She cleared her throat. “So…thanks for the dance, Jake. Maybe I’ll see you at your parents’ house sometime.”
People were starting to crowd the floor, and Jake glanced around before looking down at her again. There was a slight frown on his face.
“Okay,” he said after a moment. “It was nice to see you again, Erin.”
She nodded once and then hurried off through the crowd, looking for Beth to tell her she was heading out.
Beth hugged her goodbye. “You did say you had to leave early. Are we still on for lunch tomorrow, before my flight?”
“Definitely. I have that appointment in the morning, but the rest of my day is free. Do you want a ride to the airport after we eat?”
“No, I have a rental. Are you sure you don’t want to stay for the chicken dance?”
She smiled. “I’m really, really sure. See you tomorrow, Beth.”
She was crossing the lobby towards the coat check counter when she got her first glimpse out the big glass windows.
It was snowing.
The weather stations had been split fifty-fifty on this one. Half had predicted rain, the other half snow.
Erin had been hoping for rain. Her car was lousy in the snow, and it was coming down thick and fast out there. It looked like three or four inches had already fallen.
Should she stay the night at the hotel? She’d much rather not—her computer was at home, and she’d hoped to do a little more prep work tonight or tomorrow morning before her client meeting. On the other hand—
“I heard there might be snow tonight.”
She turned quickly at the sound of Jake’s voice.
He was wearing an overcoat over his suit, his hands thrust into the pockets. He seemed to be studying her, a slight frown on his face. It was the same way he’d looked at her after their dance.
He was standing close, and a shiver went through her. She hugged herself around the waist.
“I heard that, too, but I refused to believe it. It’s almost April.”
“At least it won’t be on the ground very long.”
There was a burst of laughter and applause from the ballroom, and they both glanced that way.
“Aren’t you staying for the rest of the reception?” she asked, even thought it was obvious he wasn’t.
“No. They’ll be winding down pretty soon, and I figured it wouldn’t matter if I left a little early.”
He didn’t say anything else. They looked at each other in silence for a minute, and Erin was struck again by the difference between this hardened ex-soldier and the teenage boy she remembered.
She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered what had changed him. But looking into his cool blue eyes, it was hard to imagine ever asking.
She looked away, wondering if the Army trained its soldiers in hypnosis techniques. The longer she stared at him the more drawn in she felt. It would be all too easy to get lost in those eyes, trying to see behind the mask.
And that was the last thing she needed to do. Already she was too aware of him, of the effect he always had on her. He was standing so close she could imagine the heat coming off his body. She remembered resting her head against his chest, and a spark of electricity went through her.
This wasn’t helping. She was supposed to be distancing herself from Jake, not imagining getting closer.
“What about you?” he asked her after a moment. “Are you leaving, too?”
She nodded. “I have an early day tomorrow.” Since tomorrow was Saturday, she added, “I have a meeting with a client.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m a web designer. I have my own business.”
His eyes warmed a little as he smiled. “Do you really? That’s great. I remember how good you were with computers, and how you always talked about being your own boss someday.”
He remembered that? A warm feeling spread through her and she spoke quickly to cover it. “I remember how good you were with anything mechanical. It seemed like you were always working on someone’s car. You fixed my dad’s truck once, remember?”
He nodded. “Engines are still my thing. I’ve been working at a friend’s garage since I got back, and I’ve started building custom motorcycles. I’m thinking about turning it into a business.”
“Do you still have your Harley?”
“Sure. Of course I drove my pickup tonight.” He paused. “I’d offer to give you a ride home, but you probably came in your own car, right?”
His words hung in the air for way too long. She had plenty of time to tell herself how crazy it would be to—
“I’d rather get a ride home with you,” she heard herself say. “My car’s terrible in bad weather.”