Page 49 of Searching for Bristol
“I think tea. Please.”
“You got it,” Rocky said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead before he stood and turned to the kitchen.
* * *
Bristol watched the man who had somehow snuck under her skin before she’d even realized what was happening. Living with him was easy. She’d never shared the same space with a man before. She’d had some definite preconceived notions about what it might be like, but Rocky had blasted all of them to pieces.
He was neat, considerate, did the laundry, cleaned, cooked, and genuinely made her feel as if this was truly her home, and she wasn’t just a temporary guest. The more time she spent with Rocky, and in Fallport, the more she wanted to stay.
This coming weekend was the Pickleport Festival, something Fallport held every year, and Bristol was almost giddy with excitement. She’d been making as many pieces of jewelry as she could to sell—with proceeds going toward equipment for the search and rescue team. She was still planning on purchasing the satellite phones the guys needed, but the money from the sale of her jewelry could go toward whatever else they needed.
Finley had offered some space at the table she was setting up for the parade. She was selling baked goods, of course, special pastries she didn’t normally offer in the store. Bristol had adored the other woman immediately upon meeting her. She was average height, maybe around five-six or so, and gorgeously plus-sized. She’d joked that it was almost a requirement for a bakery owner to be overweight.
Bristol suspected the woman had no idea of her own appeal. Despite that, Finley seemed comfortable in her body, wearing clothes that enhanced her shape rather than attempting to hide it. Bristol had always longed to have the kind of sexy curves Finley boasted.
And she hadn’t missed the way Brock watched the pretty bakery owner whenever the two were in the same room. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, in fact…and Bristol wondered why he hadn’t asked her out or otherwise made his attraction known. But she was new to Fallport and to the group; the last thing she wanted was to put her foot in her mouth by bringing it up. She had no idea what their history was, or if they had one at all. Maybe they’d dated and things hadn’t worked out. Until she knew more about both Brock and Finley, she’d keep her mouth shut.
So many people had kept her company during her convalescence. She’d gotten to know some of the regulars at Sunny Side Up too, including those who’d greeted her when Rocky had brought her home from the hospital. One day last week, before Rocky left on a job, she’d admitted that she was feeling a little cooped up. He’d brought her to the diner, sat her at a booth, and Sandra let her hang out until he returned a few hours later.
A ton of people had stopped by to see her and chat. By the time Rocky arrived to take her back to his apartment, she’d actually been sad to go.
“This smells amazing,” Rocky said, carrying a plate overflowing with roast and veggies over to her.
Bristol laughed and protested, “I can’t eat all that!”
He merely shrugged. “Then eat what you can and we’ll wrap up the rest.” He went back to the kitchen to grab his own plate and a bottle of beer. He pushed a plastic bin of beads out of his way and smiled at her as he sat. Then he reached for her hand.
Bristol automatically clasped his, and he squeezed her fingers gently.
“I’m not a very religious man. But I’ve seen enough in my lifetime to believe there’s some kind of higher power out there. I feel as if I need to say some sort of grace tonight.”
Bristol smiled at him. “I’d like that.”
Inhaling deeply through his nose, Rocky didn’t close his eyes, but instead pinned her in place with his intense gaze as he spoke. “Thank you for this meal and the wonderful company. Coming home to laughter and the smell of deliciousness in my kitchen was enough to make me stop and give thanks for all that I have in my life. Friends, family, a roof over my head, food on my table, and a woman who’s shown me in the short time she’s been here what a relationship should be like. I promise to never take her, or anything else I have in my life, for granted.”
Would this man ever stop surprising her? She hoped not.
“Amen,” she said quietly.
“Amen,” he echoed. He lifted their clasped hands and kissed her knuckles before squeezing her fingers gently once more and releasing her.
The brush of his beard against her skin made shivers snake up her spine. The more time she spent around Rocky, the more shewantedto spend with him. She was in deep, and every day just made her feelings for him grow.
Rocky talked about his current job as they ate. He was rebuilding a deck with composite materials and replacing the old worn-out wood. It wasn’t difficult, but being in the sun and the heat made it more tiring than it otherwise would be.
They talked about the upcoming festival, and Bristol told him how much she was looking forward to it.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw a parade. I mean, I watch the Thanksgiving one in New York every year, but I’m guessing this one is gonna be very different.”
Rocky chuckled. “As night and day,” he said. “There won’t be any of the fancy blow-up balloons or floats. Mostly people driving their pickups and towing flatbeds that have been decorated with poster board and streamers.”
“It sounds awesome,” Bristol said honestly. She guessed, knowing the townspeople like she did, that they’d go all out for their local celebrations.
“The gathering in the square afterward is nuts,” Rocky went on. “Fallport loves their festivals and celebrations. There’s an abundance of food, and everything you can think of related to pickles will be served. Pickle ice cream, fried pickles, pickle pizza, and even pickle fries. There are also more traditional contests for the best pie, fudge, and even a watermelon seed spitting contest. I heard that old man Grogan—he owns the general store in the square—has a Bigfoot-themed float, and he’s debuting the merchandise he’s created for the influx of Bigfoot hunters we all expect to see, once that paranormal investigation show airs.”
Bristol winced. “Kind of like why I was here, huh?” she asked.
Rocky shrugged. “You weren’t really here to find Bigfoot. You came for a change of pace and to spend time in nature with someone you thought was a friend. Not your fault he was an idiot. Anyway, I was kind of against the notoriety at first. I mean, it’s not exactly my idea of a good time to have to rescue inexperienced hikers who go tromping around the woods in search of something they aren’t going to find. But now that I’ve had a chance to think about it, the amount of money the Bigfoot tourists are going to bring to the town could be a huge help. As you’ve seen, most of the businesses around here are locally owned and not franchises. And if wedohave an increase in searches, it’ll help the city council see how important we are to the community, and hopefully they won’t be as stingy with the budget in the future.”
