“You’re insane.”
“Possibly.” A half-grin tugs at my lips. “But I’m hoping it’s very charming.”
She shakes her head, but the corner of her mouth betrays her, twitching like she’s fighting a smile. “This is insane.”
“Yep. You already said that much, and I already agreed.”
I stare into her eyes, finding a flicker of something in them. Unsure of what she's thinking, I stay quiet, and eventually she spits out, “Okay.”
I triple blink as I wait for my brain to catch up to my racing heartbeat. “Yeah?”
I’ve seen her casual nod so many times. This time it feels weighted. “Just one weekend.”
The tight knot in my stomach unravels in one glorious, spinning moment. “You won’t regret it,” I assure, my voice coming out with a bit of rasp as I try to be cool and hide how emotional I am.
Her eyes glint with a layer of something I can only describe as hope. Swallowing hard, I vow to do everything in my power to earn her trust. “I hope not.” She glances around the car, like she’s about to get out, before she looks back over at me. “I hate to cut this short, but I should be getting home, especially now that I have to plan to be gone this weekend.”
“For sure. We can take a photo another day. Maybe in the spring when the weather is nicer.” I was so distracted, I never noticed, the heat from the vents filled the car so full of hot air, the windows had fogged up all the way. I crack a window and turn down the heat as I shift the vehicle into reverse, and slowly back out as the windows clear.
She’s quiet as I drive out of the snow-crusted field. After I pull onto the main road that heads back to town, I peer over at her. “Are you okay?”
I wait as her lips purse out. And then, softly, she says, “It’s been a long time since I did anything for me, and I’m looking forward to a vacation. I think it sounds amazing.”
“Good.” As we move closer to town, the radio cuts in with a loud cackle, and an 80’s beat fills the car. We both groan in unison. She has a knee-jerk reaction and turns the radio knob to off, as she blurts out, “I can’t listen to that.”
A chuckle fills my throat, and I can’t hold it back. It’s hard to explain the feeling inside of me. It’s easy to be with her. I tap the steering wheel as I steal another look at her, while keeping my eyes on the road. “I really like your coat.” The words are out before I realize I let them go.
Her nose scrunches as she gives me a side-eye. “My coat?”
“Yeah. It’s pink and I like it on you.”
Her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t look away. “Thank you. Pink is my favorite color.”
“That makes sense because you wear it a lot.”
I turn onto a familiar road, and she’s still peering at me when she says, “You’re not what I expected.”
My heart slams against my chest as it feels like she’s about to compliment me, but after she turned her head on that kiss, I’m feeling awfully vulnerable. “Good or bad?”
“I’m not entirely sure yet, but I have a feeling I’m getting closer to deciding.”
I grin. That feels like a win for now. I turn into the diner parking lot, where the streetlights cast a warm glow over us. The snow’s picked up, falling faster now, but she doesn’t move when I pull up next to her car.
“I’ll text you about the weekend?” I offer.
She nods. Her eyebrows bunch together, into what I now know is her thinking expression. “Okay.”
“Pack comfortable shoes,” I say, going for levity. “And your favorite board game.”
She rolls her eyes but then quickly latches her gaze back to mine. “There’s no way we’re going to play board games.”
“That sounds like you’re afraid of losing.”
She laughs as her hand slides to rest on the door handle, but she doesn’t open it. Instead, she says, “Thank you for the wings, and for… you know, not pushing.”
“I'm not in a rush.”
A glisten in her eyes tells me she’s processing that. I keep one hand on the wheel, squeezing it tightly when she opens the door, and the frigid air rushes into the vehicle. If there’s one thing I’ve learned tonight, it’s she’s a strong woman. I’m not pushing anything. I can watch for signs she may want help, but she’s clearly fine. She surprises me by leaning back in and dropping a kiss on my cheek. It’s light, quick, and warm, but in themost innocent way, it steals my breath away. “Goodnight,” she whispers as she backs out of the car and shuts her own door.
