“The young bucks are too reckless,” she said.
Tara lifted a dark brow.
“What?” Kaci said. “Somebody’s gotta bethe responsible one.”
“So long as you know what you’re doing,” Tara said on a sigh.
She didn’t. Not by a long shot.
But if she were ever going to make it to big conferences overseas for herself, she had to start somewhere.
And that somewhere—or someone—had fallen in her lap.
If Lance could help her get comfortable enough that she didn’t have to go to her doctor for antianxiety medicine, then she was willing to give it a shot.
9
While Kaci’s wardrobe was equipped for everything from fancy galas to tromping through the mud, she wasn’t sure which outfit would handle it best if she tossed her cookies because of her new agreement with Lance.
She settled for jeans and her favorite Ole Miss T-shirt. For courage, she told herself. Not to provoke Mr. Alabama.
And even though she would’ve liked a shot or two of vodka, she settled for picking up a cup of tea from Jimmy Beans on her way to Lance’s place Saturday morning. Probably a good thing Tara had gone to visit her folks in north Georgia this weekend. Because ifshe’d known where Kaci was headed, there would’ve been questions.
And advice.
And probably too much overthinking what to wear.
She’d overthought enough as it was.
When Lance opened his door, she decided the man himself was more terrifying than the flight training he’d promised to give her.
He had a five o’clock shadow going on at nine in the morning, jeans that looked buttery soft over his long, lean legs, and all kinds of delicious mischief written in the curve of his smile. “You made it.”
“Didn’t think I’d chicken out, did you?”
“Not you.” He pulled the door wider, and she stepped past him.
The living room was dark.
Blinds down, sheets-over-the-windows dark.
Kaci’s steps faltered. “We doing some kindof trust exercise, or are you about to go axe murderer on me?”
He pointed to the TV with a remote, and it flashed on. “Somewhere in between.”
“We closer to the trust side or the axe-murderer side?”
“Takes all the fun out of it if I tell you.” He took her by the shoulders and nudged her toward the couch. “Sit. Get comfy. I have to go find my axe. And don’t worry—I made my roommate disappear so he won’t hear your screams.”
“That young buck’s really your roommate?”
“He rents a room. I keep him out of trouble.”
“That what you’re doing with me too?”
“There’s not a force strong enough in the world to keep you out of trouble.”
He had a point. She sipped her tea while he snagged two video game controllers from beneath the nearest end table.
