“Really? And you moved . . . here? No offense, but why?”
“How much time of this drive do you want to spend on this topic?” I ask loosely, half-joking.
“It’s that heavy?”
“Not heavy, no. It’s just a lot of history that isn’t completely mine.” Pausing, I steal a glance across the car to see Jill watching me, her lip tucked between her teeth. I look forward again and focus. “The short explanation is that my sister went through a really terrible breakup in that town, and as all small towns are, our family became the topic of a lot of gossip. I moved away to start over, not solely because of my sister, but more so that it just got to be very tiresome to have so much history clinging onto my back in that place. I’m not a big city guy and knew I wouldn’t be happy somewhere too much bigger than back home, so I found this place. Some people know me enough to recognize my face at the grocery store, but it isn’t the same as it was in Cherry Peak.”
“I understand that. You get a taste of city living without all the traffic when you live in Snowbell. I’m the same way in the sense that I don’t want to ever live in a busy metro area. I’m happy where I am.”
“You wouldn’t ever want to try another place, just to see?”
“I don’t see the point.”
“Fair enough.”
I merge onto the main highway and speed up before setting my cruise and relaxing into my seat. The song playing now is unfamiliar to me, but I can’t focus on it. Not when Jill folds a leg beneath her body and digs her elbow into the console. She’s soclose to me now that her perfume is the only thing I’m inhaling. It fills my lungs, the sweetness sticking in place.
Flyaway pieces of dark hair dance in the cool air escaping the vents and tickle the side of my arm where I keep it frozen in place. My grip on the steering wheel is starting to burn my fingertips. I want to touch her so badly, it’s growing painful to continue refusing myself. Even just to smooth those stubborn hairs . . .
“What is your sister’s name? I should know them.” Her question record scratches my thoughts.
I clear my throat and slowly relax my arm. “Her name is Delaney.”
“Got it.”
“How did we meet? Are we going with the truth?” I ask.
“Oh, that’s a good question. I think we could thread the truth into the lie. Like, we met at work, but . . .”
“But then I realized I was in love with you and asked you out before Craig from the registration desk could. I made a reservation in the city, but you ruined the surprise by insisting we go to the Chinese food buffet in Snowbell instead, where you filled your plate twice and then snuck a takeout container of ginger beef home with you. After that, I drove you home, and you let me kiss you good night before slipping inside and shutting the door in my face.”
I don’t know where all of that came from, but it’s near impossible to stop myself from continuing. My heart is rattling in my chest as I pause, waiting for her to tell me that I’m totally off. That she’d never do that. But we both know she won’t because I’m spot-on. I know her better than she thinks I do.
After a few moments of silence, she speaks. “And then what? Did I at least bring the leftovers to work the next day to split with you?”
“Not a chance. You were too adorably possessive over it, so instead of fighting over the food, I used the opportunity to sweet-talk you into letting me take you out again. And this time, when I brought you home, you didn’t shut the door in my face.”
“Oh, I didn’t, did I?”
“Nope.”
“What did I do, then?”
My stomach tightens, and I almost tell her to drop it. There are a million things I could say . . . but I keep it casual, not wanting to freak her out.
“You made me coffee to try and earn yourself a few extra paid days off.”
Her snorted laugh brings out my grin. I blow out the lingering tension in my muscles and watch her eyes light up as they linger on me. There’s a warmth rushing up and down my spine as I revel in the moment. Patience has been my best friend the last three years. The next few hours and days won’t be any different.
Slow and steady, Grayson. I can do this.
3
JILL
A gentle handjostling my shoulder wakes me.
I crack my eyes open and blink a few times to clear the heaviness of sleep from them. The cool sensation on the corner of my lips has me snapping a hand up and rubbing away the drool that’s gathered there. My cheeks heat as I twist from where I’ve curled up against the centre console to where Grayson’s standing, looking down at me from the open door.
