“Just the three.”
“And the mother?”
“The crazy old lady in the cemetery.”
“I’m already fond of the crazy old lady in the cemetery. But…” I lean into him, catching the spicy scent of his cologne. “Does she have a name?”
“Saffron.”
“Like the spice?” How ironic.
“Why are you so curious?”
I hide my smile by pinching my cheeks. “Just studying.”
“Yeah, well, don’t.”
“Don’t be a party pooper, this was fun.” And just because it’s me, I add, “It’s almost like it was a date.”
“What?” he screeches, knocking off his beanie with one hand, revealing the most delicious dark hair I’ve ever seen in my life. Falling to his shoulders, he has it pulled back into a partial ponytail with the sides shaved.
I’m so glad I knocked him off-kilter, otherwise I might have never seen his hair.
“Date.” I punctuate the word.
“I’ve got to go. Lark has your keys. Stop by the garage tomorrow, and I’ll let you know the damage.” His boots thump downstairs, and a moment later, the door slams.
“You couldn’t be nice, could you?” Lark glares at me from the doorway.
“That was nice!”
“You were teasing him.”
“I enjoyed teasing him.”
Her head tilts to the side as she takes me in. “You like him.”
“I don’t know him.”
“You only tease people you like.”
Huh, I guess I do. “Hungry?”
“Starved, but I would like to shower, and he forgot our bags.”
“Oh no!” I dart down the steps, nearly tripping over my feet and out the front door and onto the lawn where I do, in fact, face-plant. My face slams into the snow, and something hard hits my chin.
I hope no one saw that.
“That was the most ungraceful thing I’ve ever seen a bird do.” I hear him before I see him, his boots crunching over the snow and his knees cracking as he crouches before me.
I push up on my elbows, fling my hair back, and take in Arlo squatting beside me with two suitcases. “Forgot to ask about the suitcases.”
“I’ve got them.”
“I see that.”
“You know…” For the first time since meeting the burly man, mischievousness flares in his gaze. “I’m not sure how this plays out in the movies, but doesn’t the girl fall for the guy after the first date? Assuming our first date was me nearly hitting you with my tow truck.”
