“And you finished four minutes faster than you expected. If you weren’t here, I’d be stranded for a half hour or more, so thank you.”
“No problem. Did you learn anything?” she asks, leaning against me to catch her breath, which effectively makes me lose mine.
I sure did. I learned I’m falling for Mallory Edwards.
“Yup. I learned you’re a slow, but decent swimmer, and your tire changing skills beat mine, which doesn’t mean much.”
She rolls her eyes. “At least I know how to change a tire. I passed the man test. Did you?”
I grin and rip into the applesauce packet she hands me. “Are you ever anything except a smart aleck?”
And gorgeous.
“Nope!”
The familiar sound of Cade’s car horn pierces the air. The moment he arrives, the easiness between the two of us will be gone, ending our good day as we shift back into our routine.
This has never been our normal.
“Kent? You’re here too?” Popping a U-turn, Cade pulls up behind the truck. I can see the questions bouncing around in his head, but he bites his tongue and says, “MalPal changed the tire, huh?”
“Why ask when youalready know?” I grumble.
Mallory jogs to Cade’s open window and hugs him. Surprise colors his features when she moves back to my truck and jumps inside. He stares at me through the glass, clearly immune to my silent plea to keep quiet. Poking his head through the sunroof, I pray Mallory can’t hear him.
“Me and you. Talking. Tonight!” The seriousness of his tone contradicts the overly excited smile on his face.
Waving him away, I make my way to the driver’s side window. “Eddie, I won’t be offended if you go with Cade. I’m sure you’ve hit your Gray limit for the week.”
She buckles her seatbelt and starts turning the knobs until she finds a radio station she likes. “No, it’s okay. I’m good right here. I started my day with you, which means I’ll finish it with you.”
I open my door and beg my breathing to slow. It’s nearly impossible to keep my heart from beating out of my chest as I slide into my seat and buckle up. Does she know that it sounds like she’s enjoying her time with me? And if she did, would she stop saying these things?
I turn up the volume, letting an old Rihanna song play. “I knew you liked me a little bit, Eddie.”
Mallory laughs, copying the lyrics. “Shut up and drive.”
Before I know it, we’re at her house. Last time I was here wasn’t under the best circumstances, but this time is so much better.
I lean over and push her door open because she made it clear about five minutes from the house that she wasn’t waiting for me to get out of the truck and jog around to open it.
Mallory dips out of frame to admire the spare tire, and when she comes back into view, her eyes narrow. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”
I’m grateful that a blade of grass rests on her cheek so I can say, “Yup,” and reach across the console. I roll the fleck of green between my fingers. “The price of hard work.”
Mallory doesn’t mumble. If she’s speaking, you’re sure of every word leaving her mouth. That’s why the whispered sentence she mutters makes me unbuckle.
I reach through the open window and grab her bag strap before she can escape up the sidewalk.
“Wait,” I beg, releasing her. “I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”
With a huff, Mallory stops and turns around. Every emotion on her face is clear. Drained from the sun. Excited about the spare tire. Annoyed that I asked her to repeat herself because we both know I heard her the first time.
It all makes my head spin.
“Liar,” she huffs out, and her gaze shifts to the ground. “I said I had fun, and going back to Lake Anita with you wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. But if you tell anyone I said that I’ll deny it and never swim again.”
“I’m happy to hear that because I’m already planning our next trip.” More time with Mallory at my favorite place? I can’t think of anything better than that. “By the way, you get a point for the tire. In a competition of who is handier, you win.”
