With a smile.
Earl shrinks back. “Ain’t nobody wanna hear about that. And you shouldn’t wear pants so tight.”
I hold my smile. It’s habit at this point. But while I try to keep walking, Dylan freezes in his tracks.
“She can wear whatever the hell she wants to wear, and you can keep your opinions to yourself.”
That’s a new growl from him.
At least, to me it is.
It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I don’t miss the way every Tickled Pink local in the building whips their head around to stare at him.
You canfeelthe temperature changing inside the café.
It goes fromdamn, it’s crowded in herehot tooh shit, this isn’t goodnuclear frost so fast you can almost see people’s sweat crystallize into ice.
Dylan’s not smiling anymore as he grips my arm more firmly and nudges me out the door.
“Why did Anya and Jane look like they were suddenly afraid you were going to go Incredible Hulk on that old man?” I whisper.
He doesn’t answer.
He doesn’t have to. Not really. I’ve picked up more and more on all the subtle cues around us.
They still sometimes think Dylan might do bad things.
I don’t believe for one second that he would. And even if he does somethingnot great, it won’t be anything as bad as what he did in high school.
I peer up at him. “You really didn’t have to defend me. His opinion didn’t—”
“Didn’t it?”
He’s still growling. And he’s not just scowling. He’s full-on glowering.
Pebbles whimpers and sinks into my purse, which he still has flung over his other shoulder.
“Is this your temper?” I ask.
“I don’t tolerate ignorant shits trying to tear other people down.”
“That’s not an answer.”
He squeezes his eyes shut as we reach his truck, and he blows out a slow breath.
“You don’t have to calm down for me. I’ve worked with some seriously temperamental assholes before.”
“I’m calming down forme.”
I slip my hand into his and squeeze.
“Whoa, tell me you didn’t read the comments on your TikTok videos,” a woman says nearby.
Dylan’s cheek twitches, but he’s wearing a fake smile before his eyes are fully open as he turns to the familiar voice.
Oh, hell.
It’s Hannah.
