Chapter Twenty
Bonnie's house phone rang at ten in the morning. The only person who called the house was Rohn. She ran for the extension, having more energy than she should, given she'd spent the night tossing and turning on the uncomfortable sofa.
Grabbing it, she was out of breath from the sprint when she answered. “Hello?”
“Mmm. Good morning.”
She laughed at Rohn's purred greeting. “You sound frisky this morning.”
“You're the one who answered the phone breathless. Gives a man ideas, that does.”
“I was at the other end of the house cleaning the linen closet. I'm not doing anything that should give you any ideas, believe me.” She smiled, even as she chastised him for his vivid imagination.
“I can come over and distract you from your chores if you'd like.”
“Like how I used to distract you from your chores?”
“Oh, God, I remember that. You, prancing around in those short-shorts. Damn, I drove around on that tractor for a whole damn summer with a hard-on, thanks to you.”
Her cheeks heated. “I wasn't trying to do that. It was a hot summer.”
“The hell you weren't. You knew exactly what you did to me.”
“No. Well, at least not in the beginning.”
She'd never thought that Rohn, Mr. Popular, star football player, would notice her, but he had.
“So what are you doing for the rest of the day, darlin'? Besides giving me ideas, I mean.”
“Cleaning out. The usual. What else would I have to do?”
“I'm sorry you have so much work. Can I send the boys over?”
“No. Rohn, you have to stop doing that. They have work to do at your house. Besides, I have to sort through and decide what goes where first. They wouldn't be any help right now, anyway.”
“Well, you tell me when you need them again and I'll send them round with the truck.”
“Okay. Tyler gave me his cell number, too. In case I need something.”
“Yeah, I know. You watch yourself around that young stud.” His voice dropped to a low growl.
Bonnie giggled. “Rohn, don't be ridiculous. I'm twice his age.”
“And I already told you that you're not.”
Bonnie would have fought more, but she knew Rohn was only teasing her about Tyler.
After last night, Rohn should know he had no worries her head would be turned by some young cowboy. Not when an older cowboy had left her with plenty of memories . . . and more. She'd noticed the bite mark on her neck this morning in the mirror. She'd never had a hickey before, not even when they'd been dating. He'd been too afraid then that her father would see any marks on her.
Besides the bruise on her neck, her muscles ached from the hour spent in the truck bed, but it was a good kind of ache. It reminded her of their time together. A time she'd like to repeat.
The damage was already done. After being together, leaving him again would hurt like hell whether they were together once, twice, or a dozen times. As long as she'd done something stupid, she might as well enjoy doing it a few more times.
“What are you doing for the day?” she asked, hoping they'd get to see each other again later.
“
That
is a secret.”
She lifted her brow. “A secret?”
“Yup. Wanna know what it is?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Then be at my place tonight.”
“Rohn, is this your way of tricking me into coming over to your house?”
“Bonnie Blue, I don't need to lie to get you here. I can just drive over, throw you in my passenger seat, and bring you here.”
“You would not.” She acted shocked but deep down that image excited her.
“Oh yeah? Try me. I'd be happy to prove it.” Rohn's determination was clear in his tone. “So, my place. Around six, I guess.”
“Okay. What should I bring?”
“Nothing. Just yourself. Clothing optional.”
Her lips twitched with a smile. “Now, what challenge would that be?”
“Playing hard to get, are we?” he asked.
“Maybe.” She loved the playful side of Rohn. It had always been there, even in high school, but now in adulthood his playfulness was extra sexy.
“That's fine. I enjoy a challenge. Now let me go. I've got a week's worth of work to accomplish and only eight hours to get it done before our date tonight.”
“Our date? This is a date? I thought it was me coming over to see your big surprise.”
“Oh, it is. But why not kill two birds with one stone?”
She couldn't argue. “Okay. See you tonight.”
“Definitely.” He disconnected the call, leaving her perplexed with the phone still in her hand.
The hours of the day couldn't pass fast enough for Bonnie's liking. She must have looked at the clock a hundred times. When she wasn't doing that, she was checking the house phone to make sure it was working and she hadn't missed any calls from Rohn. But he didn't call again.
He had said he'd be busy with whatever this big secret plan for his day was. She'd know soon, but six o'clock wasn't coming fast enough.
Concentration was futile. So was getting any work done around the house.
She managed to finish the linen closet, at least, so she now had more piles stacked in the living room.
It seemed her life was going to be dominated by piles for the near future.
There was a massive lump on the floor of worn sheets and towels destined for the trash if the local animal shelter didn't want to take them for bedding. Then she had a much neater folded pile of linensâtablecloths and bedspreadsâthat looked barely used and could be donated to the church.
Inside the linen closet was the bare minimum that she would need while she was there. Just some clean towels, and one set of bed linens she used on the sofa where she'd been sleeping.
She probably should have listened to Rohn's guys and kept one mattress here temporarily, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Anyway, it was too late now to change her mind. They were already gone. She'd made her bedâor sofaâand now she had to lie in it.
Bonnie glanced at her cell phone and checked the time once more. It was still nearly three hours until she was supposed to be at Rohn's. She needed to shower and get herself ready.
That really didn't leave her enough time to dive into another big project. It did, however, leave her enough time to head to the salon in town and get her nails done.
It was crazy. This wasn't a real date, but she wanted to look pretty for it.
Maybe she had time to go shopping, too. She'd exhausted the limited choices in her suitcase.
Decision made, Bonnie showered quickly. She threw on clean shorts and a tank top that wouldn't embarrass her until she bought something new. She grabbed her purse from the kitchen counter, tossed her phone inside, and opened the door.
The salon might be able to do something with her hair, too. Once she bought something new to wear, and got her hair and nails done, it would be like a total makeover. She had better buy some nice lingerie, too.
As she got into the car, she realized she was acting crazy. Maybe it was about time she did. For too long she'd been acting as if someone had pushed the pause button on her life. She was done living like that.
In town she was impressed again with how much it had changed over the last twenty-five years. There was now a strip mall filled with shops. That was a good thing since she had a lot to do and not much time to do it.
Bonnie ran into the clothing store first. They were having a sale, so she didn't feel guilty picking up two new sundresses. They even had a pair of pretty summer sandals with a cork wedge heel that would match her new dresses. And, luckily for her, they had a small selection of underwear and bras. She picked up a matching set in pink and, feeling the need to be a little bit sexy, a black pair, too.
Feeling lighter than she had in a long time, she paid for her new purchases and headed directly for the salon.
She'd just cleared the door when she heard, “Bonnie Martin? Is that you?”
Bonnie turned to the woman sitting in a chair near the door. It took a moment for her to make the connection and recognize the woman, but when she did, her eyes widened. “Melody? Oh, my God. Hi.”
“I can't believe it's you. When did you get back to town?” Melody asked, standing and coming toward Bonnie.
“Just a few days ago.” She accepted the warm hug Melody enveloped her within. “You look great.”
Melody pulled back and frowned. “
Pfft.
I'm twenty pounds heavier and twenty-five years older. You're the one who looks great.”
“Me?” Bonnie laughed. “I'm here because I'm falling apart. I haven't had a haircut in close to a year and I've been cleaning out the house and I'm afraid it's starting to show.”
As proof Bonnie held up her hands, nails out.
“That's nothing. Nails and hair can be fixed easily enough.” Melody dismissed her protest with a flick of one wrist. “So tell me. What are you doing now? Are you married? Do you have kids?”
“No.” Bonnie shook her head and left it at that. “You?”
“Twenty years married and we've got an eighteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old.”
“Wow. That's amazing. Congratulations. Did you marry anyone I know?”
Melody smiled. “Remember the guy who volunteered in the audiovisual department?”
“Phil?” Bonnie remembered the skinny, geeky guy from the AV department who would come and set up the projector in the classroom.
“Yup. I married him.”
“Wow.” Bonnie couldn't help the surprise in her tone.
Melody laughed and took out her phone. “He matured late, but he turned out pretty good, I think.”
Bonnie looked at a family picture and there was Phil, smiling with his arm around Melody. She was right. He'd turned into a handsome man. “You two look so happy together.”
“Thanks. There's something to be said for marrying a nerd. He's a computer programmer now. He designs networksâheck, I'm not even sure how to describe what he does, but he works from home and makes good money doing it so we are really happy. What do you do?”
“I'm a teacher.”
Melody smiled wide. “You always said you wanted to be a teacher. Good for you. I'm glad you made your dreams come true.”
“Thanks.” Bonnie wasn't sure it was exactly a dream come true but she enjoyed her job.
It was Melody's life that had Bonnie feeling a little green with envy. The way she'd described it, the kids, the husband, all together all the time as one big happy family, it made Bonnie's life feel like an empty shellâit looked okay from the outside, but inside there was nothing.
“So where do you teach? Around here?” Melody asked.
“No. I'm in Phoenix with my mom.”
Melody nodded. “Where you got that scholarship to college.”
“Yup.” Bonnie smiled. “You have a very good memory.”
She shrugged. “We were friends. Of course, I'd remember.”
They had been friends. Sometimes it was hard for Bonnie to remember that since she'd never invited anyone over after school. She'd always been afraid her father would do or say something horrible to embarrass her.
Bonnie had always felt like a loner, but all those lunch periods together she and Melody had talked and shared their dreams . . . all while Bonnie tried to get a glimpse at Rohn.
Melody smiled. “Remember how many days we sat in the cafeteria and stared at the football players?”
Bonnie let out a burst of a laugh. “I was just thinking the exact same thing. Whatever happened to your dream man, Brian?”
“He married some trophy wife, as I always figured he would. I haven't seen him since the twenty-year reunion.” Melody's eyes widened. “You are coming to the twenty-five-year, right?”
“Maybe. If I'm still in town.”
“You have to come. You missed the ten-year and the twenty-year.” Melody got a devilish gleam in her eyes. “Besides, don't you want to see how Rohn turned out? He's single again, you know. Well, widowed, actually. Poor guy. It was pretty tragic. He wasn't at the twenty-year because that's right about the time his wife died. But that was five years ago. Maybe he's ready to start dating again.”
Bonnie felt completely torn between keeping things between Rohn and herself secret, or spilling the truth. Melody didn't even know she'd been secretly dating Rohn that summer. She definitely didn't know how Bonnie had spent her evening last night.
“Um, actually, that's why I'm here hoping to get my hair and nails done. I'm seeing Rohn tonight.” It felt good to confide that to someone, even as her cheeks heated with the confession.
Melody reacted about as Bonnie assumed she would. Her eyes popped open wide. “Oh my God. How did that happen?”
“Well, believe it or not, the day I arrived I stopped to grab something to eat and there he was.”
“That's amazing.”
Bonnie smiled. “Yeah. It is pretty amazing.”
“It's fate. Serendipity. You two were meant to be together.”
Bonnie rolled her eyes. “I don't know if I believe all that . . .”
“I do believe in it. Trust me. The universe put you two together here and now. Maybe you weren't ready to be together before, but now it's the right time.”
It sounded crazy, all this universe stuff, but even so, it made Bonnie feel good inside. Maybe they hadn't been ready to be together twenty-five years ago but they were ready now.