The Oldest Virgin In Oakdale

Cole’s brow raised a notch.

Eleanor dragged the recesses of her memory for one shocking indiscretion, the kind everyone had tucked away somewhere in their closet. She chewed her lower lip.

The best she could do was the time she’d clipped an article about mad cow disease from a library copy of Farm Companion Monthly. But she’d felt so guilty, she’d returned the next week with three dollars and change so the library could purchase a new issue.

“Don’t keep me in suspense,” he murmured. “Will I have to make a citizen’s arrest?”

Eleanor ground her teeth, an old bad habit. “Never mind!” When deep grooves appeared in his cheeks, she waved her hand like an irascible crossing guard. “Come in, come in!”

Pretending to ignore his amusement, Eleanor retreated to the kitchen to fix another plate of food while Cole took a seat in her living room. Stealing a quick sideways glance as she placed rice, eggplant and egg rolls on serving plates, she saw that he was watching her. Ducking her head, she searched a drawer for cutlery.

Feeding a man take-out Chinese was a simple thing, but suddenly Eleanor felt like she was in competition with every woman who had ever served Cole dinner—and had done it better. And how many women would that be? she wondered.

The thought came suddenly: What if she and Cole had become a couple in school? How many meals might they have shared by now? How many of the small details of his everyday life would be as familiar to her as her own? She’d spent so many hours thinking about him and yet she didn’t even know if he preferred cereal or eggs for breakfast, or how he whiled away a quiet evening at home.

Who are you now, Cole Sullivan? she mused, unable to deny a rush of longing. So many things could have been different if he’d asked her to that prom.

“Mind if I take off this jacket and tie? I’ve been sitting in meetings all day.”

Eleanor shook her head.

And watched him.

It was impossible to disregard his shoulders as the jacket came off. He’d filled out well in the years since high school. Tonight Cole wore a long-sleeved dress shirt, but Eleanor could see clearly that his body was still perfectly conditioned and much, much broader than she remembered. Removing his tie, he unbuttoned his shirt collar, exposing a tanned neck and a grove of dark chest hairs. The sight was hypnotic.

As he sauntered toward the kitchen, Eleanor realized he had a most unnerving way of holding a person in his gaze while he moved.

She released her breath slowly. “So. What kind of business are you in?”

Cole stopped before her, frowning at what she considered a fairly innocuous question.

“You said you were in meetings all day,” she prompted.

Leisurely he nodded. “That’s right. But business is the last thing I want to talk about right now. I haven’t seen you in twelve years, Teach. We have a lot to catch up on.” His smile seemed to move him closer without his taking another step forward.

Eleanor felt her face and neck prickle with heat. “Well, telling each other about our careers is part of catching up, isn’t it?” And it was a lot safer than having him ask about her love life!

“I’m in business,” Cole answered after a moment’s deliberation. “Nothing too interesting. Just your typical type A career.”

“What kind of business?”

His blue eyes narrowed. “It’s dull, Eleanor. I acquire other people’s businesses. It’s a little complicated and not very interesting.”

What he didn’t realize was that she found everything about him interesting. “Have you found a business you want in Oakdale?” There were a couple of modest factories and lately some light industry moving in just outside of town, but nothing really impressive yet. Nothing she could imagine anyone moving in from Los Angeles to acquire.

Again Cole deliberated obviously before answering. “We’re in the negotiating stages. Nothing’s definite yet, but yes. There is a company I’m interested in acquiring.”

Eleanor felt her breathing grow labored. “You’ll be staying awhile then?” Forced out on a puff of air, her voice rose an octave. Wonderful. She sounded like an asthmatic mermaid. Maybe where Cole was concerned, there were no casual topics.

“I’ll be here a short time, yes.” He fingered one of the serving spoons she’d set out.

Eleanor studied the back of his hand, tanned from all that California sunshine. His nails were clean and trimmed, and she wouldn’t have been at all surprised to discover he had them professionally manicured nowadays. So different from the clean but rugged appeal of his youth. And yet for all his polished sophistication, he was still intensely masculine.

“Need any help here?” He gestured to the meal she was about to set out.

Yes. Blinking, Eleanor fought to collect her thoughts. It was far too warm in this room. “Ginger ale.” She pressed the word through dry lips. “In the refrigerator. And ice—” she waved indistinctly “—in the freezer.”

Cole extracted an ice cube tray, and Eleanor moved aside as he approached the sink, watching his strong hands twist the plastic tray. Ice cubes popped up.

“Glasses,” he requested, and she passed him two tumblers.

Using his hands, he scooped out the ice. Almost on contact, it seemed, the cubes began to melt in the grasp of his long fingers.

So would I, Eleanor thought dazedly, her skin beginning to tingle in a way that was wholly unfamiliar and not at all unpleasant.

Glasses filled with ice, Cole turned his amazing incandescent eyes on her again. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” You.

Shocked for a minute that she’d spoken part of the thought out loud, Eleanor slapped a hand over her mouth.

Cole regarded her bemusedly. “Want to let me in on the punch line?”

Lowering her hand, Eleanor shook her head. Pouring ginger ale into the tumblers, she listened to the ice cubes crackle and realized she felt the way they sounded. The punch line is going to be me unless I get a grip on myself.

She’d never been the master of her thoughts—or her tongue—where Cole was concerned. That last day in the library, she’d run outside, hiding behind the building as she tried to stop crying before her next class. She’d sworn then and there that she was going to change, no matter what. Forget physics, forget calculus; she was going to learn something useful, namely how to become sexy, alluring, flirtatious. And the next time, the very next time she fell in love with someone, she would be prepared to do something about it.

A pall settled over her as she stood in her kitchen, pouring soda for two. If she’d known it was going to take this long to develop sex appeal, she could have had herself cryogenically frozen in the interim.

“Whoa! That’s going to spill.”

Cole nudged the neck of the soda bottle just in time to prevent Eleanor from overfilling the glasses.

“You all right, Teach?” His soft query had the most alarming effect. Eleanor felt like melting into a happy puddle…and screaming in frustration.

Teach again!Teach. It was the only nickname she’d ever had, and she’d loved it. Until that last day.

She’d bet a dollar to a doughnut that the women Cole dated had nicknames like “Bunny” or “Kitten,” endearments evocative of small cuddly creatures, not one’s high school algebra teacher.

Who could imagine murmuring sexy endearments to a “Teach”?

Glumly, Eleanor shoved serving spoons into the food. “Let’s eat.”

Before they moved to the dining room, Cole spied today’s edition of the local paper lying on one of the bar stools. The Oakdale Sentinel. He lifted the thin paper. “‘Our commitment,”’ he read from the top of the front page, “‘to educate, inform, illuminate.’ The good old Sentinel.” He grinned. “Always a leader in gritty journalism. What’s the big story today? Mayor grows two-pound zucchini?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t had time to read it yet.”

“Mind if I take a look?”

She shook her head. “I should reheat this food, anyway. It’s probably cold by now.”

Perching on one of the kitchen stools, Cole snapped the community paper open and laid it on the counter. “New skateboarding area opening in Quinn Park. City council approves longer parade on Labor Day. Looks like the hometown is still hoppin’.”

Eleanor depressed the latch on the microwave door and placed their dinner inside. “I suppose Oakdale seems pretty tame after living in Los Angeles.”

“Oakdale seemed pretty tame when I was living right here. Ah, this item hot off the press,” he quipped, “‘Nun passes away at the age of eighty-nine.”’

Standing at the microwave, Eleanor turned around. “What?”

Cole read the front page. “‘Sister Marguerite Bertrice died peacefully at her niece’s home in Oakdale late Sunday evening.”’ Quickly he scanned the rest of the article. “It says she was from an abbey in Mount Angel. I wonder what she was doing in Oakdale?”

“She had a hip replacement four years ago and moved here to be closer to her family.” Abandoning their meal, Eleanor scurried to the counter and spun the paper around. Her lips moved silently as she read the article.

“She was a friend of yours?”

Raising her gaze slowly, Eleanor nodded. “I took care of her cat. Mr. Winky.”

“Mr. Winky.” Cole suppressed a smile.

The full impact of Sister Marguerite’s passing settled on Eleanor bit by horrifying bit. “Oh, no,” she whispered, then groaned. “Oh, no!” She leaned over the counter. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Her breath began coming in gasps. Immediately Cole crossed to her side. “Hey. It’s okay, Teach. Take a deep breath. You’re hyperventilating.”

With effort, Eleanor lifted her head. “It is not okay!” She continued to suck air in choppy gasps.

“I’m sorry about your friend, Teach, but you’ve got to calm down. You’re going to make yourself sick. Come on. Try to take a deep breath. In—” he breathed with her “—out. Shooo.”

Straightening up, Eleanor nodded and followed his instruction. Three deep breaths in, three slow breaths out. Her body quivered like the bow of a violin. She rubbed beneath her tearing eyes.

Cole handed her a paper napkin. “You want to talk about it? Maybe that’ll help.”

Grimly Eleanor studied the man who’d passed her by on prom night twelve years earlier. He met her gaze with intrinsic kindness. Pressing the napkin to her nose, she shook her head automatically, then changed her mind and nodded. “Yes. All right. Sure. Why not? Talking helps.” Carefully she daubed her eyes. “You see, Sister Marguerite turned eighty-nine in March. Her family threw a party at Der Schnitzel Haus. Lots of fondue. Good cake.”

Folding her makeshift tissue, she took a shaky breath and looked into Cole’s impossibly warm and attentive eyes. Pressure built in her chest and throat. Forcing herself to continue, she spoke with as much control as she could muster. “Sister Marguerite has passed on, and that must mean—” her voice caught as the tears began again “—that must mean…”

“Go on, Teach, let it out. What does it mean?”

Eleanor’s chin quivered. Her brow began to pucker.

“If Sister Marguerite is dead, that must mean that I…that I’m—” It took three tries before the next sentence emerged, but then it burst forth like an uncorked geyser: “I’m the oldest living virgin in Oakdale!”

Chapter Four

She couldn’t have said what he thought she said.

Stunned, Cole stood by uselessly while Eleanor began to cry in earnest.

Most of the women of his acquaintance cried daintily, without disturbing their makeup. Eleanor cried like a woman who hadn’t had a lot of practice—with big, hiccuping sobs.

Cole shook his head. Eleanor, a virgin? After all these years it was hard to believe. It was difficult to conceive of anyone remaining innocent that long, even in Oakdale.

Raking a hand through his hair, he swore silently. So much for a simple evening.

Comforting people was not Cole’s forte. He’d already stretched his capacity. Charming, intimidating, manipulating—those were the skills he’d put to good use since he’d seen Eleanor last.

Wondering where to go from here, he reached out tentatively to place a supportive hand on her back. He and Teach had gotten along famously in high school, but as far as he could recall, they’d rarely touched. Half expecting her to recoil or release a cascade of fresh sobs, he was caught off guard when she turned toward his arms without the slightest hesitation. It was almost a reflex reaction.

He wound her in a light embrace.

Eleanor was tall, five-seven, at least, to his six feet, but reed slender and with a certain fragility about her. Her arms, legs and fingers had a willowy length he’d always admired. He recalled watching her fingers curve around a pen as they studied. She’d frown lightly as she scribbled notes, her scantily freckled skin and hair the color of a caramel apple reminding him of a Southern school-marm—genteel, methodical, comforting.

Cole smoothed a hand over the hair she still wore straight and all one length to her shoulders. A half smile creased his cheek. She had virgin hair, too. No spray, no stiff mousse, just the fine silkiness of the real thing, with a scent that was baby fresh.

“You have nice hair, Teach,” he murmured. Her snuffles stopped abruptly. Cole smiled and continued to hold her.

He’d been selfishly pleased to find her still single on his return home. His response had surprised him at first. He never dated women like Eleanor—women with whom emotional entanglements were part of the terrain. And romance in general was the last thing on his mind right now. It was his intention to take care of the business he had in Oakdale, then get out of town again as swiftly as possible.

The wet spot on his shirt, where Eleanor’s tears soaked the material, grew larger. She had her nose buried in the crook of his neck. He smiled. “You okay in there?”

She nodded without lifting her head, but arched her body slightly away as if she’d just become aware she was pressed full-length against him.

Removing her glasses to wipe her eyes, she said, “You’re probably wondering what I meant when I said I was the, um… You know…”

“Oldest virgin in Oregon?” Matter-of-factly, Cole filled in the blank.

“No!” Eleanor protested. “Not Oregon! I never said all of Oregon! Only Oakdale.” Her eyes widened. She put a hand to her mouth, struck by the awful possibility. “Oh, my Lord. I hope not in all of Oregon!”

Cole couldn’t help it, he laughed. “As long as there’s a nun in the state, you’re probably safe.” Eleanor’s eyes filled with reproach. “I’m sorry. But you seem to regard this as some sort of dilemma.”

“Dilemma? Try ‘disaster.”’ Wiping her eyes, Eleanor replaced her glasses. “I’m twenty-eight.”

“Hmm. You must have had a boyfriend at some point.” Cole studied her, his eyes hooded and difficult to read. “You’ve dated, haven’t you?”

Acutely aware of the difference between dating and having a boyfriend, Eleanor shrugged. “I went out with Sheldon Kuznitsky in college.”

“And?”

“And nothing,” she admitted. “We were in premed together at Davis. He doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

Feeling fidgety, Eleanor decided that as she’d already gone this far, there was no point in hiding the truth. “We went out three times, and he never even tried to kiss me.”

“Ah, Teach.” Cole wagged his head. “The first thing you’ve got to learn about kissing is not to wait for someone else to do it. There are times when a man wants the woman to make the first move.”

His voice was laced with humor, rich with warmth. Eleanor felt the familiar weakness steel over her. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

To save her life, Eleanor could not have wrenched herself from the tenderness in Cole’s blue eyes. Tenderness was a far cry from sexual attraction, she knew, but coming from Cole, it wasn’t half-bad.

“The first move.” She sighed. “I suppose I could have made the first move with Sheldon. Except for one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t think he would have liked it. He had this thing about germs.”

Cole’s expression turned suspiciously straight-faced. “Sheldon had a germ thing?”

“A phobia.” She nodded. “Germs, body fluids.” Her brow furrowed. “Actually, any fluid. He had to drop out of premed because saline solution made him feel faint. I think he became a librarian.”

Cole attempted to maintain a sober demeanor. She could see him trying, but the twitch of his lips gave him away. Ruefully Eleanor smiled, too.

“I think you can do better than Sheldon Kuznitsky,” Cole assured her. He reached out, brushing his knuckles lightly along her cheek. When he grazed her jawline, he paused, his hand—and time—hovering, suspended. “You can definitely do better.”

“Can I?” she whispered.

He nodded, his magnetic eyes turning darker and more serious.

Cole leaned toward her then, or maybe, Eleanor thought, it was merely wishful thinking. Either way, longing swelled inside her, and with it a corresponding ache that felt strangely like grief.

Why wasn’t courtship something a person could study, like chemistry or physics? She’d always been an excellent student. If there was a textbook on basic romance, maybe then she would know how to bridge the yawning gap between what she had and what she wanted—

The thought stopped her cold. A course in basic romance.

“Oh, my,” she whispered. “Oh, my.”

With a suddenness that stole her breath, the answer to her present dilemma emerged, crystal clear. While memories of her past with Cole had been flooding her mind for two days, there was one moment, one critical memory of a promise between them that had eluded her until now.

“You can help me.”

Cole had let his hand return to his side. He cocked a brow. “Help?”

Eleanor nodded. “It’s possible,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. “It could actually work.”

“What could work?” Cole regarded her warily, as if he knew instinctively he wasn’t going to like what was coming.

She blinked at him. Her idea was outrageous, not at all something she was likely to follow through on. Which made it that much more appealing.

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