Of All The Ways He Loves Me by Suzanne D. Williams

Author:Suzanne D. Williams
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-06-05T23:00:00+00:00

***

“If I hold you, you can’t back off,” Paterson said.

They’d left the restaurant and driven to Coachman’s Park. Coachman’s Park was built about five years ago to accommodate the city’s growing Little Leagues, but since then, they’d added walking paths, a xeriscaped flower garden, and a handful of covered picnic tables.

He leaned against a wooden railing encircling the drop-off to a small pond and settled his hands at her waist. Nadia shifted, as if the slightest movement would make her collapse.

She’d gotten edgier after dinner, probably anticipating whatever she’d decided he was going to do. But the truth was, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do, only that at this moment, he wanted to put his arms around her.

Not like he hadn’t done that before. They’d watched movies together, half draped over each other, and there was the time she’d sprained her ankle. He’d held her pretty tight while she’d cried. In many other moments over the years they’d had physical contact, except none of it for the purpose this was – simply to be doing it.

He tugged her closer, but she kind of jerked, her body stiff and spine rigid, her arms straight at her sides.

“Relax,” he said.

“I can’t. This feels weird.”

“Okay, close your eyes again,” he said. “Remember that time at the barbeque?”

She grasped a wad of the fabric of her dress. “Which one?”

He scooted her a few more steps. “The one about three years ago when my mom was wearing that ghastly green dress.”

“That dress really was ghastly.”

He laughed softly. “Dad wouldn’t let her wear it ever again, but I think she still has it in the closet.”

“That’s what girls do,” Nadia replied. “We don’t want to throw it away, so we let it hang there.”

He laid his left palm in the small of Nadia’s back and pressed. She slid another few steps. “Boys put it in a drawer,” he said, “then drag it out three years later and try to wear it again.”

She laughed, and he slipped his other arm behind her and brought her to him. The tail end of her laughter blew moist on his skin. He joined his other hand around her waist and pulled her tighter to his chest. She tensed. “Anyhow,” he continued. “Dad was cooking the burgers.”

“Burning the burgers,” she corrected. “They were more like charcoal briquettes at the end.”

“Saved only by the sugar-free ketchup.”

They both shivered then. Sugar-free ketchup was … simply wrong. Blech to the person who’d invented it.

“Didn’t your dad put peanut butter on his?” she asked.

Paterson laughed softly. “He did. Not the first time either.”

“That was really gross,” she said. “But the coleslaw was good. I’ve always liked your mom’s coleslaw.”

“It’s the pickles. She uses these kosher ones and chops them up real fine.” He slid his hands upward, one midway, the other near the back of her head.

Nadia raised her chin and opened her eyes. “How’d you get so close to me?” she asked.

“Magic,” he replied. “It’s not so bad. Is it?”

“No. Oh …” Her eyes widened.

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