though he had a heart of gold.
“I’ll tell Ray, Ken. But you know how he is. That will be $14.62.”
She took the money from him, ignoring his son. Ricky was a shifty-eyed little prick who took pleasure in poking at others’ weaknesses.
Thankfully, he reined it in while his father was around.
As she counted out his change, she caught sight of Rowdy moving behind the counter while Dawg started straightening some of the higher shelves across the room. Dawg had spent his summers working the marina before he left high school. For him, Rowdy and Natches, it was almost automatic to work when they were hanging around.
“Hey, babe.” She stiffened as Rowdy moved behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.
“Tired yet?”
She felt the flush that suffused her face as Ricky’s gaze became frankly assessing and old man Tanner grinned in delight.
“Rowdy Mackay. Boy, it’s about time you came home. You just visiting or staying?” Ken’s raspy voice boomed through the store.
“Hello, Ken. Ricky.” He moved to the counter, shaking the gnarled hand reaching out to him. “I’m home to stay this time.”
-56-
NAUTI BUOY
“Well, it’s about time.” He nodded firmly, his knowing gaze shifting to Kelly for a long second, a hint of compassion entering his eyes. “You going to take care of our girl here?”
“Ken.” Her face flamed hotter at the question as she chastised him.
“Like all of us ain’t watched you twitching around him since you were too young to know what a twitch was.” He snorted, frowning back at her.
“Don’t you be playing dumb, girl. Just ‘cause I’m old don’t make me blind.”
She ignored Rowdy’s chuckle as she quickly bagged the items Ken had bought and handed them across the counter.
“I hope you catch lots of fish, Ken,” she gritted out between her clenched teeth, pasting a facsimile of a smile on her face.
She was as fond as she could be of the old man, but he wasn’t one to mince words.
His snicker was amused, kindly. “It’s all in the bait, girl. It’s all in the bait.” He nodded to Rowdy with one of the few smiles Kelly had ever seen out of him. “Let’s go, Ricky.” He nudged at his son, heading toward the lake-side door. “See you later, Rowdy.”
“Later, Ken.” As he spoke, Kelly felt his hand settle in the small of her back, his fingers rubbing in tiny circles over the loose cotton shirt she wore.
“Stop that,” she hissed, turning on him as Ken and Ricky left the building, the glass door whishing shut behind them.
She pushed his hand away, propped her hands on her hips and glared up at his smiling face as he crossed his arms over his chest and smiled wickedly back at her.
“You’re just going to make me pout if you start refusing my pitiful advances, Kelly,” he sighed. “And here I stayed awake all night last night with a numb arm just so you could sleep comfortable.”
-57-
Lora Leigh
Dawg’s snicker was clearly heard.
“Dumb and dumber,” she muttered, though she couldn’t keep the smile from her face as he reached out to run the backs of his fingers over the side of her neck. Shivers raced through her at the small caress. And it wasn’t fear. She could feel the pleasure suffusing her body, dampening the flesh between her thighs.
It was disconcerting. She had spent months with the fear that she would never be able to enjoy Rowdy’s touch again. That the desires he had filled her with, the needs and fantasies would be swamped with the fear. The knowledge that they were coming back, perhaps stronger than ever was at once nerve-racking and comforting.
“It’s almost closing time. I thought we’d help you close up. Then we take all that Chinese food I have out in the cycle’s saddlebag and have dinner before we head out on the lake.” He pushed her hair back from her shoulder as he spoke, his fingers lingering on the shell of her ear for long seconds after he finished.
From
“I’ll tell Ray, Ken. But you know how he is. That will be $14.62.”
She took the money from him, ignoring his son. Ricky was a shifty-eyed little prick who took pleasure in poking at others’ weaknesses.
Thankfully, he reined it in while his father was around.
As she counted out his change, she caught sight of Rowdy moving behind the counter while Dawg started straightening some of the higher shelves across the room. Dawg had spent his summers working the marina before he left high school. For him, Rowdy and Natches, it was almost automatic to work when they were hanging around.
“Hey, babe.” She stiffened as Rowdy moved behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.
“Tired yet?”
She felt the flush that suffused her face as Ricky’s gaze became frankly assessing and old man Tanner grinned in delight.
“Rowdy Mackay. Boy, it’s about time you came home. You just visiting or staying?” Ken’s raspy voice boomed through the store.
“Hello, Ken. Ricky.” He moved to the counter, shaking the gnarled hand reaching out to him. “I’m home to stay this time.”
-56-
NAUTI BUOY
“Well, it’s about time.” He nodded firmly, his knowing gaze shifting to Kelly for a long second, a hint of compassion entering his eyes. “You going to take care of our girl here?”
“Ken.” Her face flamed hotter at the question as she chastised him.
“Like all of us ain’t watched you twitching around him since you were too young to know what a twitch was.” He snorted, frowning back at her.
“Don’t you be playing dumb, girl. Just ‘cause I’m old don’t make me blind.”
She ignored Rowdy’s chuckle as she quickly bagged the items Ken had bought and handed them across the counter.
“I hope you catch lots of fish, Ken,” she gritted out between her clenched teeth, pasting a facsimile of a smile on her face.
She was as fond as she could be of the old man, but he wasn’t one to mince words.
His snicker was amused, kindly. “It’s all in the bait, girl. It’s all in the bait.” He nodded to Rowdy with one of the few smiles Kelly had ever seen out of him. “Let’s go, Ricky.” He nudged at his son, heading toward the lake-side door. “See you later, Rowdy.”
“Later, Ken.” As he spoke, Kelly felt his hand settle in the small of her back, his fingers rubbing in tiny circles over the loose cotton shirt she wore.
“Stop that,” she hissed, turning on him as Ken and Ricky left the building, the glass door whishing shut behind them.
She pushed his hand away, propped her hands on her hips and glared up at his smiling face as he crossed his arms over his chest and smiled wickedly back at her.
“You’re just going to make me pout if you start refusing my pitiful advances, Kelly,” he sighed. “And here I stayed awake all night last night with a numb arm just so you could sleep comfortable.”
-57-
Lora Leigh
Dawg’s snicker was clearly heard.
“Dumb and dumber,” she muttered, though she couldn’t keep the smile from her face as he reached out to run the backs of his fingers over the side of her neck. Shivers raced through her at the small caress. And it wasn’t fear. She could feel the pleasure suffusing her body, dampening the flesh between her thighs.
It was disconcerting. She had spent months with the fear that she would never be able to enjoy Rowdy’s touch again. That the desires he had filled her with, the needs and fantasies would be swamped with the fear. The knowledge that they were coming back, perhaps stronger than ever was at once nerve-racking and comforting.
“It’s almost closing time. I thought we’d help you close up. Then we take all that Chinese food I have out in the cycle’s saddlebag and have dinner before we head out on the lake.” He pushed her hair back from her shoulder as he spoke, his fingers lingering on the shell of her ear for long seconds after he finished.
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