They both nodded their heads. I’m going to kill Dodge if this makes me sick and I puke all over his beloved Minnie. Taking in a bite, the taste of heaven hit the back of my mouth.
Closing my eyes, I let out a moan. “Oh. My. Goodness. I might break out into a food orgasm right this second!”
Laughing, Dodge took a huge bite. “Damn, Minnie. So damn good.”
Minnie beamed with pride as she ate.
After we finished eating, I helped Minnie clean up as Dodge headed outside to take a look at her car. As soon as Minnie mentioned it was having a problem starting, Dodge was out the door.
“How long have you known my Aaron?”
Smiling, I said, “Not too terribly long. About eight months or so? He was friends with a good friend of mine, Ryn.”
Nodding her head, she smiled and winked at me. “Let’s sit on the back porch while Aaron takes a look at my car.”
“Okay,” I said as I grabbed my iced tea.
Sitting down in a rocking chair, I let out a sigh. Oh how I loved being at the beach. Something about the salt air calmed me. Lifting my tea to my lips to take a drink, Minnie started talking.
“You must make him very happy. I’ve never seen Aaron in love.”
I instantly began choking on the tea. Minnie looked at me and smiled. “Are you okay, darling?”
Lifting my hand up and trying to find air to breathe, I nodded my head. “Yep! Totally fine.”
After coughing a few more seconds, I looked at Minnie. “Um . . . I think you misread something. Dodge . . . um . . . I mean, Aaron and I are only friends. He’s actually my lawyer for my divorce hearing.”
Lifting her eyes in surprise, Minnie gave me a wink. “Is that so?”
“Yes! Totally friends.”
“Hmm . . . that kiss he planted on you didn’t look like a just a friend kiss from where I was standing.”
Lifting my fingers to my lips, I smiled. They still felt as if they tingled from Dodge’s lips. “Yeah . . . that kiss,” I said as I thought back to Dodge’s tongue dancing with mine. Placing my hand on my stomach, I dragged in a breath.
“Aaron has never brought a girl here. Ever,” Minnie said as she took a sip of her tea.
My lips parted open as I thought of some sort of response. What was I supposed to say to that?
“Ahh . . .”
Yeah, not such a great response, Sierra. Stupid!
“Sometimes there is something plain as day in front of us; all we have to do is open up our eyes . . . and our hearts . . . to see it.”
Chewing on my bottom lip, I nodded. “What if you’re wrong about it?”
Glancing at me, Minnie asked, “Wrong about what?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “I mean . . . what if what’s in front of you is something you want so badly, but you’re afraid to open your heart up to it because it might not be . . . reciprocated. Maybe you’re not meant to have it.”
“The only way to find out is to go after it,” Minnie said with a wink. “If you don’t, you’ll never know.”
“Maybe,” I whispered.
Minnie let out a chuckle. “I’ve known that boy his entire life. I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you, Sierra. It’s time for you both to open your eyes.”
My heart began beating harder in my chest. Did Dodge feel something for me? Something more than friendship?
The back door opened and Dodge walked out onto the deck. “Just needed your battery cables cleaned, Minnie. Car starts up like a charm.”
Smiling, Minnie stood up and kissed Dodge on the check. “Thank you, my boy.”
Dodge’s phone beeped. Pulling it out, he frowned and looked over to me. “Um . . . we need to go, Minnie. Benefit ball at country club tonight. Mom wants to make sure Sierra has everything she needs.”
Swallowing hard, I tried to push the look Dodge just gave me out of my mind. Was he frowning because we had to leave? I was hoping that was the case and it wasn’t for another reason.
I stood up and walked over to Minnie. “Thank you so much for lunch and the amazing company this afternoon.”
Minnie pulled me in for a hug and whispered in my ear. “Wipe that look of fear off your face. Enjoy this evening and dress sexy.”
Letting out a cough, I pulled back and looked at the sweet old lady standing in front of me. “I hope to see you again, Minnie.”
Giving me a wink, Minnie said, “Oh, you will.”
Dodge kissed Minnie good-bye on the cheek and hugged her. “I’ll stop back by before we leave. Love you, Minnie.”
