She slumps her shoulders, letting out an exasperated breath. “I’m serious, Riley. I can’t do this with you.”
“Do what?”
She waves a hand sharply between us.
“This.”
“Take a walk with a friend?”
“Don’t be dense.” She rolls her eyes. “You and I both know that’s not all it would be.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything more complicated than that, Sunshine.”
It’s a lie, but I need her to give me an in. To let me explain what happened all those years ago. Our last couple of encounters have been great, and I know she feels it too, the charge that fills the air whenever we’re together.
She huffs a breath through her nose but doesn’t say anything more. I follow silently as she moves through the library, checking to make sure there’s no one else left in the building. She shuts down the computers one by one and tidies up the small staff kitchen in the back corner. When she turns to find me only a step behind, effectively encroaching on her personal space, she shakes her head and pushes past me. Returning to the front entry, she gathers her purse and jacket.
“I’m going home,” she says firmly.
“Okay,” I concede, pushing the door open and holding it for her as she sets the alarm and follows me out. She digs the keysfrom her purse and locks up, pulling on the handle twice to ensure the bolt is in place.
“So why are you still here?”
“Just going to walk you to your car, Sunshine.”
“Don’t call me—”
“Sunshine. Got it,” I finish for her agreeably.
She shoots me a disbelieving look before pushing past me. I grin. I’m definitely still going to be calling her Sunshine, and we both know it.
We walk side-by-side down the quiet street. It’s late autumn, and night has fallen. The streetlights have all come on. Llyn Lakes is generally a safe town, all the stuff that went on with Davies notwithstanding, but I don’t love the idea of her walking alone to her car like this at night. I make a mental note to get Steph’s schedule from Piper. Will she tell me? I think she will if I let her know why I want it.
A car passes, moving more swiftly than it should be in this part of town, and I move to Steph’s right, effectively placing myself between her and the road. She looks up at me with a raised eyebrow, but I just shrug.
“So chivalrous.”
“My momma taught me well,” is all I say.
Far too soon, we arrive at her car. A single block wasn’t what I had in mind when I’d suggested a walk, but I realize I’m getting ahead of myself with the visions of a romantic stroll hand-in-hand by the water that I’d indulged in while she closedup the library. Reluctantly, I say goodnight as Steph gets in her car and I cross to my truck parked on the other side of the street. I click the remote to unlock the cab, but I don’t get in, waiting first for her to start her car and drive off. She notices me watching, and I think I make out an eye roll through the window, but I only grin, waiting patiently. And I’m glad I do—for when she turns the key in the ignition, all it does is sputter. She tries it again, glancing in my direction once more, but I’m already crossing back towards her car.
It sputters twice more before I reach her, opening her door to an annoyed squawk.
“What are you doing?” she snaps.
“What areyoudoing? You should always lock your door, Steph. I shouldn’t have been able to open it just now.”
“Riley, I can’t deal with you at the moment,” she says through clenched teeth, fishing around in her purse and extracting her phone. “I need to call triple-A.”
“Not yet. Pop the hood.”
She drops the hand holding her phone in her lap and stares up at me in confusion.
“I said, ‘pop the hood.’”
“Why?”
“So I can look at the engine.”
