Chapter Twenty

By dawn the next morning, Summer had zipped through her morning chores, cleaned the kitchen, started the dishwasher, mopped the wood floors, and tossed clothes into the washer, all in an anxious rush to prepare for her day with the man she loved. The animals looked at her oddly for being awakened so early. Murphy yawned as she followed Summer outside while the horses lazily left their stalls through the barn door she’d opened for the day, allowing them to come and go to the pasture as they desired.

She’d tossed and turned all night, too wired to settle down to sleep, excited about the upcoming day. Like a kid on Christmas Eve, she’d woken up several times to check the clock, only to find little time had passed since she’d last checked. Finally, she’d given up, deciding to get to work on the necessary household tasks in order to help clear her schedule for whatever Night had in mind.

Night. She’d sure fallen under a lucky star when it came to him. What woman wouldn’t want a sexy ex-Green Beret with a large heart of gold and tender hands? Never in her wildest dreams had she considered one would look twice at her, let alone decide they wanted to share a future with her. The fact he did still amazed and thrilled her. She’d pinched herself that morning, just to make sure it wasn’t some marvelous dream.

Checking her watch, she decided she could jump in the shower and get cleaned up before he arrived. The night before he hadn’t given any indication of when he would drop by, but since he’d mentioned spending the day with her, she expected him fairly early. If his sleep resembled hers, it might be sooner rather than later. Still, sunrise seemed a smidgen early for a date to begin. With that thought, she hurried to the bathroom.

* * * *

Night arrived just after seven, more than ready to start the full day with Summer—anticipation and a restless night driving him to get up and around earlier than he initially intended. No matter. They could put the extra time to good use. He grinned at the image of what he and Summer could do to fill the vacant hours.

With a quick knock, he peered through the glass storm door, greeting Murphy as she trotted over to see who’d interrupted her morning nap. “Good morning, Murphy. Where’s your owner this morning?”

“Right here.” Summer stepped around the corner, already dressed in jeans and a white lightweight shirt, her hair still damp from a shower, but pulled back in the usual ponytail. Flipping the lock, she opened the door for him.

“Hi.” He greeted her with a smile, already taking note of her soft flowery scent along with the molded jeans and shirt that outlined her assets. All he needed was a couple of kisses and he’d be completely primed for loving.

Whoa, soldier. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. As much as he might want to carry her to the bedroom, deposit her on the bed, and make sweet love to her for the rest of the day, he needed to take a step back. After all, they really hadn’t had an official date yet. Fixing her gate didn’t count in his book. Thus, she merited wooing, romance, and taking the time to take each step at a reasonable pace.

If everything went according to plan, he would have plenty of time to explore her curvy body, unravel her carefully bound passion, and sink deep into her repeatedly until she cried out his name in ecstasy.

His cock twitched at the thought, already hardening and chafing in the tight confines of his jeans. He ignored the slight discomfort and focused on the rare occasion of spending a full day with a woman he could envision by his side for years to come.

“Hi, yourself.” She licked her lips, plucking at her shirt.

He watched her body language closely. “You look like you’ve been up for a while.”

“Yeah. I didn’t sleep too well. Decided to get up and be useful.”

She sparked with nervous energy, enough to run a small appliance if he could find a way to attach her to an outlet. Damn. This wasn’t going to work for the intimacy he’d hoped for. He questioned his decision to walk away last night, give her more time to consider this big step in their lives. Never did he think she would be wound to the hilt the next morning, a tight bundle of nerves. No. The decision proved sound, however this morning she needed a distraction. A big one. Something relaxing and enjoyable, just enough to take away her jumpiness.

Besides, they needed some time together. To have fun, unwind, to gradually work their way up to sex in a more natural progression. It was just as well she radiated a bit of anxiety this morning. Her behavior gave him pause and reiterated that he needed to keep it slow. Night mentally chastised himself for the oversight and vowed to make things right, however long that might take. He studied her closely, watching emotions flash across her face. “Have you eaten?”

“No. I wasn’t sure… I waited for you.”

Plan B struck a chord. “Do you have a basket big enough to put a few items in?” he asked while marching toward the kitchen.

She trailed behind, confusion laced her voice. “Basket? No. But I have a cooler. Will that work?”

He nodded. “Get it.” Yanking the fridge door open, he surveyed the contents before pulling out the eggs, milk, juice, butter, and bacon. With deft movements, he placed those items on the countertop before pulling open cupboard doors until he found glasses, a skillet, and kitchen towels to add to the pile.

Summer returned with a white insulated cooler, softly placing it beside the items. She slipped around him, opened the freezer door, and popped out three ice trays into the small box. Refilling them with water, she carefully set them back in the bottom shelf to refreeze. “What are we doing, exactly?”

“Going on a picnic, of course.” He shot her a quick grin as he stuffed the food into the now ice-filled cooler, closing the top with a snap. After finding a handful of eating utensils and plates, he slipped them into a plastic sack Summer held open.

“Okay.” Her face crinkled as if she stared at a calculus equation with no clue where to begin.

He dropped a quick kiss onto her scrunched up nose. “I know the perfect place. It’ll be fun.”

In no time, they tromped out of the front door, supplies in hand.

A short drive later, they arrived at a small city park alongside a local river tributary. Picnic tables speckled the landscape and playground equipment sat to one side of the large grassy area. Shade trees covered much of the landscape, protecting visitors from the extreme heat and glare of the hot summer sun. Only one other couple was using the park, a bit surprising on a summer morning, but Night chalked it up to the early hour. By noon, more families would probably filter in, filling the tables and banks, kids running and playing.

He spied the small waterwheel landscaped exhibit and the brightly-painted green table nearby. “That one will do.”

Summer followed his stare. “Clean and overlooks a pretty place. Perfect.”

Together they collected their goodies, holding hands as they strolled toward the miniature version of an old mill waterwheel. This one worked the same, softly dropping water as it turned in the pool. The calm river before them added to the scene, slowly meandering along its way. A handful of ducks paddled near the bank while a pair of black swans with arched necks flowed with the current, as if out for a morning swim. Birds chirped in the background, completing a wondrous nature scene straight out of an oil painting.

Night looked over at the small fire pit next to the table. “This should work.”

Summer gently sat the plates and utensils on the table. “I’ve never cooked over an open fire before.”

He felt her gaze on him, taking in each movement, sending a charge of confidence rushing through his veins. “Don’t worry. I’m fixing breakfast for you.”

She blinked.

Unable to resist, he ran his fingers across her cheek. “You’re in good hands. One of the first skills you learn in survival training is how to build a fire and cook your own food.” He grinned mischievously at her. “If you prefer, I’ll taste test it first, just to prove it’s edible.”

“Oh, I believe you.” She lowered her chin, looking up at him beneath long eyelashes. “Besides, if it’s not, we drove right past a donut shop on the way here.”

“You’re going to need more than a donut.” He bit off the rest, reminding himself this impromptu outing was to draw their focus away from their impending sexual interlude. Already, she seemed less skittish, a minor success and one he hoped to continue.

Summer unpacked their stuff. “True. One never seems like enough.”

“If I fed you a half dozen, you would bounce like that pink bunny.” He grinned at the thought. Absently, he noted the sky darkening in the distance to the west. A promise of rain to come. If only it would hold off long enough.

She matched his smile. “Probably.”

He shook his head and checked the small pit area. Sure enough, a few sticks of wood remained. Adding in a couple more along with some kindling from a small sack he’d brought along, he struck a match. In seconds, he had a nicely contained fire burning, enough to set the skillet on the rack over the fire. He grabbed the non-stick spray and covered the dark metal generously before laying out the bacon strip by strip into the pan. Next he cracked the eggs and added them to occupy the opposite side of the pan.

Within minutes, he returned to the table, sliding a couple of eggs and strips of bacon on her plate. He did the same for his own before setting the skillet on the grass to cool off. By the time he’d sat down, she’d placed a glass of milk and another of juice in front of him.

As he dug in, he watched Summer as she nibbled, checking out the scenery in between bites. Her pretty brown eyes took in everything, an expression of peace and happiness settling on her face. A sigh of relief escaped his throat.

“Look! A deer.” Summer pointed over his shoulder.

Swiveling, he glimpsed the doe with a small fawn at her side as they cautiously negotiated the bank to the water’s edge for a drink. The adult’s gaze constantly scanned the area, but she didn’t appear threatened by the presence of a handful of humans nearby.

“So beautiful.”

He turned back to Summer. “Yes, you are.”

Her face stained crimson. “Not really, but thank you for saying that.”

“I’ll say it often so you’ll believe it.” He promised, finding that he enjoyed her blushes, a signal of her purity and goodness.

She drained her juice glass but remained mute.

A loud rumble of thunder interrupted their morning picnic. Glancing up, he noted the clouds moving in fairly quickly. “Better finish up quick.”

Summer leaped into motion, collecting their items as she crunched the last piece of bacon.

Night followed, shoveling the last bite of egg into his mouth, chewing while he helped to pack as another closer rumble warned of limited time. Together, they raced back to his truck, making it in plenty of time to avoid getting wet.

“Wow. That looks close,” Summer said, as she tried to catch her breath.

“The question is—can we beat it home?”