“So we’re casual?”
A glance up as his brows crinkled together. “You just said we are.”
“I said it because that’s what I thought you were trying to say.”
“Wait, what?”
She couldn’t have both conversations at the same time, and he’d just come out of some kind of phobic something. That had to take precedence. “You said you needed to get away from the scent of blood.”
Jeremy covered his face. “I can’t believe you saw that.”
Right. Back to where they’d started. “So you’re afraid of blood? Like a fear of heights or water?”
“Why don’t we just…pretend you didn’t see it.”
“What? Absolutely not.”
He gave a long loud sigh and kept his hands over his face for a minute. Then he lowered them and met her eyes. His mouth was pressed into a grimace. “Okay…um…yeah. Like a fear of heights. Except blood. The sight of it and the scent of it.”
“You must have an unbelievable sense of smell.”
“I do.”
She mulled as she studied him. Despite his height and build and typically unfazed attitude, he wasn’t invincible. She knew that, of course, but he made it easy to forget. He did seem okay now, though, only tired.
“What did you mean about peppermint?”
“Oh…um…one of the things that helps is smearing diluted peppermint oil under my nose. To overpower the other scent.”
That made sense. But wow, his sense of smell must be several levelsbeyondunbelievable.Something familiar, forgotten tugged at her brain. Something she might know but couldn’t catch at the moment. It must have shaken her more than she knew, seeing her brawny blue-eyed maybe-boyfriend frozen in panic, hearing him whine like a puppy.
Weird. She almost had hold of the nebulous knowledge in her head. Then it slipped away again.
Never mind. This moment mattered more—Jeremy breathing easily now, standing and helping her up.
“Thanks, Lucy.”
“I didn’t do much, but I’m glad I found you.”
“Me too, I guess.” He shook his head. Maybe not so glad. “Dinner?”
She checked her phone. Not five yet, but she could eat early. “Sure.”
He bumped her arm with his. “I’m fine now, really.”
“Okay.” But weretheyfine? Were they casual? Were they anything?
Six
Hefollowedhertothe mall, parked beside her, got out, but this felt wrong. She’d just taken care of him, put up with his stupid freak-out and never once teased him or rolled her eyes at him. Now to buy her a taco in thanks? No.
“Let me take you out,” he said as Lucy shut her car door.
She gestured toward the food court. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“No, I mean for real. Let’s go somewhere like…” Shoot, like where? “What’s your favorite?”
“Mexican.” She shrugged. “Tacos are close enough.”
