The Outsider by Galia Ryan

Author:Galia Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: small town, veteran, army, police officer, alpha male
Publisher: Fanny Press
Published: 2015-08-05T16:00:00+00:00

She dressed in a bra and briefs she’d bought thinking they would be perfect for a special occasion with Greg, and sprayed a little perfume onto her wrists. Pulling on a clean pair of jeans she grabbed a thick cable sweater from her wardrobe. The temperature was already dropping when she jumped into her car and reversed out of her parking space.

She drove to the supermarket. Not her local one but larger, closer to the freeway. It had both a decent bakery and an large deli section. She bought ciabatta and thick, flat, Turkish bread sprinkled with Nigella seeds, and olives, dried tomatoes, hummus and tapenade. She added some cuts of cold meat and a wedge of soft, ripe Brie. Turning back, she pointed to half a cooked chicken.

“And that, please.”

She loaded her purchases into the trunk alongside the wine she’d bought earlier. A reusable hemp bag stamped with the logo of a smart home accessories store held glasses and cutlery, and other things she considered necessities. And she had a blanket, one she kept in the vehicle for emergencies. When she turned onto the dirt road and pulled up outside the barn, the sun was already lowering toward the horizon. Another half hour or so and it would be dark. Surely he would have already gone? If not, he’d be watching. She slammed the car door, as if to give notice, and then walked round to pop the trunk. She wondered where he was. In the attic, settling down for the night? She hoped not. She’d no idea how she could climb up onto the back porch with a hemp bag hanging from one shoulder and her arms around two paper sacks.

In the end she didn’t have to. Hefting up the shopping bags, she spotted him leaning against the barn door. He’d put on a flannel shirt, check pattern. Apart from that he was dressed in the same clothes as earlier. A thumb was hooked into the pocket of his jeans.

“Thought you might be hungry.”

She walked toward him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He didn’t move. Didn’t say anything. Just waited for her to get up close, then stepped forward and relieved her of the sacks.

She followed him across the yard and round the back of the house, knowing she was making a bigger mistake than before. A part of her was cursing. At least earlier her actions hadn’t been premeditated. Now she might as well be wearing flashing neon lights announcing she was in the market for another fuck.

He put the groceries down on the step and looked back over the overgrown vegetable garden and into the distance. “We could stay out here. Good sunset tonight. Just the right amount of cloud cover.”

“So you are a romantic.” The words were meant to be light-hearted but they came out with not quite the right tone, and she almost wilted under his scathing look.

“No,” she agreed quietly.

He made his way toward the far end of the porch, jumped onto the rail and shinned up onto the roof.

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