“I had something to see to,” he answered, before thanking Jonas for rolling a spare for him. He played it up, saying the boy would soon be the Plantation’s champion bowler, ultimately taking away Twyla’s opportunity to ask more questions. Once the pins were set back up, he took his turn at bowling and then sat down on a chair beside Twyla.
She was all smiles and laughter right now, but two things could quickly change that—losing at bowling and discovering he’d called Ty to come and get her.
The latter of those two couldn’t happen fast enough. Being next to her, watching her bowl and laugh, made everything else in his life fade into the shadows. If he wasn’t careful, he’d soon be recalling the kiss from earlier today. In fact, he didn’t need to recall it. He was already craving another one like there was no tomorrow. Her antics were drawing attention, too. Men on both sides of them were cheering each time she knocked over a pin, and when it was her turn to bowl, the rest of the alleys went quiet. Even the billiards room had spectators peering out the door.
Forrest couldn’t help but wonder if any of these men had visited her kissing booth. Had they paid a dime to taste her sweetness and catch a feel of those perfect lips? That, too, had him feeling things he hadn’t experienced for a long time. It had taken him a while to realize he was jealous, and once he did understand that, it didn’t settle well.
He kept glancing toward the door, wishing Ty would hurry up and dreading his arrival at the same time. She’d be furious, and a furious Twyla could put on a show for the customers like they’d never seen before.
When Twyla came in last—even though he’d purposely thrown a couple of gutter balls to lower his score—Forrest was surprised that she didn’t try to cajole Scooter and Jonas into bowling another game.
Her smile never faltered, and Forrest had an eerie sensation he should be worried about that. After saying farewell to Scooter and Jonas, she turned that smile on him.
“I need to use the powder room.”
He gestured toward the separate men’s and women’s bathroom doors near the billiards room.
“Thanks, I’ll be right back.”
Forrest couldn’t stop from watching her walk away, even though he tried. His gaze scanned lower, all the way to her heels, which made him frown. She didn’t appear to be favoring one foot over the other, but there was a large red blotch on the back of one ankle.
He positioned himself to keep one eye on the front door, and the other on the ladies’ room. When Twyla exited, he walked back to meet her halfway and took her elbow. “Why didn’t you tell me you hurt your foot? Was it on the plane?” He’d been racking his brain to remember if she’d tripped or stumbled while climbing up or down but couldn’t recall such an event.
“No,” she said. “I didn’t hurt it on the plane.”
“Here? Bowling?”
She shook her head.
“You must have,” he insisted. “You’re bleeding.”
She stopped and lifted a foot, twisting it so she could examine the heel. “The blister must have burst.”
“New shoes?” he asked.
A pink tinge covered her cheeks, yet she began walking again with her head up. “Yes.”
“Doesn’t it hurt?”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “But I’m choosing to ignore it.”
He kept one hand on her elbow and led her through the dining room. “How’s that working for you?”
She made a cute little guffaw. “How do you think?”
In the front entranceway, he unhooked the velvet cord across the stairway. “I have bandages upstairs. Will that help?”
Grinning, she shrugged. “It can’t hurt.”
They encountered Jacob halfway up the stairs. While ignoring the man’s raised eyebrows, Forrest told him they’d be upstairs if anyone asked. He had no doubt Jacob could read between the lines and would send up Ty as soon as he arrived. Jacob might add a bit more between the lines, too, but for now, Forrest wasn’t going to worry about that. He did, however, wish he’d spent a bit of time repairing his apartment.
It wasn’t shabby or messy, but it wasn’t up to the standards Twyla was used to. At one time it had been a rather lavish living space with a full kitchen, living room and three bedrooms. It still had all the rooms, but the peeling wallpaper and the kitchen cupboard doors that had been ripped off their hinges detracted from what it once had been.
Arriving at the door, he turned the knob and gestured for her to enter, freezing slightly when a little voice in the back of his head reminded him how alone they’d be for a few minutes. There would be plenty of time for a repeat of the kiss they’d shared at the hangar.