Read Only You for Free Online Page A
Authors: Deborah Grace Stanley
resisting temptation, she said, “I stay pretty busy.”
“Bein’ as I’m your unofficial knight, I feel it’s my duty to save you from nuked frozen dinners.”
Josie giggled. She couldn’t help herself. She sat back and stared at him. He was certainly easy on the eyes. The light above the booth made his hair shine like spun gold and highlighted the brilliant blue of his eyes. She could look at him all night. “It’s late,” she said instead. “I should be going.”
Cole wiped his mouth on his napkin. “I’ll walk with you.” He slid out of the booth and held out his hand to help her up.
She put her hand in his. “That’s okay. I can see myself home.”
He looked taken aback. “I wouldn’t dream of letting you walk all that way alone at this time of night. So, don’t think to try and talk me out of it.”
“He means it, too.” Dixie dipped her chin and wagged a finger with a polished pink fingernail at her. “You might as well not argue.”
Josie reached for her purse. “You didn’t give us a ticket, Dixie.”
“It’s on me. Call it a welcome home meal. Here’s you some apple pie for a midnight snack.” She winked at Josie, then looked at Cole. “Hot and fresh.”
She handed Josie the paper bag. Dixie’s double meaning wasn’t missed on Josie. The wonderful smell of cinnamon and apples wafted up to tease her senses. “Thanks, Dixie. I appreciate that.”
“Don’t mention it. Ya’ll have a nice evenin’ now, hear?”
There was that wink again. Josie suppressed a groan. This would be all over town tomorrow.
Cole escorted Josie to the door and out onto the sidewalk. It was a perfect springtime Angel Ridge evening. She inhaled deeply. A hint of roses wafted on the breeze. These pleasant evenings would soon turn to summer and hot steamy nights. That thought conjured another hot image. Josie shook her head. What was wrong with her?
“Nice night,” Cole commented, his voice soft and low, as they walked toward the residential end of town.
“Yes.” She tipped her head up to the sky. “Have you ever seen so many stars?”
“Beautiful,” he agreed as they turned off Main Street onto Ridge Road, but with him looking at her instead of up at the sky, Josie knew he wasn’t referring to the stars.
She smiled at the simple compliment, unused to this kind of attention. Most people complimented her mind, not her looks. She kept her focus on the sky. “I missed this while I was away. The stars here seem closer. Brighter.”
“There aren’t any street lights. It makes a difference.”
“I guess you’re right,” she agreed, looking around. “Only a few porch lights and lampposts.”
“I love these old houses up here. Did you know Miss Estelee’s is the oldest?”
“No.”
“She’s not sure exactly when it was built, but best I can tell, it was probably in the early 1800s.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “At first glance, it’s a standard I design like you see in most farmhouses, but on a much smaller scale. The really interesting thing is the butterfly plan that gives the front that unusual V shape with the two wings jutting out at either side of the front porch capped by those nice bay windows. Very different from all these Victorians.”
“I guess I never thought about it.”
“Well, over the years, they doctored it up with Victorian elements, like the gingerbread trim up in the eaves and on the porch posts.”
“Now I did notice the trim. There are angel’s wings in it.”
“No surprise there.”
When they reached the gate in the picket fence in front of her house, she said, “Here we are.”
Cole released the latch on the gate and held it open for her.
“I can manage from here,” she said.
“I’ll walk you to the door. Make sure your key works. Those skeleton locks in these old houses can be persnickety.”
She smiled and preceded him up the sidewalk.
“Howdy-do!”
Josie stopped on the first step leading up to her front porch. She peered into the
“Bein’ as I’m your unofficial knight, I feel it’s my duty to save you from nuked frozen dinners.”
Josie giggled. She couldn’t help herself. She sat back and stared at him. He was certainly easy on the eyes. The light above the booth made his hair shine like spun gold and highlighted the brilliant blue of his eyes. She could look at him all night. “It’s late,” she said instead. “I should be going.”
Cole wiped his mouth on his napkin. “I’ll walk with you.” He slid out of the booth and held out his hand to help her up.
She put her hand in his. “That’s okay. I can see myself home.”
He looked taken aback. “I wouldn’t dream of letting you walk all that way alone at this time of night. So, don’t think to try and talk me out of it.”
“He means it, too.” Dixie dipped her chin and wagged a finger with a polished pink fingernail at her. “You might as well not argue.”
Josie reached for her purse. “You didn’t give us a ticket, Dixie.”
“It’s on me. Call it a welcome home meal. Here’s you some apple pie for a midnight snack.” She winked at Josie, then looked at Cole. “Hot and fresh.”
She handed Josie the paper bag. Dixie’s double meaning wasn’t missed on Josie. The wonderful smell of cinnamon and apples wafted up to tease her senses. “Thanks, Dixie. I appreciate that.”
“Don’t mention it. Ya’ll have a nice evenin’ now, hear?”
There was that wink again. Josie suppressed a groan. This would be all over town tomorrow.
Cole escorted Josie to the door and out onto the sidewalk. It was a perfect springtime Angel Ridge evening. She inhaled deeply. A hint of roses wafted on the breeze. These pleasant evenings would soon turn to summer and hot steamy nights. That thought conjured another hot image. Josie shook her head. What was wrong with her?
“Nice night,” Cole commented, his voice soft and low, as they walked toward the residential end of town.
“Yes.” She tipped her head up to the sky. “Have you ever seen so many stars?”
“Beautiful,” he agreed as they turned off Main Street onto Ridge Road, but with him looking at her instead of up at the sky, Josie knew he wasn’t referring to the stars.
She smiled at the simple compliment, unused to this kind of attention. Most people complimented her mind, not her looks. She kept her focus on the sky. “I missed this while I was away. The stars here seem closer. Brighter.”
“There aren’t any street lights. It makes a difference.”
“I guess you’re right,” she agreed, looking around. “Only a few porch lights and lampposts.”
“I love these old houses up here. Did you know Miss Estelee’s is the oldest?”
“No.”
“She’s not sure exactly when it was built, but best I can tell, it was probably in the early 1800s.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “At first glance, it’s a standard I design like you see in most farmhouses, but on a much smaller scale. The really interesting thing is the butterfly plan that gives the front that unusual V shape with the two wings jutting out at either side of the front porch capped by those nice bay windows. Very different from all these Victorians.”
“I guess I never thought about it.”
“Well, over the years, they doctored it up with Victorian elements, like the gingerbread trim up in the eaves and on the porch posts.”
“Now I did notice the trim. There are angel’s wings in it.”
“No surprise there.”
When they reached the gate in the picket fence in front of her house, she said, “Here we are.”
Cole released the latch on the gate and held it open for her.
“I can manage from here,” she said.
“I’ll walk you to the door. Make sure your key works. Those skeleton locks in these old houses can be persnickety.”
She smiled and preceded him up the sidewalk.
“Howdy-do!”
Josie stopped on the first step leading up to her front porch. She peered into the
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