Home Sweet Gnome (17 page)

I grinned. “It was a lot of fun.”

“Did you get hurt at all?” He looked me over for injury, although probably a little late.

I landed on my butt a few times, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. “I’m fine.”

“Hungry?”

“I’m okay. Where’s Silky?” I asked, glancing around.

JT angled his head toward the main area. “In there signing autographs.”

“I bet her fans are loving her now. Not only is she a porn queen, but she can also kick some serious roller derby ass.”

“She’s your number two fan,” he said.

I frowned. “Oh? Who’s number one?”

He pulled me into him so I had to tilt my chin up. “Me.”

His mouth covered mine in a gentle, light kiss. “I think you scared ten years off my life when you were part of that group that went out of the ring.”

“I didn’t even fall down,” I told him, remembering the moment well.

“No kidding. How you pulled that off, I’ll never know. Shit, Daphne, I hope your roller derby days are over.”

“Why?” I asked. “You’re going to see Sarah soon and I’m off to Brazil.”

“Right.” He sighed. “What’s this about Brazil.”

“A new story.”

“When did you learn about it?” he asked, tugging on my ponytail.

“After the police station.”

“Which one?” he asked. I knew he was trying to be funny, but it didn’t come across that way. “Were you going to tell me about it?”

I looked down at the front of his shirt. “What does it matter? I was never a keeper for you. I was just a fantasy. Besides, I was always going to leave.”

He frowned. “That’s what you think, that I slept with you because I’m fulfilling a fantasy?”

“Of course. I’m fine with being your fantasy. I was never going to be your reality.” I stepped back, pasted on a smile. “It’s been…crazy. I’ll see you around sometime.”

Before I could cry—I never cried—I turned and walked away. When he called out to me, I just held up my hand then kept on going.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It had been a week since I flew back from Fargo. I’d had Aunt Velma’s house to myself for the first few days as the Three Musketeers drove the RV back to Bozeman, leaving the broken bike at Bob’s repair shop to be fixed when he returned from Sturgis. I spent the time sleeping and thinking, trying to figure out the mess of my life. It took me two days to realize my life wasn’t a mess at all. It was just empty. I was filling it with writing assignments around the world to make it seem exciting, but I had no one to share it with, no one to come home to. I had Aunt Velma, she was always there, but her home wasn’t my home anymore.

For three crazy days, I went on an adventure of a lifetime. I’d not only experienced it with Aunt Velma, but Esther Millhouse and Goldie as well. But they’d only been secondary to the excursion. It had been JT who I’d travelled with. It had been JT to laugh at. Laugh with. It was a trip I would never forget.

He
was a man I’d never forget.

“Are you sure you want to go?” Aunt Velma asked as I packed my bag. The sloping ceiling in my upstairs bedroom was too low for her to stand upright, so she sat on the bed.

“Yes. I want to.”

“Why, Daphne? Why are you going?”

“It’s something I need to do.”

“You mean it’s a way to steer clear of JT.” She gave me the one eyebrow up eagle eye.

“You want me to watch JT settle down with Sarah?”

“As far as I know, he hasn’t even met this woman. You’re writing off what’s between the two of you.”

“How do you know Sarah isn’t here in town right now?”

“Goldie told me.”

Then it had to be true. She knew everything.

“He thought I was Silky Tangles! I was just a fantasy for him.”

Aunt Velma pursed her lips. “He’s not an idiot. He knows you’re not Silky Tangles.”

“Of course he does. Now. He met the real deal in Fargo.”

She picked up my pillow and fluffed it, tossed it back in place. “Look, he’s got issues of his own, of course, but not everyone’s going to leave you.”

I dropped the socks I’d been holding. “What?”

“Sit down.” She waited until I did so, the open suitcase between us. “Your parents, I wanted to kill them for leaving you. But instead I thanked them daily for leaving you. I got
you
because they were so selfish. I know you think I’m crazy, but I never left you. Never.”

My throat hurt with tears. “I know, but you’re larger than life, Aunt Velma. I can’t compete.”

“Oh, honey, you never have to compete with me. Everyone loves you for being you. Even JT.”

My head whipped up at his name. “He doesn’t love me. He doesn’t really even know me.”

“That’s not his fault, it’s yours. If you like him, then stay. Let him get to know you. Don’t run away because he just might stick.”

I wiped at my eye. “I’ve been back a week and he hasn’t been by. It’s over.”

Aunt Velma sighed, then stood up, at least as far as she could. “What time’s your flight?”

“Two.”

“I’ll say goodbye now then since I have to meet Esther. Her car’s broken and she needs to take Tigger to the vet to get neutered. Then we’re meeting Goldie for lunch. She’s taking George the Gnome back to Zach this morning.”

The thought of the gnome had me smiling. I would never forget how it flew into the windshield. I would never forget the kiss that followed.

***

I was late. Again. I’d forgotten to get gas so the Rabbit’s fuel light came on and I had to stop. By the time I was flooring it down the Frontage Road toward the airport, I only had an hour before my flight. So this time, when I was pulled over for speeding, I wasn’t surprised, although that didn’t keep me from swearing.

Scrambling for my purse, I pulled out my license and reached into the glove box for the registration, not noticing the police officer standing beside the car.

“I see you know the process,” the man said. I whipped my head around when I recognized his voice.

JT.

“You look familiar,” he said. He wore his reflective aviator sunglasses once again so I couldn’t see his eyes. His body was the same, big, virile, rugged. The MSU T-shirt fit across him snugly and the gun on his hip looked just as hot as last time.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” I tried to calm my racing heartbeat at just the sight of him. I could even
smell
him through the open window and it brought back a flood of memories. My mouth watered, wishing I could just taste him again.

“Step out of the car, please.”

“JT, I don’t have time for this. I have a flight to catch.”

“Ma’am, step out of the car.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

Climbing out, I put my hands on my hips.

“Where are you traveling to this time? Brazil?”

“Minnesota.”

He paused, not expecting that answer. “What?”

“I said, Minnesota.”

“I thought you were going doing a story in Brazil. What’s in Minnesota?”

“A hockey team reunion.”

He took off his sunglasses and hooked them over the neck of his shirt.

“I’m surprised you’re working. Shouldn’t you be showing Sarah around town?”

“I’m not working. I’m pulling over a speeding driver.”

“Why?” I asked, completely confused. “Why are you pulling people over?”

He put his hands on his hips. “I’m not pulling people over. I’m pulling
you
over. Jesus, Daphne, I don’t want you to go.”

My mouth fell open. “What?”

“Don’t go to Brazil. Don’t leave Bozeman. There’s something between us, something crazy.” He ran his hand through his hair. “We should give it a shot.”

“How did you know where to find me? You want to…wait.” I held up my hand. “What about Sarah? The white picket fence?”

“You said it last week. Sort of. You said you were my fantasy, but you were looking for reality.”

“Yeah, I remember.” I remembered all too well.

“You had it backwards.” He stepped into me so he blocked the sun, tucked my wayward hair behind my ear. “Sarah and the white picket fence were just fantasies.
You
are my reality.”

“Holy shit.”

He grinned. “Yeah, holy shit. Now can you please not go off to Morocco or Mozambique or Minnesota.”

“I was only going to be gone the weekend. I…I rented a little house downtown.”

JT grabbed me and pulled me into his arms, hugged me to him so tightly I couldn’t breathe. Or maybe it was the fact that the stupid wall I’d built around my heart crumbled and I was, for once, letting someone in. “I’m still going to take assignments, shorter ones, but only for a little while longer. Your idea about working for a local magazine was a good one. I’ve started putting my resume out there and I should hopefully hear from one of them. In the meantime, I’ve got money saved up.”

He pushed me back, only just enough to look down at me. “So if I don’t Tase you, you’ll give us a try?”

I nodded. “Will you?”

“As long as you don’t punch me in the nose.”

Other books by Jennifer Zane:

Gnome On The Range
Gnomeless
Gnome For The Holidays
Gnome, Alaska

About the Author:

Jennifer Zane has lived all over the country—from Georgia to Maryland, New York to Colorado. including an exciting five years in Montana. Her time in Big Sky country was the basis for this book. When she's not writing, she savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She currently lives with her family in Colorado.

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© 2015 by Jennifer Zane

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or copied in any form or format, by electronic, digital, or mechanical means including, but not limited to, information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher. An exception is granted to book reviewers who may quote up to 250 words in a review.

Author's Note:

While I have made my best efforts to make this book geographically, historically and all things accurate, I have deliberately altered some places while inventing others. I have embellished quite a bit with the use of the roller derby, teams, team names, Hardin's lovely Walmart parking lot, and the closing times for the Visitor Center at Pillar's Rock as well as many other things. Please know this was solely to embellish this book, which is pure fiction. Any errors in this work are mine, and this book is entirely from my imagination.