Page 63 of Feeding Hope
“I’ve been avoiding even the idea of a new car for far too long, but... I guess, I’m going to have to really look into it now.”
With a shake of her head she turned around and headed for the back of her car. She heard the sound of footsteps behind her almost immediately.She smiled at the sound.He looked fit, too.Oh, more than fit.
When they’d met at the high school in a meeting about her son who was slated to become an integral player on the football team, the coach had been wearing his Carvers’ polo and a pair of slacks that made his ass look like she could sink her teeth into it,but she’d only thought about it later that night when she’d been getting ready for bed.
This?
Being close to him when no one else was around was a different problem.She didn’t have her son’s principal breathing down her neck, but trying to get a look at him without him noticing?
That might take some doing.
But she giggled at the thought, and the word, it would be worth the effort.She spent her time at the firehouse surrounded by a bunch of fit men.Her son was a football player with a real chance at going the distance.So she knew what it took to keep fit.
And Wayne Reynolds?He might not be an active player, but even as a coach, he had the muscle and size that made her mouth water.
She opened up the trunk and leaned back while the door went up.She hit a wall of warmth she hadn’t expected and lurched forward the moment her brain registered the issue.
“Careful.”
She opened her mouth to utter a snarky retort, but she was suddenly reminded that she wasn’t at the firehouse where they acted a little like a frat house at the best of times. And the man at her back wasn’t one of her coworkers.Anything but.She didn’t deliver an elbow to his ribs, but she also didn’t know what to do instead.
“Let me step back.”
He stepped to the side and when his body moved away from her back, he placed his hand on her back.
It felt... nice.
His hand was big and strong.And the way he had it placed against her back was supportive.Almost gentle.
The feelings that ran through her body were confusing.
“Okay,” she took astep to the side and slid a quick look at him. “Sorry.”
He shook his head. “My fault.”
She reached in and picked up two trays of water and turned to see that he had his arms out to take it.
She tucked her chin down and gave him a little smile. “I’ve got this.” She tipped her head toward the trunk. “Grab what you can.”
Avery moved around him and up onto the sidewalk toward his truck.
She smiled when she recognized what he was driving.
“Nice.” She got to the back and heard him call out to her.
“Wait! I’ll put down the tailgate.”
With a shrug, she lifted the trays and set it down over the tailgate.
She heard him half-jog up to her side and she turned to look at him. “No need to rush. I’ve got it.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, not angry. Confused, maybe? “I... I should have put the tailgate down before grabbing these.”
She looked down at the small stack of cardboard trays of chicken noodle soup cans.
She smiled at him. “Here. Give it to me so you can open the tailgate.”
There was a moment of hesitation, and she tensed a little wondering what he was about to say.
