Cinnamon’s Courageous Heart: Sweethearts of Country Music, Book 5 Read online

  Only after her lungs finally cried for air, like when she’d hit a note and held it for several measures, did she end their kiss. She withdrew, reaching out to steady herself with the porch railing while she dragged in a ragged breath. She licked her lips and smiled at Silas.

  “You can kiss.”

  “I was thinking the same about you.”

  She inclined her head at his compliment. “Thank you.” She stepped toward the door, lingering a moment. “Tomorrow, around noon. I’ll see you then. Thank you for a great night.”

  He slowly backed down the step. “You’re welcome. You made my evening very pleasant. Tomorrow.”

  She slipped inside, then peeked through the window curtain as he got in his car and backed up. She continued waiting until the red taillights faded, then she dropped onto the sofa. She dragged a tasseled throw pillow to her chest and hugged it tightly. Dinner with Silas had been perfect. Their long good-bye kiss had been perfect. The only thing that would have knocked this evening out of the park perfect would be having Jasper here and in her lap.

  * * *

  True to his word, Silas came promptly at eleven-fifty. Cinnamon had been fretting for the last hour, changing her shirt three times, and applying makeup only to wash it off minutes later. She almost called Katie Lyn but didn’t want to interfere with her down time. She also didn’t want to have to deal with the teasing that was bound to come with a conversation of this nature. Now with him in her driveway, she was out of time to fuss. She smoothed out her peach-checked shirt and fluffed her hair . . . slightly curled.

  He stepped out of the truck and her pulse leapt. He was dressed in jeans and western boots, a blue-checked pearl snap shirt and a black Stetson hat. He looked more like he was ready to climb aboard a bull than enjoy a picnic. And she liked the look.

  They met at the steps. “You have good timing.”

  “And you look marvelous. Nice boots.” He nodded at her own cowboy boots. He reached for her hand and led her to the truck. She glanced in the back where Gunner sat guarding a large wicker picnic basket.

  “I hope you don’t mind Gunner coming along?”

  She smiled at the dog as he hopefully wagged his tail. She had the feeling Silas talked to the dog much as she talked to Jasper. Like they really understood everything they heard.

  “Not at all. He’s a good dog. Sorry I’m taking your seat, boy. But you have an important job guarding our lunch.” She turned back to Silas. “He’s well trained to not try and steal a bite.”

  Silas started the truck and backed up. “Oh, he might try snitching a morsel, but he ends up giving himself away. His guilt is massive.”

  They shared a laugh. They kept up the small talk on the drive to town, across to the railroad tracks and followed them further past the urban sprawl. The two lane gave way to a gravel path. Houses and buildings stopped for large swaths of trees. The tracks moved up on a trestle, higher than the road. Ground hogs spared them no attention where they sat at the side of the road. A lone deer leaped out, gave them a startled glance and bounded away with a flick of its white tail. Cinnamon swore she caught a glimpse of a red fox.

  “It’s possible,” Silas agreed. “Lots of fox around here. Some coyote and bear, too.”

  They drove a bit more, keeping the railroad tracks within sight. Finally, Silas stopped the truck and turned to Cinnamon. “Hungry?”

  “Yes.” She watched as he grabbed the basket from the back and came around to her side. He boldly took her hand and they made their way through the dried grass to a large maple tree, bare of its leaves. Gunner sniffed around, and eventually settled down under a pine tree. His tongue lolling out as he watched them.

  Cinnamon was glad for her denim jacket. It nearly matched Silas’s own worn jacket. She leaned against the tree and watched as Silas withdrew a red flannel blanket from the basket. With a coy grin, he shook out the blanket and let it settle on the ground. Next he knelt and lifted out two plates and two glasses. Then he brought out containers of food. Once everything was laid out, he rose and reached for Cinnamon’s hand.

  “Care to join me?”

  “That’s quite a spread you have.” She sat down and peeked in the containers.

  “Yes, the deli at Winn-Dixie is pretty good, but I think I forgot something.” Silas reached into the basket and felt around. “Yes, here. We need this, too.” He brought out a single red rose. “For you.” He handed it over and Cinnamon buried her nose in the rich red petals and breathed deeply. Its sweet, yet bold spicy scent filled her nose and she smiled. She brushed the flower under her chin and along her cheek, relishing in the soft petals.

  “Allow me,” Silas murmured as he took it from her fingers and gently caressed it along her jawline. Shivers of electricity crawled over her and she felt herself drowning in his dark brown eyes. She fisted the blanket to ground herself as she felt herself slipping away in his smile. Hunger faded as something else awakened deep inside her. Her chest ached with the effort to breathe.

  “You compliment it well,” he said in a husky whisper. Silas handed the rose to her again, then turned to the food. He coughed once, then began opening containers. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I got a variety.”

  “This is fine.” Not that she really had food on her mind at the moment. She laid the rose down next to her. “Someone else is hungry, too.”

  He let out a sigh. “Gunner. You’re a terrible beggar.” The dog had crawled toward them, his belly on the ground as if preparing to ambush them. Silas picked up two boneless chicken tenders and tossed them to the dog. “Now back off.”

  Cinnamon laughed at his comical disappointment. He had homely down to a fine art.

  Silas said a brief grace. “I know you’re probably missing Jasper,” he mentioned. “By the time you get back next time, I should have the house buttoned up enough it would be safe to bring him home. At least you’ll have a few days with him.”

  “That would be great. He’s doing fine, loves the staff and attention, but, yes, I miss him.”

  Silas said a brief grace and she picked up her fork and dug into her plate of macaroni salad, cornbread, greens, and chicken.

  They ate, exchanging personal details about themselves until they were done eating. College, siblings, first crushes, good dates and bad dates, best friends and worse enemies.

  “Oh my, we’re laughing so much, a bear could stroll through here and we’d never notice.”

  Silas shook his head, grinning. “Gunner would bark. And then he’d run for cover inside the truck.”

  “I can see why some of those girls in high school and college adored you. It’s your sense of humor.”

  “And here I thought it was my athletic prowess in sports.” Returning his plate to the basket, he removed his hat and stretched out on the blanket, his head inches from her lap. She scooted closer, allowing him to move so his head was cradled in her lap.

  He gave her a wink and reached for her hand. “Cinnamon, I really like you.”

  Tears pricked her eyes, blurring her vision. It could be so natural to fall for Silas. Her heart warred with her mind, pushing her toward that line. It would be easy to repeat his words back to him. Her lips ached to say she liked him a lot, too. With great effort, she stuffed it all down and cleared her throat. Her brain searched for something intelligent to say.

  “I’m not him,” Silas said softly. So quietly, Cinnamon wasn’t sure she heard correctly.

  “Him?” Like she had to ask.

  Silas nodded, his expression somber. He reached out and stroked her chin. “The guy who did the number on you. The insensitive moron who hurt you. I’m not him.”

  She sucked on her bottom lip and glanced around. Her eyes burned. “No, you’re not.” She bobbed her head in agreement. “But he really—“

  “Shh. He was bad, I get that.” He sat back up and took her hands into his, squeezing them gently.

  She shook her head. “Not just bad. He lied. He was a calculating conniving liar. He used me and then w
hen he was done, he threw me aside like trash and still had the guts to take everything away from me but my name.” Venom soaked into her words. Tears stung and she blinked them away.

  “I’m sorry that happened. I really am.” He wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “But you gotta know I’m not him and I’m not gonna do anything that he did. Not every man is shallow and self-serving like that.”

  A grin tugged at her lips. “No one described him like that before, but it’s a perfect description.”

  They sat there, Silas’s hands folded around hers, both unsure what to say next. Cinnamon knew Silas as a good guy, with a sweet heart. But she’d been fooled before. And she wore the scars from being foolish.

  “Hey, do you hear that? The train’s coming.”

  A whistle blasted the stillness, making Cinnamon jump. Silas leapt up and grabbed the blanket with one hand and gently took her arm. “Let’s go see it,” he suggested, already moving and taking her along.

  She followed him through the trees, dried leaves crunching under their boots. He stopped on a hillside and knelt, drawing her into his arms. “Look there,” he said as he pointed toward the west. The black train chugged into view, the engineer blowing the whistle again. The ground rumbled beneath their feet. A thick acrid scent filled the air. The cars came along, passing with a hypnotic, rhyming click.

  Cinnamon noticed none of it.

  Silas’s eyes shone bright, his smile almost infectious, as he watched the cars churning past. She felt his heartbeat next to her ear. Beneath her hand his chest rose and fell in cadence to the train. His arms were warm and safe, and made her want to remain forever in his tight embrace. The best she could hope for was this was one of those trains that went on for miles.

  She looked into his eyes, alive with delight, and realized how easy it would be to fall in love.

  10

  Time flew by so fast. By day, Silas worked on the house, ripping out entire walls or erecting new ones. Sometimes she was around, and they discussed his steps. Other times she was gone to see friends or visit Nick. Her car still needed slight mechanical help and the bank needed her about the identity theft issue. They were beginning an investigation for her. With all the stuff going on, she stayed busy.

  She also realized the wisdom Nick and Silas had tried to tell her when they thought it better she not be around during the construction. Living with everything covered in drop cloths was a challenge she hadn’t anticipated. Literally, everything. If she wanted to sit, she had to move the drop cloth first. If she needed something normally kept on a counter like a dishrag, sugar container, or coffeepot, it would be under a cloth. Or possibly in a cabinet somewhere, like her crock of favorite cooking utensils.

  But this was her home and she belonged here. The inconvenience of searching for her things and moving cloths was temporary compared to the final product she was ending up with. When Silas finished this project, collected his pay, and drove away. Taking a small bit of her heart along with him.

  After their picnic, when she found her heart on her sleeve, and stretching out to join Silas forever, she remembered why she couldn’t risk falling in love again. He inspired her to write the Karma song. She couldn’t risk Silas being the same in the end. So, she’d eventually watch him leave and she’d suck it up, no matter how painful, and glue her shattered heart back together.

  It was better that way. Safer.

  * * *

  “Good morning,” Silas greeted the next morning. She’d found her favorite skillet and spatula and was cooking breakfast when he knocked and entered.

  “Morning.” She waved him toward a chair. The flashy pearl snap was gone, replaced by another t-shirt and flannel shirt. The Stetson was replaced with his Sounds ball cap. Dressy or casual? He wore them both well. “I’m making pancakes and bacon. Do you want some?”

  He nodded gratefully and bee-lined to the coffeepot. He poured a cup and took a seat. “Thank you. What are your plans for the day?”

  She watched as he took an appreciative sip of coffee. His presence filled the room, like a pine tree infusing a house at Christmastime. It just made the room better. She reminded herself she couldn’t afford to fall for him. Too dangerous in the end.

  She busied herself with flipping another pancake and stirring the maple syrup slowly as it warmed on the stove. Bacon fried in the other skillet. “Nothing much. Why?” she responded.

  “I thought we might go fishing today.”

  Fishing? “I haven’t been fishing in years. Since I was a kid.”

  He gave a nod. “You and Nick used to go?”

  She bobbed her head and turned the bacon.

  “Well, you could pretend I’m Nick.”

  A laugh burst out before she could stop it. “Sorry, but you two are as unlike to each other as the sun is unlike the moon.” She added some bacon strips to the syrup pot for candied bacon. Finished, she turned off the burners, arranged everything on serving plates and carried it all, waitress fashion, to where Silas waited in the breakfast nook. Setting the food down, she grabbed two plates, fresh coffee for herself and joined him.

  He said a brief grace for the meal, she agreed and then stared out the window at the rolling field and smiled.

  “This will be fantastic when it’s finished with paint and lights.”

  “Tsk, tsk,” he gently chided as he filled his plate after her. “In due time. It’s already a nice view. Now, what about fishing?”

  “Sure. Okay. Why not?”

  He flashed her that bright smile of his, warming her better than the heated syrup.

  “Super. We can leave right after we finish here. I’ll even help with the dishes and clean up.”

  “What about a boat?”

  “Already hooked to the truck.”

  * * *

  Cinnamon had thought it was going to be his leaving that broke her heart. Turned out it was her leaving that was proving hard. After the fishing trip, where she caught seven fish to his three, they went for ice cream. Each day or night—or both—Silas found something for them to do. Movies, stargazing, roller skating, lunches, local music, his list seemed endless. Good-byes became harder and took longer each night. On her last day at home, he surprised her with a long box wrapped in a velvet bow. She opened it to find a clover green dress. Teardrop earrings and a crystal necklace lay neatly on top.

  “I can’t accept such a lovely gift.” She pushed the box back at him.

  “You can. The jewelry aren’t real stones. Pretty costume jewelry.” He shoved the box back at her. “And you’ll need them tonight. We have reservations in Nashville. I’ll be back at five, if that’s okay.

  She didn’t know what else to say or do, so she accepted the lovely gift and promised to be ready. It was only later she realized it was February fourteenth—Valentine’s Day.

  Time flew as she prepared. First, she bathed in a new bath soap Katie Lyn had given her: melon and jasmine. She curled her hair, fiddling with styling it up or keeping it down, or somewhere in the middle. She ended up with twisting the strands by her temples up and clipping it behind her and letting the rest fall in cascading curls. She curled her bangs into feathery wisps. Next came the makeup. Having red hair and a Kelly-green dress, she opted for neutral shades of pink and coral for her eyes and lips.

  Then the dress. It shimmered as she slid her hand over the cool silk. Sliding into it, it fluttered to just below her knees, and fit snugly across the bust and hips. Thin straps held it up. She looked in the cheval mirror and twisted in all angles, liking the look. He had good taste in dresses and apparently a good guess at her size. The final touch was what he called pretty costume jewelry. She wasn’t so sure about that. Either way, they complimented her look and filled the bare space at her throat.

  Forgoing her normal cowboy boots, she opted for a pair of ecru ballet flats with small rhinestones over the toes. She slipped them on just as she heard Silas closing the car door. She glanced out. Yes, he brought his car. And didn’t he look dapper?

&n
bsp; She raced down the stairs for a better look.

  “Wow, don’t you look nice.”

  He wore a black suit, shiny black dress shoes, a cream shirt, and a red tie with thin cream stripes. In his lapel sat a pink rosebud.

  Wearing that big, happy smile, he looked her up and down. “I was thinking the same thing about you. Happy Valentine’s day.” He held out a bouquet of red and pink roses and a small box of chocolates.”

  “Oh, Silas. You have to stop. You’ve already done so much.”

  He waved her off. Once her hands were full of chocolates and flowers, he brought her close, cupping her chin. He held her gaze, letting his clean, masculine scent roll over her. Mint and spice. “I enjoy doing these things. And you look fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.” Finished, he leaned in for a kiss, his just-shaved chin rubbing her face. His warm lips brushed hers, just a brief touch, a slight linger, and then he pulled back and released her

  “Do you want to put those in water before we go?”

  Water? Her muddled brain struggled to catch up. She was still back in the kiss. “Oh, right. Is that an aspirin one is supposed to add or is it sugar?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Google it?”

  “Never mind. I’ll just do the plain water for now and add whatever later.” She fished out a vase from under the sink and ran lukewarm water in. Done, she fluffed them once, buried her nose and inhaled the sweet fragrance, then turned to him. “I’m ready.”

  He took her arm and escorted her out. The way he held her door, and all the little things he did made her feel like a princess.

  “Where are we going?”

  “A place I’ve never been, but everyone recommends and reservations are hard to get.” He shot her a smile. “I’m really looking forward to it. Can you dance in those shoes?”

  Dance? “Yes, probably. I’m not much of a dancer with a partner.” Yes, she could slide and shuffle her way around a stage with the girls, but close dancing with a man was another matter. Her heart skipped a beat at the possibilities.