be saved. And the more I tried to help her; the worse off life was for me. I was in financial ruins. Some people say this and mean that they are living paycheck to paycheck. I mean that she had accessed all my credit cards, increased the credit limits and run up impossibly high bills. I mean that when she said she was taking money out of the account for groceries or rent or gas, that it really went…other places. Soon, I was in over my head. I didn’t know what to do. My plan was to talk to my father, see if he could help me, and give me a loan until I could get on my feet again, only…he died before that could happen.”
Nodding, she acknowledged that it must have a difficult time. “I expect that the house has been more work for you that it has been a respite.”
“I don’t know what a respite is. All I know is that old adage about no rest for the wicked…must have meant I was bad to the bone. I haven’t had a break in forever. I have worked myself to death to try to pay everything back. Whether it was my debt or not, it was in my name and that…affects me.” He looked down at his hands folded on the table in front of him. “I had planned to buy this house. It was my dream house.” He shrugged. “And then I couldn’t.”
“I’m so sorry you had to give up your dream,” she said earnestly.
‘That’s okay. Now I get to give you your dream. That’s almost as good.” He smiled and greeted the server who brought them their meals.
Soon enough they were ready to make their way back to New Hope. “Want me to just drop you off?” She asked It was only eight o’clock, but it was dark as midnight out. There were a few stars scattered in the night sky. It was a mostly cloudless night, which also meant that it was super cold.
He thought for a moment. “I guess I’ll just watch some television before bed.” He turned on his heels and started toward the door. She was still sitting there watching him.
It felt unfinished, the night. It felt like there was something more, something else that they were supposed to do. She couldn’t imagine what. She smiled as she looked down at her charm bracelet that had already filled out so nicely in the few days that she had owned it. As she drove she saw that every place she passed was already closed. This was such a sleepy little town. There really was nothing for her to do.
The charms jingled on her wrist as she turned the wheel. Then she saw it, the light bulb. A smile spread across her face as she considered whether or not he had kept his word. There was no reason for her rush back to Hope House. She didn’t have a curfew. She had no one to answer to. Really, she wanted to spend more time with him. He helped her. He made her forget.
When she turned back onto Dogwood Drive, she could see that every light was on in Joe’s house. He had changed. He was wearing a tight thermal knit black shirt with his khaki cargo pants. He looked delicious. She wanted him more than she could ever remember wanting anyone. She had wanted him all the more since she had felt his rock hard erection pressed against her. She had pictured hauling him into the back seat of her not yet Escape and having her way with him. How many times had she read that kind of wording in one of her romance novels, but she had yet to experience it in person. Until now, with Joe, it had been a completely foreign concept.
Despite warnings to back in, she pulled into the driveway, hers. And when she hopped out of the vehicle and locked it behind her, he was already partway out the front door. It was as if he had been watching for her, waiting, wanting her to come back for him, too.
She rushed to him, standing there on the front walk. There was nothing cool and casual about her, but there wasn’t anything restrained about him either. He lifted her up into his arms and let her body rub down the length of his as he lowered her. He glanced around conspicuously and dragged her into the house. But the house didn’t