Page 12 of A Perfect Target

“Great. Good night, Suzanna.”

“Good night, Seth.”

Minutes later as she drove home, she wondered what had possessed her to agree to have dinner with him at the café. And what had possessed him to even ask her.

It felt like a date. And she didn’t date. He’d just indicated to her tonight that he didn’t date, either. So what in the world were they doing?

It’s just a meal with a student and his father and nothing more, she assured herself. He hadn’t been in town long and probably hadn’t made too many friends yet. That was probably why he’d asked her out. However, that didn’t explain the sweet anticipation that flooded through her veins at thoughts of the night to come.

“You be a good boy for Mrs. Winnibaker tonight,” Seth told Sammy the next evening. “I should be home in time to tuck you into bed, but if I’m not here when it’s time, you just go on to bed as usual.”

“Okay,” Sammy replied. He sat on the sofa with the television remote in his hand.

The older woman smiled at Seth. “You go on and enjoy your evening. Sammy and I will be just fine here. Later, I intend to beat him at Go Fish.”

“Ha! I bet you don’t beat me. I’m gonna beat you big time,” Sammy replied with little boy bravado.

“Good luck to both of you. May the best player win, and I’ll be home later,” Seth replied with a laugh, and within minutes he was in his car and headed to Suzanna’s place. He also owned a pickup truck that he used for working around the farm, but the car was the vehicle he used most of the time when he was out in public.

He was really looking forward to the evening. Suzanna had become a good friend, and he enjoyed spending time with her. He had to admit that there were times when he wanted to reach out and touch her shiny hair, when he wondered what her slightly plump lips would taste like and how she would feel wrapped up in his arms.

There was no question that he was physically drawn to her. Hell, what man wouldn’t be—she was absolutely beautiful with her soft blond hair and beautiful long-lashed blue eyes.

Before the tutoring sessions had begun, Seth realized he’d been lonely. With only conversations with an eight-year-old to pass the evenings, he now recognized that he’d been hungry for real adult conversation.

He had a feeling Suzanna had been lonely, too. She had told him about her husband’s sudden death two years before and how she had thrown herself into her teaching. But school certainly didn’t fill up the long hours of the evening. Still, all he knew was he looked forward to having her undivided time and attention this evening.

Within minutes he pulled up into her circular driveway and parked behind her car. Her house was an attractive ranch style painted a light gray with black trim. A wraparound porch held two wicker chairs with bright red cushions that invited a person to sit and visit. Farmland was on either side of the house, and a beautiful big oak tree stood in front of it.

He knew from previous conversations that she had a lot of cropland that several of her neighbors now leased from her. The land had all been too much for her to handle when her husband had died so unexpectedly. He’d been the farmer in the family, and with him gone, she’d had no desire to work the land or learn how to run a farm.

He parked his car and got out. It was a cold night, but as he walked to her front door, he couldn’t help the rush of pleasure that swept through him as he thought about spending the evening with her. It warmed him despite the chill of the evening air.

She answered on his first knock. She was clad in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved red blouse that looked absolutely gorgeous with her light hair and blue eyes. “Hi, Seth. Just let me grab my coat and I’m ready to go.”

A few minutes later he opened his passenger door to usher her into the car. “No Sammy tonight?” she asked in obvious surprise.

“No Sammy. I figured it would be nice to have an adult night for a change,” he replied and then closed the door and walked around the car to the driver side.

He got in and immediately started the engine to get the heat going. “It’s a cold one tonight,” he said.

“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “I wonder if we’ll have a white Christmas?”

“The Farmers’ Almanac is saying there’s going to be a lot of snow this winter,” he replied.

“That will make the kids happy,” she replied.

“And the adults all grumpy,” he said.

She laughed, that pleasant sound that he enjoyed hearing so much. “Actually, I’m one person who loves the snow. Let me make a snowman or a snow angel, and I’m a happy camper.”

“I really don’t mind it, either, but I’m not that big on making snow angels,” he said with a grin. He turned onto the main road that would take them into town. “Are you hungry?”

“I am. The cafeteria served their version of a tuna casserole today. It’s one of my least favorite lunches, and so I just picked at it. What about you? Are you hungry?”

“I’m always hungry at this time of day.”

“Have you had a chance to eat at the café before?”