Page 41 of Searching for Bristol
She pretty much knew she’d never liked a guy more than she did Rocky. And just about everyone in the town had been more than welcoming. Every day when she woke up, she wondered who would visit, what funny local stories they’d have to share. The feeling of community in Fallport was something she’d never known she was missing…and something she wanted to be a part of.
Bristol didn’t want to wear out her welcome. She liked Rocky. A lot. The last thing she wanted to do was fall head over heels in love with him, only to find out he was only being nice out of a sense of obligation.
But deep down, she knew that wasn’t the case. She’d caught him staring at her with an electric longing in his eyes. And while he was careful not to overstep any kind of personal boundaries, she hadn’t missed the fact that every now and then…he’d get an erection around her.
Of course, that could just be a natural reaction of his body and not necessarily because ofher, but she didn’t think so. And her own attraction toward him was so intense, there seemed little chance it could be one-sided. There were a few mornings when he’d taken an extraordinarily long time in the shower, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing in there…and if it was the same thingshedid when she was naked in the shower, thinking about him.
“You okay over there?” Rocky asked, bringing her out of her own head.
Smiling at him she nodded. “I’m great. How could I be anything else?” A grin formed on his face, and she asked, “What’s that smile for?”
“I just like being around you. You’re always so cheerful…which is nice.”
“I’ve found that it’s a lot easier to look on the bright side of things than dwell on the negative. Life is short, and I don’t want to spend it wanting what I can’t have or focusing on all the bad stuff that’s happened to me.”
“Like falling off a cliff,” he said dryly.
“Exactly. I mean, yes, my friend totally screwed me, didn’t seem to care about my well-being, and I got hurt. But the entire situation could’ve been a lot worse than it was. I could’ve hit my head and died instead of only getting a broken leg. You found me, stayed with me, and you gave me a place to heal. And Fallport is wonderful. I’ve met so many great people. I love your friends. And you’ve got a great shower.” She smiled at him again.
He divided his attention between her and the road. “You broke your leg, were abandoned by your friends, you’ve been practically immobile and stuck in my tiny little apartment with a stranger. You don’t have your car or any of your personal stuff. You haven’t been able to work for two weeks, and while you haven’t talked about it, your business is probably suffering as a result. Generally, your life was turned upside down.”
Bristol laughed. “Yup. But again, all the good things that have happened as a result of breaking my leg outweigh all those other things. At least in my mind.”
Rocky shook his head. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Bristol asked, a little trepidatious.
“Good,” he said immediately, which went a long way toward making her feel better. “We’re getting close to Kingsport, you want to give me directions?”
Bristol held onto the good feeling deep inside at his answer as she told him where to go, but the closer she got to her house, the more nervous she got. She hadn’t considered what Rocky might think about where she lived…and now she was afraid this trip wasn’t such a good idea.
They pulled onto her street, and she said, “It’s the third house on the right.”
She couldn’t tell what he was thinking as he pulled into her driveway and turned off the ignition of his SUV.
After a long moment, he turned to her. “I’m thinking there’s some things you’ve left out about yourself, Punky,” he said dryly.
She bit her lip nervously as she studied her house, trying to see it through his eyes. She’d loved it from the moment she saw it. It was big. Probably around forty-five hundred square feet. Far too big for one person, but the second she saw the view out the back windows, she’d had to have it. There were five bedrooms, a huge kitchen, the bathrooms had been remodeled before she’d moved in, and the closet in the master bedroom was bigger than the guest room at Rocky’s apartment.
“It’s…just you living here?” he asked.
“Uh-huh,” she said. “It’s not as big as it looks.” That was a lie. With the huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area, it seemed even bigger.
Rocky chuckled and shook his head. “You have your key?”
Bristol shifted and pulled her keyring out of her pocket. She didn’t have a purse with her, because who takes a purse hiking and camping? But it was one of the many things she had on her mental list to pack to bring back to Fallport…if Rocky still wanted her to come back with him.
“Stay put,” he ordered. “I’ll come around.”
Bristol watched him walk around the front of the SUV. His strides were long and confident, as usual. When he was at her door, he helped her out and, with his arm around her, served as a human crutch as they headed for her front door.
She loved when Rocky carried her. She always felt small around other people, but in his arms, she felt…cherished. But there was something to be said for being plastered against his side with his arm around her, his fingers slightly digging into her waist as he took the weight off her broken leg and she hobbled next to him.
He had no extra fat on him that she could feel. She liked having an excuse to touch him, to put her arm around him. He was warm, made her feel safe. She didn’t worry that he was going to let her stumble. Rocky was strong and capable next to her.
When they reached the four steps that led up to her front porch, he didn’t ask or warn her, he simply tightened his arm around her waist and easily lifted her feet off the ground before walking up the stairs.
Bristol giggled.
