I nod in her direction but can’t seem to find the words for a reply when I catch a glimpse of her. Her hair is piled up on her head, a few tendrils have escaped to frame her face, and her lips shine with a gloss. She’s also changed into a white frilly dress with all sorts of buttons that start at her breasts and run down to her mid-thigh, where it’s justopendespite the fabric continuing down to her ankles.
Is she going on a date?Something heavy settles in my stomach at the thought.
“Heading into town?” she asks before following me through the front the door and out onto the porch. The tree frogs sing through the spring night, and I take a deep breath, tasting the dew in the air right before taking in the deep violet of the night sky.
I shake my head. “Just going for a walk.”
“Oh, can I borrow your truck then?” She holds out her hand, signaling that she’s waiting for the keys.
My head whips over my shoulder as I search the driveway. “Where’s that tiny car you showed up in?”
“It was a rental.”
“Okay?”
“So I need to borrow your car.”
“No.”
She folds her arms across her chest and narrows her eyes. “Fine. I’ll walk. Goodbye.”
Before she can push past me in her temper tantrum, I grab her elbow. “Where are you going?”
“To my sister’s bookstore. It’s book club night.”
I sigh. “You aren’t walking.”
She tilts her head. “Well, I don’t have a car, and you won’t let me borrow yours.”
I take the steps two at a time and head toward my truck. “I’ll drive you.”
I hold open the passenger door, waiting for her to take her sweet time sauntering in my direction. When she finally reaches me, she flashes me a huge smile before setting a pink cowboy boot on the step to climb into my truck. “If you wanted to spend time with me, Cowboy, all you had to do was ask.”
“Jesus,” I mutter before slamming the door and rounding the truck, reminding myself the entire time that I can handle this. I can be in a truck with her. I can ignore her scent and her commentary and her damn smile that drives me to distraction. But the second I get in, my eyes cut to her bare thigh, which is exposed because of how she’s folded one leg over the other, allowing her spring dress to fall open.
Whipping my head forward, I turn on the truck and immediately lower the windows. Less chance of that floral scent suffocating me.
Tally’s phone lights up in her lap, and she answers without a hello. “I’m coming.”
“What’s taking you so long?” A voice cuts through. “The ladies are getting antsy to discuss alien dick.”
I practically slam on the brakes before we’ve even made it ten feet from the house. Tally grabs the handle above her head, and she rolls her eyes. “She’s joking. Calm down.”
“I’m not.” Penny’s voice continues before dropping down to a whisper. “You should hear them. Blue alien dick with three heads. They’re saying they could all just share one. Help me.”
My stomach rolls.
“Sorry, Walker wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet so he’s driving me. He’s very needy,” Tally explains.
I glare at her and gas it out of the driveway.
“Aw, I’m glad you’re getting along,” Penny sings.
“Something like that,” Tally says with a smile. “I’ll see you in five.”
She’s barely hung up the phone when she starts giggling.
“What are you laughing at?”
