a good idea. Being outside put me in a much better frame of mind. Do you have an extra helmet?"
He nodded and she ran off to get ready.
The phone rang at about the same time and Joey answered it.
"You know, son, if you want to date the girl, you're going to have to stop being so damned subtle."
"It's not dating."
Papa sat there staring at Jesse and he had to fight the urge to squirm.
"What do you call taking a woman around to see the monuments, including going to the art museum, and then showing up for a Sunday drive in the country?"
"I call it being nice."
But you don't want to be nice , a voice whispered in his ear. He wanted to be a whole lot of not nice to the woman. He hadn't been able to forget the sound of her laughter or the way she lit up as they went through the museum.
"We called it dating when I was younger.” He opened his mouth to refute it, but Papa shook his head. “I don’t feel like arguing. I get enough of that with the woman I married. But, since I feel responsible for her, I want you to remember you will answer to me if something goes wrong. I have four boys who will help me hide your body.”
“She doesn’t want to date anyone.”
Papa laughed. “Yeah, neither did Joey when I met her. In fact, she refused to date Marines.”
* * * *
By the time they stopped for a break, Zoe had finally relaxed. It hadn't been an easy task as she leaned against Jesse's muscled back. When he pulled into the gas station to take a break, she was kind of disappointed.
She followed him into the store and went to the back to grab a couple of waters while he went to wash his hands. Minutes later they were sitting outside of the convenience store enjoying the weather.
"So, what do you think of Virginia in the spring?"
"A damn sight better than the winter, that's for sure. This one was brutal."
"You don't like winter?"
She shrugged. "I like it, but not like the one we just had. I think I might have to be sure that I make a trip back up here in the fall. I would like to see the leaves changing." He nodded and said nothing else as he watched the cars go by on the road.
"Can I ask you something?"
He looked at her, but she couldn't see his eyes. That bothered her. He was wearing a pair of those mirrored sunglasses that made it impossible to see a thing.
"Sure."
His tone told her he was wary of her question and she wanted to laugh. Big, bad Marine was afraid of her question.
"What is this we're doing here?"
"I don't follow you." His mouth turned down in a frown. Even when he was irritated with her, he was attractive. That made him dangerous. She needed to remember that.
"Don’t get me wrong, I adore the Santinis but it was nice going to DC. It was especially fun to do it with someone who is at least closer to my age. I mean, not that close since you are kind of a bit older."
"I thought you had a question or did you just decide to mock my age?"
A thread of amusement lightened his voice. The fact that he could take a few jabs was another mark in his favor.
She sighed. "Is this a date? Do you think of it as a date?"
"How do you think of it?"
"Oh my, God." She shook her head. "I have no idea how my sister deals with a man like you. I’m assuming Gee is just like you. So damned hardheaded. I wanted to know just what you expect from me."
"You said you weren't looking to get serious with anyone."
That much was true. Just a few days earlier she thought it might be impossible to even date. Yet, something about Jesse tugged at her. He was so different from other men she had spent time with, and right now, she wanted stability. She also wanted a man who could deal with her. Not many men could, and sadly, that was who she usually dated.
"A date or two isn't serious, Jesse."
He said nothing for a moment. "So, dating is okay, just not getting serious?"
Something tingled down her spine as he continued to look at her. She could imagine his blue eyes watching her, waiting
He nodded and she ran off to get ready.
The phone rang at about the same time and Joey answered it.
"You know, son, if you want to date the girl, you're going to have to stop being so damned subtle."
"It's not dating."
Papa sat there staring at Jesse and he had to fight the urge to squirm.
"What do you call taking a woman around to see the monuments, including going to the art museum, and then showing up for a Sunday drive in the country?"
"I call it being nice."
But you don't want to be nice , a voice whispered in his ear. He wanted to be a whole lot of not nice to the woman. He hadn't been able to forget the sound of her laughter or the way she lit up as they went through the museum.
"We called it dating when I was younger.” He opened his mouth to refute it, but Papa shook his head. “I don’t feel like arguing. I get enough of that with the woman I married. But, since I feel responsible for her, I want you to remember you will answer to me if something goes wrong. I have four boys who will help me hide your body.”
“She doesn’t want to date anyone.”
Papa laughed. “Yeah, neither did Joey when I met her. In fact, she refused to date Marines.”
* * * *
By the time they stopped for a break, Zoe had finally relaxed. It hadn't been an easy task as she leaned against Jesse's muscled back. When he pulled into the gas station to take a break, she was kind of disappointed.
She followed him into the store and went to the back to grab a couple of waters while he went to wash his hands. Minutes later they were sitting outside of the convenience store enjoying the weather.
"So, what do you think of Virginia in the spring?"
"A damn sight better than the winter, that's for sure. This one was brutal."
"You don't like winter?"
She shrugged. "I like it, but not like the one we just had. I think I might have to be sure that I make a trip back up here in the fall. I would like to see the leaves changing." He nodded and said nothing else as he watched the cars go by on the road.
"Can I ask you something?"
He looked at her, but she couldn't see his eyes. That bothered her. He was wearing a pair of those mirrored sunglasses that made it impossible to see a thing.
"Sure."
His tone told her he was wary of her question and she wanted to laugh. Big, bad Marine was afraid of her question.
"What is this we're doing here?"
"I don't follow you." His mouth turned down in a frown. Even when he was irritated with her, he was attractive. That made him dangerous. She needed to remember that.
"Don’t get me wrong, I adore the Santinis but it was nice going to DC. It was especially fun to do it with someone who is at least closer to my age. I mean, not that close since you are kind of a bit older."
"I thought you had a question or did you just decide to mock my age?"
A thread of amusement lightened his voice. The fact that he could take a few jabs was another mark in his favor.
She sighed. "Is this a date? Do you think of it as a date?"
"How do you think of it?"
"Oh my, God." She shook her head. "I have no idea how my sister deals with a man like you. I’m assuming Gee is just like you. So damned hardheaded. I wanted to know just what you expect from me."
"You said you weren't looking to get serious with anyone."
That much was true. Just a few days earlier she thought it might be impossible to even date. Yet, something about Jesse tugged at her. He was so different from other men she had spent time with, and right now, she wanted stability. She also wanted a man who could deal with her. Not many men could, and sadly, that was who she usually dated.
"A date or two isn't serious, Jesse."
He said nothing for a moment. "So, dating is okay, just not getting serious?"
Something tingled down her spine as he continued to look at her. She could imagine his blue eyes watching her, waiting
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