Page 4 of First Love

That was when I saw her.

The absolutely most beautiful woman in the entire world. Or at least the most beautiful one I’d ever laid eyes on.

Holy shit.

Waves and more waves of long, golden-blond hair spilled around her shoulders. Shoulders that were shaking as this angelic vision noiselessly cried. She was perched on the edge of the sidewalk, her elbows resting on her knees and her hands cradling her head. Her clothes were clean and appeared to fit her rocking body well. She didn’t send off the vibe I usually registered from the people we served at The Cavanaugh House.

Still, a person in trouble was a person in trouble. Truthfully, I couldn’t have ignored her if I’d tried. A magnetic pull drew me toward her.

“Hey,” I said softly, but her head still whipped up as if I’d startled her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?” Stupid question. Of course she wasn’t okay. Okay people didn’t cry on sidewalks behind homeless shelters.

She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. “Yeah.” The word got strangled in her throat, and she released another flood of tears.

I tossed the trash bag into the dumpster then lowered to sit beside her. Not too close though every atom of my being wanted to take her into my arms. Wanted to make whomever had upset her die a slow, painful, gruesome death.

Whoa.Where the fuck had that come from? I wasn’t generally a violent guy. I was more a let’s-talk-this-out-and-come-to-a-reasonable-solution type dude. But damn. I wanted to protect her with my life.

“Do you like southern barbecue?” I asked.

Her brows lowered in confusion as she gazed up at me with eyes the color of honey. Even with wet lashes and slightly smudged makeup, she was breathtaking.

“Who doesn’t like southern barbecue?” She hooked that golden hair behind her ear, giving me a view of her smooth cheek and a diamond stud in the top ridge of her ear. The curve of her neck tempted me like nothing else ever had.

Get a grip, man. I never let my hormones take the wheel. By the looks of it, this woman didn’t need me having this physical reaction to her tonight.

“Would some southern barbecue make you feel better?” I asked.

She gave me a slow shoulder shrug, no doubt finding my question ridiculous.

“Wait here.” I stood, praying she wouldn’t scurry off, and went back into the shelter.

Fortunately, the crowd had subsided, and Carla was stacking up some of the empty pans.

“Hey, what happened to you and the coleslaw I asked for?” she asked when I sidled up next to her and grabbed a clean plate.

“I had a bit of an altercation in the kitchen,” I said. “The mustard didn’t survive.”

Carla raised a dark eyebrow at me. “Do I need to add mustard to the food order?”

“Probably.” I gave her a slight smile—the one that usually got me out of trouble with her.

She cuffed me on the shoulder, but she was grinning. She pointed to the plate I was currently heaping with chicken, mac and cheese, and cornbread. “Where’s that headed?” She looked out at the few people still eating in the shelter. “They’ve all been fed and given extras too.”

“I have someone out back who seems as if she’s had a rough day,” I said. “Your southern barbecue might cheer her up.”

Carla’s face immediately softened, compassion clear in her brown eyes. It was what made her exceptional at her job here at the shelter. “Tell her to come in and make herself comfortable.”

I shook my head. “Something tells me she doesn’t want to be around other people right now.” I wasn’t sure how I knew that, but it felt true.

“Okay. Well, make sure you grab her some of the coleslaw that you didn’t bring out here.” Carla elbowed me, a teasing glint in her eyes.

I scooted back into the kitchen, heaped some coleslaw on the plate, and took the container out to Carla. I barely heard her thank me before I headed back into the kitchen. I grabbed some silverware, a napkin, and a bottle of water.

I let out a relieved breath when I found the woman still sitting on the curb. Her long legs were stretched out in front of her now, and my gaze traveled down the shapely length of them. My imagination immediately conjured images of those legs wrapped around me.

Rolling my shoulders, I focused on carrying the full plate over to her. “Here you go. One southern barbecue to boost your mood.”

Her eyes widened at the plate, her head tilting up slightly like an animal who had smelled something interesting. “I just realized how hungry I am. I’ve been walking around this town for hours.”