on the edge of the sidewalk,” Tiffany told her. “I always feel like I’m going to either fall forward or get off balance and go sideways and knock someone down. If I ever do, I hope I’m standing next to Keelan.”
In a few minutes, Elijah came inside. His face had been washed. His shirtsleeves were rolled up above his clean arms. He looked over the top of Tiffany’s head and winked at her. Just that small gesture jacked up her pulse a notch or two.
Lightning zigzagged through the sky, crackling every now and then when it hit an old scrub oak tree or bounced across the flat land in a ball of fire. Thunder followed right behind it so low overhead that it sounded like drums being beaten right above the cabin roofs. The black clouds brought on darkness earlier than usual. The first raindrops fell, stirring up dust when they hit the ground. Then it got serious, and the wind blew in hard rain that came down in great waves.
Jayden was doing some prep work for breakfast the next day, and Elijah was waiting for the rain to slack off before he jogged to his own house. He lingered behind, wishing for an excuse to stay, and then realized that he didn’t need a reason. It was raining outside. He liked being with Jayden. That was enough.
“I’m glad that there’s lightning with the rain.” Elijah watched her line up flour, sugar, and baking powder and then set a big bowl beside all of it. “Need some help?”
“No, I’ve got it under control, but what’s that about lightning?” Jayden asked. “I doubt the girls are brave enough to dance in their underwear in this kind of rain, anyway, even after all the double-dog daring.”
“I was thinking that if they did, I’d have to go home in this weather, and I’d rather have my shower indoors,” he chuckled. “But if you wanted to dance with me in this downpour, I will put some Travis Tritt on the loudspeaker, and we can dodge the lightning bolts.”
“Some example we’d be setting when we told the girls they couldn’t play in the rain if there was lightning,” she told him.
“If we were the only ones here, would you dance in the rain with me?” he flirted.
“Yep, I would, but not in my underwear,” she answered.
Heat crawled from Elijah’s neck to his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he blushed, or even why, but he was damn glad that he was far enough away that Jayden couldn’t see his burning cheeks. He had expected her to get red cheeks when he made that statement, but she’d come right back with a saucy comment.
“For real?” His voice sounded a little higher than normal even in his own ears.
“Might be fun.” She smiled. “I’m a dancing-in-the-rain virgin. How about you?”
“Never done it before,” he answered, “but I’d be willing to give it up for you.”
“Well, thank you.”
She was flirting back, and he liked it—a lot. “You are very welcome. What are you getting things ready for?”
“Chicken and waffles,” she answered. “What else have you never done?” She crossed the room and sat down at the table with him.
“Show me yours, and I might show you mine.” Damn, but it felt good to flirt again, to even want to for that matter. Could it be that his luck was changing? Man, that was a thought he never figured would pop into his mind.
“I’ve never gone skinny-dippin’,” she answered.
“I haven’t, either,” he said. “Would you do that with me if we had a pool, or if we were on a secluded beach?”
“Maybe.” She nodded. “Now your turn.”
“I’m thirty-four years old. I’ve been here for two years and was on an extended deployment before that. I haven’t dated in more than three years and would probably need a Dating for Dummies book to even know where to begin,” he answered. “I’d be willing to give up a few hours to read the book, if you’d agree to go out with me.” If she could feel the same sparks between them that he did, he would truly feel like his luck had changed.
“I’d probably have to borrow it and read it before I’d agree but, just so I’d know, exactly what would a date with you mean?” she asked.
“You are a special woman, so it would have to be something big.” He cupped his chin in his hand and drew his brows down. “Maybe we’d fuel the plane and fly