Redwood Bend

gone. I do. Because I don’t know if I can say no to him again.”
Leslie sat up straighter. “Again? Did you leave out some parts here? Because a few bike rides, hamburgers and chitchat is all real nice, but…”
“We made out like a couple of teenagers on prom night. I nearly got nailed in broad daylight on a hilltop. It was awesome. And I’m not sure if I’m glad I held off or if I totally regret it.”
“Wow!” Leslie said. She fanned her face. “That’s what you left out. And that was it? He said goodbye and went back to wherever he came from and you’ll never see him again?”
“Sort of. But you know what? I had some fun, I have to remember that. He’s fun. Why are the bad boys always the fun ones, huh? I made him laugh even when he was trying to be serious, so he had fun, too. I have to remember that it was a good experience, didn’t get out of hand and it was about time there was a little something going on with a guy. But the hard part is that there was no goodbye. No closure. The one thing I didn’t want to be was completely forgettable.”
Leslie thought about this a second. “Maybe he’s still around?”
“Hmm. With some other girl, a little more willing than me, up on that hilltop? He said he’d be in touch. It’s been four days.”
“Does he seem like that kind of guy? A guy who would strike out with you and just find himself an easier target?”
“I don’t know, Les,” she said. “I can’t say I really know him. I got a strong sense of him, but that doesn’t mean I know him. The only thing he was really firm about is that he’ll never marry and have kids.” She gave a little shrug. “Anyone I get involved with has to take us all on.”
“Whoops. I guess you eliminated him first.”
“I told him he hadn’t done anything for me that qualified as a date yet.”
And Leslie spewed her tea as she burst out laughing. Katie couldn’t help but join her. “Well, at least he’ll have something to think about on his way out of town.”
“Totally,” Katie agreed.
And then there was the slow rumble of a motorcycle. They exchanged looks and they both went completely still. It seemed to growl through the town without ever accelerating or stopping. Neither of them could move. And then it came down Leslie’s street, stopping behind Katie’s SUV.
He casually braked, stabilized and dismounted, walking slowly toward the porch with his helmet in the crook of his arm, grinning pleasantly. “I thought that might be your car,” he said. “I checked at your place, but you weren’t there. Because you’re here, I guess.” He approached the porch and put one booted foot on the step. Katie loved those pointy-toed cowboy boots.
“Lost?” she asked.
“I was looking for you,” he said. He glanced at Leslie, whose mouth was hanging open. “Hi. I’m Dylan.”
“Hi,” she said in a whisper. Then she cleared her throat and said, “Hi.”
“This is Leslie,” Katie said. “My future sister-in-law. Les, this is Dylan.”
“Hi,” she said again.
Dylan chuckled. “I don’t see the twins. What are the chances they’re in jail?”
“They’re fishing with Uncle Conner.” She glanced at her watch. “I guess they’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“I was hoping you’d have a little more than an hour. I wanted to take you somewhere. And it’s a grown-up thing.”
“Where?” she wanted to know.
“It’s a surprise, but I’m convinced you’ll like it.”
“She’s covered,” Leslie shot in. “The boys are…um…they’re staying overnight. They want to…camp out in the backyard with Uncle Conner. Or something.”
Dylan lifted one curious brow. Suspicious.
“Can I talk to you for one second before you go?” Leslie asked Katie. “Inside?”
“Sure,” she said. “Be right back.” And she followed Leslie into the house.
They were barely inside when Leslie grabbed Katie and shoved her up against the wall. Her eyes were a little wild, which came close to frightening Katie. “Do you know who that is? ” she whispered.
“That’s Dylan.”
“Dylan Childress, ” Leslie informed her, letting go.
Katie chuckled. “I forgot, we’re the same age. The guys around here would never notice.”
“But you knew, right?”
She gave a short nod. “But I haven’t mentioned it and neither has he. And even though I was in love with him for a good five years when I was a kid, that has nothing to do with the guy I know now. I swear to heaven.”
“He thinks you don’t know?”