“Oh, no doubt. But that deadline is very real, so I can’t just block it out. Besides, it’s the content that I’m struggling with. The new genre. This has never happened to me before, and it wouldn’t be happening now if I were writing a western.”
“Anything you want to run by me? I mean, I’m sure I won’t be much help, but we do have many traveling hours to pass, and sometimes just verbalizing the problem can help you solve it.”
“Thanks for the offer but, uh, I don’t think that’ll be helpfulin this case. I’m sure to find inspiration this weekend though.” Sadie peered out her window. “Have you heard anything about the ring from anyone you left a business card with? I’ve been too busy working to delve into it any further.”
“Sadly, no. But I’m still hoping we hear from someone.”
“Maybe after I turn in my first hundred pages I’ll do a little more searching.” She glanced at him. “In the meantime... after talking with your sister I have some juicy material that’ll keep us busy for quite a few miles.”
He happened to know Hayley had called Sadie once or twice, presumably to talk wedding stuff. “Somehow I’m teetering between needing to know what she said and never wanting to hear it, ever.”
“As if I’m going to give you a choice. But before I get started...”
He groaned.
“I just have to know... do you still use a night-light? Because I have an extra in my apartment I could loan you.”
He sighed. It was general knowledge in his extended family that he’d slept with a night-light until he was twelve. “I watched horror flicks as a child. I couldn’t seem to stop myself even though they scared me silly.”
“Your parents let you watch those?”
He cut her a chagrined look. “They didn’t know.”
“Okay, well, that clears that up. So on to the bed-wetting that continued till you wereten.”
“Oh, jeez. How long have you been holding on to that one?”
“Since the shopping spree.” She sipped from her water bottle. She’d brought along an entire case for the road. “Any explanations, or are you just going to let that one ride?”
“I had a small bladder. I was short for my age, remember?” He scratched his neck. “Are we almost done here?”
“Just getting started. You never told me, for instance, about that time on your very first date when you saved up your money for a month to take out the popular girl you were crushing on and ran smack into the glass door on your way out of the restaurant.”
“It was very clean—and I was a little distracted.”
She chuckled. “Hayley said you had a knot on your forehead for a week.”
“She was only two at the time—my mom has a big mouth.”
“Poor baby. Did you get another date with the girl?”
“You kidding me, after that boneheaded move? She was five inches taller than I was, but apparently that didn’t stop her from using me as a tool to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. The good news is—it worked. They were back together the next week.”
“Aw, that’s not cool. Did she break your heart, Sam?”
The warmth in her tone stirred him. “Only a little.” Truthfully Lindsey had been a little boring. He was too blinded by her beauty to realize how superficial she was. A lesson well learned. “I guess I don’t have to worry about my family embarrassing me this weekend. My sister’s already given you my entire backstory—at least the humiliating parts.”
“What are little sisters for?”
“No fair—you don’t have any little sisters.”
Her melodious laughter filled the cab. “Kind of great the way that worked out.”
“For you,” he said, but he couldn’t keep from smiling. “So much for being fourteen when Hayley came along. Apparently my parents have ratted me out. If I ever get your parents all to myself, you’re in for it.”
She gave a smug grin. “I guess I’ll just have to make sure that never happens. Did you really forget you were supposed to be babysitting Hayley when you were fifteen andleave the house?”
He still winced at that one. “To my credit she’d fallen asleep under the end table while I was gaming, so I kind of forgot about her. My friend called and invited me to the movies. But I’m sure Hayley filled in every juicy detail.”
