“Water under the bridge.” She forced a smile onto her face and said, “Tell me about your favorite Fourth of July.”
He told her a funny story about a greased watermelon scramble at the city swimming pool in the town where he’d grown up. Then, when they finished their champagne, he suggested it was time to grill the steaks.
He served her a wonderful meal with a lovely wine, and Savannah’s mood mellowed. As night began to fall, Zach removed a pair of what looked like headphones from a cabinet, slipped them over his dog’s ears, then motioned for Ace to get into his crate. Zach offered Savannah a sheepish explanation as the whippet followed his master’s command. “Ace hates fireworks and thunderstorms … any loud sound. These Mutt Muffs work pretty good.”
“You bought earmuffs for your dog,” she said, her heart going mushy.
He looked her in the eyes and said, “I take care of those I care about.”
It was as if he’d made a promise to her. Savannah blinked back sudden, silly tears as he took a quilt from the closet and tucked it beneath one arm. Again he took her hand as they walked back out to the end of the point. Savannah peered across the lake toward the park where the townspeople gathered to watch the show, but it was now too dark to see how big a crowd had gathered. Zach spread the quilt atop a thick patch of grass and they sat down just as the first whee boom signaled the start. From across the water, she heard the cheering of the crowd. Happy and excited, she leaned back on her elbows and smiled up at the spectacle lighting the sky. She did indeed love fireworks shows.
Being here was surreal. She couldn’t believe that she was actually here in Colorado, at peaceful Reflection Point, sitting beside a broad-shouldered hunk of a man who smelled faintly of the sandalwood soap she made. During her years in prison, she’d yearned to sit outside in the dark and watch the stars. Yearned to be free. Every Fourth of July she’d spent behind bars, she’d imagined herself somewhere watching fireworks burst upon an infinite sky.
She’d never imagined herself doing so while she sat next to a date.
She hadn’t thought kindly about men in those days. When exactly had that changed? Why had that changed? Turning to Zach, she drank in his profile, highlighted by the bursts of color streaming from the canvas of the night sky. He lay stretched back on the blanket, relaxed and propped up on one elbow as he watched the show above.
The summer breeze skittered across the lake and drew light fingers through his hair. Savannah itched to repeat the motion, yet her hand fisted with a slight and sudden measure of hesitation.
Go ahead. Touch him. Make the first move. Everything is perfect. You don’t need to hold back. He’s been good to you. He hasn’t pushed or demanded. He’s different.
He isn’t like Kyle.
Except for the badge.
“Now, that’s cool,” Zach murmured absently as a particularly large firework split into falling cascades of orange and teal. “The committee really went all out this year.”
Unaware of her perusal, he kept his attention on the sky. Pleased that she had the opportunity to simply watch him, Savannah realized how much she’d come to enjoy his presence in her life. She waited for the inevitable rush of fear and mistrust to dash this warm, pleasant feeling to bits, but instead she felt an ache that she had not experienced in a very long time.
She wanted him.
As if on cue, another loud bang rent the air, replacing her musings with a huge starburst that reflected its splendor upon the mirror of Hummingbird Lake’s flat, still surface. Savannah watched the colors fade, her heart pounding and her body yearning as she was swept up in the romance of the moment. Perhaps she should harness this energy before it diminished, rather than be left with regret for yet another experience missed, another instance of life passing her by.
Beneath the backdrop of a vibrant display of fire and brilliance, she decided it was time to let go of some of the baggage.
So he did have a badge. So she did have a record. Tonight, here and now, they were simply two people who’d been alone for a good part of their lives. Two people who enjoyed each other’s company. Two people who were attracted to each other, despite everything that