Rita took a long sip of her scalding coffee, not minding the burn one bit. Maybe it would debilitate her tongue enough to prevent any more lame attempts at conversation with Sage. The apple of Belmont抯 eye didn抰 seem to mind, however, as they walked along the dusty road, back toward the Hurley Arms.
Turned out, Rita and Sage were both early risers. They抎 walked out of their motel rooms at the same time, going through caffeine withdrawals and no longer satisfied by the motel-provided Sanka. Belmont梐s if he had some kind of Sage bat signal梙ad appeared out of nowhere to follow behind them in silence, eyes glued on Sage as they ventured half a mile down the road in search of a buzz. Neither Rita nor Sage had commented on his presence, saying it all by trading a half smile of understanding. Or nonunderstanding, as it were, because to know Belmont was to accept that you might never understand him. And that appeared to be fine with both of them.
揜ewarding is a perfect way to describe it,?Sage murmured after a time, smiling over at Rita, the rising sun forming a halo on the crown of her head. Some of Rita抯 nerves over having to walk a half a mile while making small talk faded into the desert grit on either side of them, as if Sage had decreed Rita抯 relaxation. Make it so! 揥hen the couple climbs into their limousine or carriage and everyone is cheering厰 Sage closed her eyes and blew onto the surface of her brew. 揑t makes you believe in fairy tales, you know??
揢h卻ure,?Rita answered, eliciting a clear, clean laugh from Sage.
Rita didn抰 know what compelled her to look over her shoulder at Belmont, but when she did, he paused in his step梠ne second, two梑efore resuming.
揌ave you had any strange theme requests? Like桰 don抰 know梐 RoboCop or Laser Cats wedding??
揘ot yet,?Sage said, after swallowing a sip. 揃ut I抳e organized seventeen Star Wars weddings, three Cinderella themes, and one Brady Bunch.?She looked over. 揟he couple had been through separate divorces before meeting each other, three children each. That was a fun one. Their maid of honor dressed as Alice.?
揘o way.?Rita shoved her available hand into her pocket, a grin stretching her mouth. 揇id they throw footballs at the bride instead of rice??
揙hh, my nose,?Sage said with a snort, doing her best Marcia Brady impression before turning a touch self-conscious, shooting a quick glance back at Belmont. 揑 wish I抎 thought of that.?
揂h, there抣l be a next time,?Rita sighed.
A few beats passed. 揟here won抰 be a next time.?
揘o, probably not.?
Up ahead, the motel came into view and Rita squinted, wondering why someone appeared to be pacing in front of her door. As they drew closer, however, the flannel tipped her off to the pacer抯 identity. Jasper? They抎 left to forage for coffee before the clock struck eight. It couldn抰 be more than a quarter to nine now. It抣l be early in the morning when I come looking.
Apparently, he hadn抰 been playing around. And, ironically, he appeared to be holding two paper cups of coffee in his hand, one of them obviously for her. If she抎 just waited, she could have avoided coming outside. Life was so unfair sometimes.
There was a window of about thirty seconds where Rita was close enough to make out Jasper抯 face but he didn抰 see her approaching. He appeared to be upset. Very upset. One of the flaps of his flannel shirt had come untucked, and his hair stood at odd angles. Concern ticking along her spine, Rita increased her pace toward the motel, only drawing up short when Sage抯 soft voice called to her.
揜ita??Sage抯 shoulders lifted as Belmont came up behind her, stopping about two feet away. 揢m. Sometimes fairy tales look different than climbing into carriages. Sometimes.?
Not knowing how to respond, Rita gave the wedding planner a graceless nod and continued on, feeling an urge to jog for條iterally梩he first time in her life. Jasper threw both cups of coffee into the garbage can with serious force just when Rita hit the parking lot and almost simultaneously turned to find her closing in. 揜ita??
揧eah.?She slowed to an easier gait, her pulse抯 rhythm erratic not over the brisk power walk, but because of Jasper抯 stricken expression. 揢h厃ou better have a good excuse for wasting earth抯 most precious resource.?
揑 thought you were gone. Left.?He propped a fist on the motel wall, raking the opposite hand down his face. 揘o one answered and I don抰 even have your fucking phone number, Rita. And匤esus, you know??
Two walls on either side of Rita smacked together, flattening her in the middle. One brought a warm, welcoming infusion of梑elonging. Here was a man who would miss her presence. She抎 actually made a little mark in this big, broad, place, even if it were only with one person. One man. Because that man was so huge himself, wasn抰 he? There was no avoiding the purity of his strength as she watched him deflate, baked concrete warming the soles of her boots.
The other side of the smacking wall turning Rita into a pancake was hearty rejection of his panic. His distress. Seeing it turned a wrench in her chest, and she was springing forward to connect with him before the mental command fully formed. Although Rita抯 arms didn抰 get the memo, because they hung at her sides as she pressed her face into his heated flannel chest, muscles tensing and shifting beneath her mouth. 揑 just went for coffee.?
揑 was bringing you some damn coffee, woman.?
揑 didn抰 know.?
揥ell.?His arms wrapped around Rita, jerking her close. 揘ow that you抳e scared a handful of years off my life, the least you can do is come with me somewhere without giving me any lip.?
It was excitement that flooded her system, full, flavorful, and a little wild. She regretted a lot of things in her life, but she refused to regret not taking advantage of her time with this man. In this place. 揕et抯 go.?
*
Jasper figured he must be a marvel of modern science, because his heart had relocated to his throat. It beat there as he drove Rita梬here was he taking her, again? The mesa. Right.
Around five miles outside of Hurley, the flat mountain gave a vantage point to the next town and the surrounding desert. When half the nature-made structure had eroded in the late eighties, a local politician had commissioned a roadway be built to the top of the now restored section in the hopes of bringing tourists through the smaller New Mexico towns on their way to somewhere more interesting. So far it was frequented mostly by the Hurley teenagers looking for a place to make out.
Which梐nd Jasper would take it to his grave梚s how he抎 gotten the idea to bring Rita. This morning, while purchasing the now deceased coffee, he抎 overheard the young clerk flirting with his sweetheart over the phone, asking if they could go to the mesa later. And then Jasper remembered. It had been the place to bring girls when he抎 been in high school梩he place for everyone else, that is. He抎 never been required to create a romantic, star-blanketed atmosphere to win a girl over. But now? Efforts would be made, and, unfortunately, he didn抰 have an array of sexy locations at his disposal to bring Rita to. So they were going to the mesa.
And as of now梠r back at the motel, rather桱asper was done holding back.
Good Christ, when he抎 thought Rita was gone, he抎 been dead set on going after her. Dead set. All the times he抎 put the brakes on getting physical had flown through his head like winged monkeys, cackling at him. He抎 lost his chance. She抎 needed him, trusted him to touch, kiss, fuck her body梐nd he抎 said no? Was he goddamn crazy? His mission to be a decent man in Rita抯 eyes had seemed stupid and insignificant when compared to the seismic pull in her direction. Why would you pass up the chance to have her any way you could?