Read Online Only You by Deborah Grace Stanley - Free Book Online

the sudden.”
    “Let’s get out of this downpour.” He had to shout to be heard above the pounding rain. It seemed to come down harder by the second.
    They stood, and he folded everything up in the blanket. Then they ran for cover under the blue awning outside the bank. Everyone inside stared at them curiously. Cole noticed that Josie’s white blouse had become quite transparent. He stared as well—for a second. Then he got hold of himself. I have to get her out of here.
    “My truck’s parked right over there. Why don’t I take you home so you can get changed?”
    Josie opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent as an old blue Buick pulled up alongside the sidewalk near where they stood.
    The town’s retired high school history teacher, Mrs. Church, rolled down the window. She had to nearly shout to be heard above the pouring rain. “Hello, Josie. I saw you standing over here and thought you might like a ride back to the library. You know, the Historical Society meeting begins in five minutes.” The little gray-haired lady pursed her lips, and after looking Josie over from head to toe observed, “Josephine, you are all wet.”
    “Yes,” Josie finally found her voice. Looking down at herself, her eyes widened and she crossed her arms over her chest.
    The old woman’s eyes narrowed. “Who is that there with you? Is that the Craig boy?”
    Before he could speak, Josie said, “Yes, ma’am. Cole was just about to help me get out of these wet clothes.”
    “ Humph! ”
    Cole couldn’t keep from chuckling.
    Josie stammered. “I—I mean change. Take me home so I can change out of these wet clothes.”
    “I would think that you should,” Mrs. Church said.
    “I’ll join you and the other ladies in just a few minutes, Mrs. Church.”
    “I shall inform Mrs. McKay that you will be tardy,” Mrs. Church said in the stern, clipped voice of a schoolteacher. “I’m very disappointed in you Josephine.” She rolled up her window and continued down the street at a restrained five miles per hour, her head barely visible above the steering wheel.
    Josie dropped her head into her hands and said, “Can this get any more humiliating?”
    “Come on. I’ll drive you home.” Cole grasped her elbow, and they sprinted through the rain to his truck.
    After they’d settled themselves inside, he tossed the wet picnic blanket containing the remains of their lunch behind the seat. Everything had been going so well, but now, it seemed things couldn’t get any worse.
    He grabbed his denim jacket and settled it around Josie’s shoulders. She looked thoroughly embarrassed and withdrawn. He’d be lucky if she would agree to ever see him again.
    She’d been right. Taking her to such a public spot had been a bad idea. He’d only wanted to test the waters to see if she’d mind being seen with him in public. He should have noticed the storm clouds rolling in, but when he got around Josie, he blocked out everything but her. Being dog tired from a late night didn’t help either.
    He started the truck. They completed the short drive to her house in silence. The rain hadn’t let up at all when he pulled into her drive and shut off the engine. He rested his arm along the back of the bench seat and studied her.
    Her hair frizzed around her face. One fat curl had pulled away from that knot she’d twisted her hair into at the back of her head and now hung enticingly against her cheek, down along her neck, finally resting on the front of his jacket. He remembered the way she’d looked at him earlier, her eyes begging him to kiss her. Watching her now in the seclusion of his truck cab with the windows steaming up, the desire to kiss her intensified.
    He reached out and touched her cheek. “Josie…” His voice sounded hoarse, even to his own ears.
    She glanced up at him, then turned away, but not before he saw the closed look in her eyes.
    “Don’t.” Cole squeezed her shoulder. He couldn’t bear the thought of her shutting