting slightly, I reach into my purse. "What's my half?"

"Get outta here with that. Absolutely no way."

"Are you sure? Most dates I've been on, I was asked to pay my half." I reach over, taking the last drink in my cup.

"What kinda f*****g dates have you been on?"

"Obviously not the right ones."

"You're too good for those college boys." He puts a finger under my chin, lifting up so that we're looking into each other's eyes. His dark ones show things I shouldn't see yet. They warn me I'm getting in too deep.

"I'm beginning to think you're right."

"You should know I'm right."

He throws down a few bills on the table, stands up, and holds his hand out for me. The gentlemanly act brings a few more flutters to my stomach. Reaching up, I grab hold and he pulls me out with sheer strength. As we leave, I feel the eyes of the hostess on us. It takes everything I have not to turn around and give her a wink. Just a little tease that this man is mine.