“I didn’t say that, Sally,” he said, probably trying to soften the blow. “I’m just saying that if you want a girl like Georgia Bennett, you’ve got to step up your game. The usual ‘hey baby, how’s it going’ thing isn’t going to work on her. She’s not a track bunny. She doesn’t give a shit what you can do on a dirt bike, man.”
“Yeah,” I surmised. “I should probably just give it up. I won’t be here much longer anyway.”
“Now where’s that Sallinger-can-do-attitude?” he laughed. “If you want to get to know her, get to know her. Find out everything you can about her and decide if she’s worth the effort. If she’s anything like her sister, then you’ll be a lucky man. I’ve never seen Reid happier than he is with Nora.”
“That’s true. He’s all hearts and flowers these days.” I tried to make light of what Hoyt was saying. As much as I wanted to think I could change my ways with women, I wasn’t sure if it was possible. I didn’t know the first thing about hearts and flowers. I wasn’t even sure if I really wanted to. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of thing. I mean, look at my past dealings with women. Is that even possible for me?”
“It could be,” he said. “But, seriously, you need to decide if that’s the kind of guy you want to be, because if it’s not, don’t play games and put her through more than she’s already been through.”
His words were well meaning, but the seed of doubt he’d planted was there. It was unnerving to say the least. I normally had no problem getting what I wanted. Or who I wanted. If I was going to get Georgia Bennett, even if it was just to be her rebound guy and help her move forward with her life, then I needed a new game plan.
“Thanks, man,” I said before wishing him luck with his own girl troubles. “I’ll think about what you said.”
* * *
There was a knock on the door about an hour after I’d gotten off the phone with Hoyt and I hoped that my prayers of food delivery to the middle of nowhere had been answered. I’d already finished off the box of Froot Loops on the counter and my supplies were getting low. I really needed to make a trip to the grocery store. Seeing as how I’d spooked my local Uber driver, I was nervous about calling Georgia to ask for a ride. Dr. Forlani needed to release me to drive as soon as possible.
What was I thinking staying in a town where I knew no one?
I asked myself that question a few times over the past twenty-four hours. I wasn’t ready to go back to Texas and be surrounded by motocross twenty-four-seven. Or my overbearing mother. Her trip out after my surgery had been enough. I loved the woman, but she was a lot to take. Three days was my maternal limit…and hers. She’d flown back to Texas telling me, “I’ll see you at Thanksgiving,” after she’d made sure I was still alive. In my family, we all loved each other, but we all did our own thing, which was fine by me.
I’d stayed in Halstead for the simplicity of small town living. The quiet and calm that would allow me to focus on my recovery and come back stronger than before. The calm and quiet had given me exactly what I’d asked for. Almost too much time to focus on recovery. It was all I did to the point of excess. Every time I started to doubt that I was going to be able to ride again, I tried to focus on something else. Most of the time it didn’t work. Luckily, the other reason I stayed was standing on my front porch holding a pizza box when I opened the door. The second I saw her I knew that she’d provide plenty of distraction. I swallowed back that chip my conversation with Hoyt had put on my shoulder. If Georgia was here on her own freewill then that meant there was still a chance.
“Hey there,” she said with a nervous smile. “Peace offering?” She held out the pizza box. She was dressed from head to toe in green scrubs with her hair pinned back on both sides. Maybe not the sexiest outfit I’d seen, but seeing it on her made my mouth water. “Can we talk?”
I waited a second before answering, Hoyt’s suggestion about getting to know her replayed in my head. “Sure.” I stepped aside and let her in. My eyes didn’t miss the opportunity to check out her ass as she walked over to the kitchen and place the pizza on the counter. Old habits, I guess. “What’s up?” I asked, shifting my eyes up before she turned to catch me staring.
“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she blurted out. “You caught me off guard and I—”
“No. Hey. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.” I tried to apologize. “I didn’t mean to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t. It’s okay.” She shook her head. “I overreacted. You can touch me.” I could? It was okay?
“Okay…that might be dangerous permission to give me.” I couldn’t help but grin. Well, now I was beyond interested in what she had to say.
She bit her bottom lip and took a step closer. “Yeah. I mean, you know, people touch each other. I just wasn’t expecting it.” She smiled. “Not that I shouldn’t have been. We flirt. We tease each other. I get that whatever there is between us would normally be headed in the direction you tried to take it yesterday.”
“And what direction is that?” I folded my arms across my chest. Now I was caught off guard. I wasn’t sure who was steering this conversation and where it was headed.
“The direction that two normal twenty-somethings who are attracted to each other might go.” Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink and she looked away as I took a seat across from her at the small kitchen table. Seeing her shyness was both adorable and enlightening—her reaction to our relationship, or whatever it was, only proved to me that I needed to be extra careful. Treading lightly was something I definitely wasn’t used to, but if it meant getting closer to her I’d do it.
“Well, it’s nice to hear you admit that you’re attracted to me.”
“Come on. I’d figured you’d caught on by now.” She grinned nervously.
“The feeling’s mutual.”
“It’s just that I’m not...” she paused and blew out a breath, making a pouty expression with her mouth that caught my attention. “It’s been a while since I’ve dated anyone. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything with anyone.”
I nodded. “I understand that, Georgia. Hell, I’m sure you’ve Googled me. I’ve never really dated anyone,” I confessed, earning a chuckle from her. The heaviness between us started to pass, but then I opened my mouth. “I don’t want to pressure you. I’m not asking you to marry me.” I realized immediately that I’d said the wrong words. The hitch in her breathing proved it. Bringing up marriage was not a joking matter to a girl with a dead fiancé. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” she said shortly.
“It’s not fine.” I shook my head feeling like a complete asshole. “I’m an idiot,” I bumbled on while my chest constricted with each word out of my mouth. What was it about this girl that made me unable to think straight? I took a breath and tried to get it right. “What I was trying to say is that I just want to get to know you. I want to hang out with you. I want to...” I trailed off, I didn’t know how to say it without coming off as just wanting her physically.
“You want to what?”
“I like spending time with you. Getting to know you,” I said. “And, I want to be able to touch you in a way that two people who are more than friends touch each other.” I held her gaze for a moment and when she didn’t look away from me I knew she was at least considering the idea. When she reached out across the table and placed her hand on mine, I felt my heart stutter. “But I don’t want to scare or overwhelm you. And I definitely don’t want to piss you off and send you running for the hills again. So if you need a warning before I touch you, say the word and we’ll come up with a signal or something.”