I resist the urge to brush an errant lock of blond hair out of his face. I shove my hands into the back pockets of my shorts and stop walking. “Where?”
He grins. “I’ll show you.”
Before I can answer him, he turns left, calling back over his shoulder, “You’re hungry, right?”
Starving. All that exercise burned more calories than I’m used to.
“A little,” I say.
He turns around and keeps walking backward while he watches my face. “Don’t hesitate then. This will only take the same amount of time as their extra half game. I’ll walk you back here so you can get your brothers for dinner.”
One thing I’m already learning about Colton is that he pays attention.
I take another step forward, and then another, and he stops moving until I catch him.
“You ready?” he asks me.
I stare into his happy blue eyes and swallow. “Okay.”
* * *
The ice cream shop is tucked away in a corner of the RV park. Being that it’s close to dinnertime, the place is nearly empty when Colton and I arrive.
“What would you like, Sky?” Colton asks as we stand at the counter and look up at the menu.
I pick the chocolate soft serve, and Colton goes for peanut butter chocolate chip. He also insists on paying.
“This isn’t a date,” I remind him.
“I know. Doesn’t mean I can’t treat you, right?”
I have no idea since I’ve never even been on a date.“I guess so.” I take my cone from him. “Thank you. That’s very sweet.”
He leads me over to a nearby picnic table. I sit down on one side of the table, assuming Colton will take the opposite bench. He surprises me by sitting right next to me.
I lick the ice cream that’s nearly falling off my cone. “The server overdid it,” I mumble around the sweet chocolate filling my mouth.
Colton’s too busy eating to answer me. He eats over half his ice cream before coming up for air.
“Hungry, huh?” I smile at him.
“I’m a growing boy.” He dips his head and takes a big lick of my ice cream.
“Hey!” I pull my cone back. “Why are you licking my cone?”
His eyes fill with wicked humor, and I feel my cheeks heat.
“Again?” I say. “Can’t you take my comments at face value instead of turning them into something crass?”
“Nope.” He takes another big lick of my ice cream. “Yum. That tastes amazing.”
He holds out his cone. “You want a lick?”
I know he thinks I’m going to say no. So, for once in my life, I decide to be brash.
I lean forward and, keeping my eyes on his, I lick his cone from the bottom to the top.
He’s right. The ice cream is delicious.
