“Thank you.” Jules lowered her voice. “I love this place. I bet he has all sorts of hidden treasures.”
Grant looked skeptical “You know what they say. One man’s junk…”
“Don’t be such a cynic. It’s an adventure. Look at what I found in your trash.”
“Everything with you is an adventure, Pix.” He leaned in for another kiss.
As they made their way through the crowded store, they found a frame for the picture of his friends, and Jules insisted that he buy a few others for family photos. They tried on funny sunglasses, looked through a box of old records, and Jules wasn’t surprised when Grant picked out two toys for his roommate, Crash. They found a basket full of furniture knobs, in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, and Grant suggested they pick some out for the cabinets on the island.
“Some of these are really cool,” Grant said, holding up an antique knob made of different colors of glass. “Do you see any you like?”
She picked up a yellow metal knob with an orange and black flower in the center. “This one’s pretty, but I’m sure you don’t want flowers.”
He snagged it from her. “I like anything you like.”
“I like kissing,” she said quietly.
He set those piercing dark eyes on her, bringing a stroke of heat to her core as he put the frames and cat toys on the table and pulled her into his arms. His big hands gripped her butt as his mouth covered hers in a ferocious, all-too-quick kiss, leaving her salivating for more.
“Let’s pick out the knobs and get out of here,” he said huskily, that hungry gaze penetrating her. “I need more of you.” He held her close again, speaking directly into her ear. “I want my mouth on you tonight.”
How was she supposed to concentrate on anything after that?
He moved behind her, rubbing against her ass and kissing her neck as she tried to focus on picking out knobs and not the thought of his delicious mouth all over her. She quickly selected three more knobs and turned in his arms.
“Ready,” she said breathily.
“Me too. To put you on that table and do a hundred dirty things to you.” His eyes were dark and seductive, his voice gruff and demanding.
His words sent heat slicing through her, stealing any chance she had at responding coherently. The cocky grin spreading across his handsome face told her that was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for, the bastard.
Filthy-minded, talented-tongued bastard.
Oh, how she adored him!
He kept her close as they made their way toward the register, whispering seductively into her ear about each of those dirty things he’d like to do to her.
Yes. Please.
Despite the thrill of such taboo talk in public, as they neared the register, she shot him a warning look, and his grin turned utterly sinful. They set the frames, cat toys, and knobs on the counter, and Jules tried to act like her insides weren’t bubbling up like a volcano ready to blow.
“All set?” The older gentleman set down his book and pushed to his feet, limping over to them. “You two remind me of me and the missus when we were your age. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”
Were they that obvious? She looked at Grant, and holy cow, the heat in his eyes could probably be felt a mile away.
As the man rang up their purchases, he said, “We’ve been married fifty-eight years.” He looked up at them, studying Grant intently.
“Congratulations,” Grant said, taking out his wallet. “That’s a long time.”
“It sure is,” he said. “Lotta good years, some trying years, but all worth it.”
“What’s your secret?” Jules asked as he put the frames and knobs in a bag.
“We live by three simple rules. We give each other enough space to think or stew, or as my Nina says, to just be. We find something good in everything, even in the worst of times, and we always have each other’s back.”
“That’s good advice. Thank you,” Jules said, thankful that her body was calming down.
“My pleasure, young lady.” He looked at Grant and said, “That’ll be sixty-two seventy-five.”
Grant took out his wallet and glanced at the counter, obviously looking for a credit card machine. “Do you take credit cards?”
“Sure do. We’ve got an ancient system, but it still works.” He took Grant’s card and looked it over. “Ah, you are the Silver boy. I thought I recognized you. You threw me off with all that hair. You made our Local Stars wall.” He motioned to his right, where local news clippings were pinned to a wall, and near the top was the one about Grant being a hometown hero.
Grant nodded, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “Yes, sir. That’s me.”
The man processed Grant’s card and said, “I saw your parents a few weeks ago over at Goldie’s for the community breakfast. They’re sure proud of you.”
“I didn’t realize they still went to those breakfasts.” Grant took the card back and signed the credit slip.
“Your folks have always supported the community. Grant Silver, it sure has been a long time since we’ve crossed paths. You must not remember me. I’m Saul Barker, but I bet you remember my wife, Nina, otherwise known as the cookie lady.”
A warm smile appeared on Grant’s face. “Oh, man. The cookie lady is your wife?” He turned to Jules. “The first thing we did at those breakfasts was seek out the cookie lady. She’d give us each two cookies and tell us to gobble them up before our parents found out.”
Saul chuckled. “Little did they know that she made them with fresh carrots, apples, and oats.”
“Sneaky,” Jules said. “I love her already.”
“I remember when your young man here was just a tyke,” Saul said. “His parents would bring him every month like clockwork.” He turned his attention to Grant. “As the years passed and your family grew, you and your brothers and sisters would run around the lighthouse grounds, having a good old time. We all prayed for you when you joined the military, and when word got around that you’d been injured, why, I think that was the first and only month your parents missed a breakfast.”
“I appreciate your thoughts,” Grant said, a thread of heaviness in his voice.
“You and I have something in common now.” The man limped around the counter and lifted his pants leg, revealing the metal bar of a prosthetic leg.
“I’m sorry to see that,” Grant said solemnly. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you lose your leg?”
“Not in a heroic way, like you. I was a fireman for twenty years, and my buddies and I went out fishing one evening like we did from time to time. A storm rolled in, and we got caught in the worst squall I’ve ever seen. Torrential rain, wicked waves, lightning, thunder, the works. The boat tipped, knocking my buddy off his feet and into me. I went over the back of the boat. Caught my calf in the propeller.”
Jules and Grant both winced.
“You poor thing.” Jules put her hand over the stab of pain in her chest.
“I consider myself lucky that my leg is all it took,” Saul said. “That was the end of my career, but at least I was alive, thanks to the quick minds of my fellow firemen. I was a mess for a long time, fell into a depression. I had no idea how Nina and I would make ends meet. Firefighting was all I knew.”