Seven (13 page)

Chapter 16

Savannah

“It’s not much. I just made us a few sandwiches and packed some fruit salad, some pretzels, and last but not least,” he says as he pulls everything out of the cooler. We’re seated on a large woolen blanket spread out on the ground, face to face so that we can easily talk to one another. “A couple of damn fine double chocolate brownies if I do say so myself.”

“Oh I don’t think you’ll be saying that yourself for long. Maybe I should eat dessert first.”

Bryant tosses the brownie wrapped in wax paper in my direction. I eye him questioningly after turning the wrapped dessert over in my hands. “You know most people would use plastic wrap or even a baggie…why wax paper?”

The look on his face makes me laugh. He’s annoyed with my question though not really at all. I really wasn’t trying to be funny but once the words fell out of my mouth I realized what I had asked. “Did you forget that I can’t stand the sound of plastic wrap? Jesus, woman, you’re supposed to remember those most important things about me. I’m hurt!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I playfully console him. “I guess I’ve been trying to focus too much on how you could possibly wash your hair, brush your teeth and pee all at the same time. I forgot about the plastic wrap.”

“Yeah, keep it up there, Seven. Karma’s a bitch ya know.” Joking with Bryant feels so easy. Like we’re flirting but not really. This day has been a perfect day so far. Our walk through the trails was breathtaking. The water was beautiful and now this simple quiet lunch together. For not having to plan much, Bryant went all out. It feels good that we can both just be ourselves, and not have to dress up and try to be people that we’re not. I suppose if he’s already seen me a sweaty sick mess and still wanted to take me out, he can’t be a bad guy at all. I like him. And I get the impression that he likes me. I’m a little surprised that he hasn’t tried anything yet other than holding my hand. Not surprised…sad maybe.

Maybe he’s changed his mind.

Maybe he doesn’t want me like he did before.

I take a deep breath telling myself that even though my mind flip-flops back and forth when it comes to talking about kids, I need to buck up and get to know Bryant, the dad. If we’re going to spend time together eventually that will have to involve Ivy. I can’t beat around the bush or hide behind my past anymore. The world doesn’t revolve around me.

“So tell me more about Ivy.” I say nonchalantly as I take a sip of my Diet Coke. “What’s she like? Do you have a picture of her?”

Bryant looks at me cautiously, almost as if he’s unsure of how to react to my questions.

“What is it? Did I say something wrong?” I ask.

“No.” He shakes his head. “I just…we don’t have to talk about Ivy if you don’t want to, if it makes you uncomfortable. Today isn’t supposed to be about putting you through the emotional ringer.” He says with compassion in his voice that makes my heart skip.

Damnit. I must be all over the place today.

I try to smile to assure him I’m okay. “I’m sorry. I know I’m hot and cold when it comes to talking about children sometimes. It’s been a problem for me and sometimes I don’t have control over it. A memory hits me or something strange makes me think of Peyton, and every now and then it just takes my breath away for a second, you know?”

“Yeah. I get it,” he says.

“My therapist told me back then that it could happen. A form of PTSD, I guess, but that I can’t let it control me. Anyway, I don’t want you to think I don’t want to know all about you, Bryant the Dad, because I do. I want to know about Ivy. She’s your life and you light up when you talk about her and that spark of energy in you is…”

“Is what?” he asks.

“It’s attractive.” I can feel myself blush. God, I just told him I think he’s attractive.

With his fingers under my chin he lifts my head so that he can see my eyes. “You’ll tell me if it’s too much?”

I nod. “Yeah. I promise.”

Bryant smiles while pulling his phone out of his back pocket. “Then yeah, I have a picture. Sorry I didn’t think to show you before.” He swipes his finger across the screen, and staring at me are a pair of beautiful greeen eyes. She’s an adorable little girl with light brown hair and a smile that would brighten anyone’s day.

“How did you get her hair braided like that? You can do that all the way around her head?”

“Me? Hell no.” He laughs. “Rachel did it that morning. I had taken Ivy into the salon for some girly time. Rache always does her hair up real nice and sometimes paints her fingernails if she doesn’t have a busy day.”

“Oh. I didn’t know Rachel knew Ivy.”

“Yeah. Actually Rachel and I are cousins…well, second cousins I think? Her mom and my mom are cousins so…however the hell that works out.”

I laugh understanding perfectly well the confusion of a large family tree. “Wow…I don’t think I ever knew that…and I’m a little surprised that she never mentioned it to me before.”

Bryant raises his eyebrows. “You mean you talk about me often in the salon?”

Smacking him lightly on the arm I say, “No, wiseass, but your name has come up in conversation before…” I think back to one we had not too long ago. “Wait…the dance recital…Rachel said she was going to her cousin’s dance recital. Was that Ivy?”

Bryant chuckles. “Yeah. Damn…Ivy looked so stinkin’ cute in her little tutu. It was her first dance class recital and she was beyond excited. I bought her some flowers and a new princess nightgown to give her that day. Even had the store clerk wrap it up with bright pink paper. She loved it. We spoiled her rotten.”

Wrapped gift.

Flowers.

“That’s right…I saw you that day. Walking out of Peirson’s.”

“You did?” He cocks his head. “Well why didn’t you say hello?”

I roll my eyes at my own stubbornness and stupidity. “Well, because that was just after I had learned that you snuck into my apartment so you weren’t exactly my favorite person at the moment and…” Silence falls between us.

“And what?” he asks.

“And…I thought the gift and the flowers may have been for…you know…” I’m blushing. “Not a three-year-old girl. Let’s just put it that way.”

“Ahh,” he says, smiling. “You thought I had another girl in my life eh? Well gee, Seven, I have to say I sort of think green looks good on you.”

I throw a pretzel at Bryant to try and hide my embarrassment. “Shut up. It does not.”

“Uh huh…” I watch as he picks the pretzel that I threw at him off his shirt and pops it in his mouth. “On a scale of one to four just how jealous were ya?”

Oh my God, this is embarrassing.

He’s right though. I was jealous.

“On a scale of one to four I was a shut the fuck up, Bryant Wood. That’s what I was. Now quit teasing me!” 

Through our laughter he says “Okay, okay. I promise not to buy anymore gifts for the women in my life without lettin’ you know.”

I push Bryant in the chest with my right hand so that he falls backwards, but he’s too quick and grabs a hold of my hand, pulling me down with him. My weight shifts as he pulls me, but rather than falling on top of him he grabs me and immediately rolls so that I’m the one looking up at him.

Holy shit.

What the hell just happened?

What was that noise?

What am I laying on?

Pretzels?

I look up into Bryant’s eyes. The humor that I saw in them a moment ago is gone. Instead he almost looks worried. “I’m sorry Rachel never told you about Ivy. It’s my fault. I need you to know that I asked her not to tell you until I was ready.”

What?

Why on Earth would he do that?

“I don’t…understand. Why is it such a secret? Have I done something wrong?”

“No, no, no.” He shakes his head. “God, no. Savannah I just…I needed time, I guess.”

“Time? For what?”

“To see you again. To get to know you again. To…” He releases a huge breath. “I’m not explaining this very well, but…Savannah I’ve known you were back in town for a while now and…well…”

“Well, what?” I ask softly.

“You were the one that got away,” he whispers. I wait as he takes a deep breath before continuing, “I liked you a lot when we were in high school, Savannah. Like an idiot I did nothing about it, but here you are and here I am and I’m doing something about it now. I just needed to do something about it without the stigma of being the single dad. I wanted to protect you and I needed to protect Ivy. And I needed to be me.”

I’m still stuck on that first part.

“You’re doing something about it now?” I almost can’t get the words clearly out of my mouth. The butterflies in my stomach are fluttering around so damn fast I can barely catch my breath. I feel the heat rising in my cheeks and I’m nervous to hear what he has to say.

“I like you Savannah. I’ve liked you for a long time and I still like you. I know…” I watch as he swallows again. “I know we don’t know each other that well, but you’re so damn easy to talk to and I like who I am when I’m with you. You’re beautiful and you’re funny, and you’re beautiful and, damnit, I know I said that already.” The fact that he’s flustered softens my heart and gives me the giggles. Bryant Wood is cute when he’s trying to be sweet.

“Savannah, I know I said last week that I wasn’t going to kiss you until you knew it was going to really mean something, but I’m really not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to look at you and not taste those beautiful lips that are always sitting there waiting to be kissed, because on a scale of one to four I…”

I quickly place my pointer finger on Bryant’s lips to stop his nervous ramble. It’s cute and I completely understand the feeling. “Bryant?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t care about your scale right now. I like you too,” I whisper.

“You do?” he whispers back.

“Mmm hmm.”

“Oh thank…” He closes his eyes momentarily. I watch his Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallows again. I smile at how cute he is right now. “Does that mean I can, umm…” He looks down at my face, my lips, and back up at my eyes, asking permission. I know he wants to kiss me right now. And after an entire day of wondering why he hadn’t done it yet, I’m eager to let him.

I nod my head from underneath him. “Yeah, I think that would be okay.”

He nods. “Good. Yeah, good.”

I smile shyly as I watch him lower his face to mine while still holding me underneath him. With one hand he brushes back the hair from my forehead and cradles my face in his hand. He looks down at my lips one last time and back up to my eyes before I feel the warm soft contact. His kiss is ever so gentle. His lips are soft and meld to mine with perfect ease as he kisses me once and then twice. The third time my breath hitches when I feel his fingers on my cheek holding me to him while our kiss deepens. My eyes closed, I try to breathe in this moment. His lips aren’t Shawn’s lips and although I half expected to freak out over that – I haven’t kissed another man since before marrying Shawn – there’s something about Bryant’s kiss, the way he holds my face, the feel of his body hovering over mine that just feels comforting and good and safe. A soft moan escapes me as my desire for more strengthens. My lips part slightly bolstering Bryant’s confidence as his tongue slowly entwines with mine.

Good God, the man can kiss.

Bryant pulls away a moment later and smiles down at me. Leaning down once more he kisses my forehead and quickly rubs his nose against mine. He says my name quietly as he sighs.

“Was that everything you thought it would be?” I ask, smiling up at him.

“And then some. I’m half tempted to do it again, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.” Watching his face, I can tell that he’s trying to reign in his control. This is a man who is used to being the horn-ball, the player, the man who always gets what he wants. It’s oddly sweet to watch him try to be respectable, and compassionate, and gentle. That says more to me than he realizes. I push myself up just enough to kiss his cheek.

“Thank you, Bryant.”

“For what?”

“For taking your time. For being gentle. For showing me that you’re not the cocky douchebag I always took you for.”

He laughs. “I probably deserved that, but you make me want to be better, Savannah. I’ve wanted it for years. I just never had a reason to want it until you came along. You’re worth waiting for.”

I place my hand on his cheek and look into his eyes. “Was I worth a completely smashed bag of pretzels?”

“Huh?” He raises an eyebrow and I giggle at his response, turning my body just enough to grab the bag of pretzels that was underneath me.

“When you flipped me over I landed right on the pretzel bag. I think we killed it.” I frown as I hold up the bag of now crushed pretzel pieces. We laugh together as he helps me up from the ground. He takes the bag of broken pieces and tosses it back in the cooler nearby. Winking at me he explains, “Well now you don’t have to worry about taking the last bite.”

It’s been a perfect afternoon with Bryant, but we need to head back home. He needs to be at the bar tonight, so we can’t be away for the entire day. It’s okay though; I have more than enough to do to keep myself busy for the evening.