“Will you tell me what?”
He hums for a while. “I don’t know. I don’t want you to freak out or anything.”
“Why would I?”
My mind swirls with so many things that I could have said or asked while I was half asleep.
“Because while I may not know you super well, I do know that you will freak out. I want you to be calm and get to know me better.” He gives me a smile. “Now, why don’t we play twenty questions to get to know each other better? Unless you want to go to sleep.”
“No, let’s play,” I agree.
Tobias makes me curious about everything. Ever since he stood right in front of me at the coffee shop I’ve wanted to know more about him.
What does he do for work? Why was he so far away from Whiskey River Mountain Lodge? Why did he agree to drive me?
Those are just some of the questions running through my mind.
“Hmm, I’ll go first. What’s your favorite color?”
“Baby blue,” I reply without thinking.
“Mine is honey brown.”
My nose wrinkles. “Honey brown? Why?”
“It’s the color of your eyes.”
I look away from Tobias and clear my throat. I wasn’t expecting him to say that.
“Umm my turn,” I finally say. “What do you do for work?”
Tobias chuckles. “I’m the manager of Whiskey River Mountain Lodge.”
I nod. The manager, so he has to be really busy with work.
“Sorry for making you take two extra days to get back there.” I run my hands through my hair, trying to distract myself.
“You didn’t make me do this. I wanted to, and I’m glad I did,” he replies. “Now my turn. Why do you have a hard time falling asleep in the car?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, nerves running through my body.
“Aiden was shocked when you fell asleep in the car. Said something about you never sleeping in the car,” he explains. “But you fell asleep in the car yesterday quite quickly. So why do you have a hard time?”
“Oh,” I whisper and look down at my hands. “I was asleep in the car when my mother, older brother, and I got into a wreck. They say I lived because I didn’t see it coming.”
Tears pool in my eyes, and I let out a shaky breath. I don’t know why I just told him that. Aiden is the only person I’ve ever told, yet it was so easy to talk to Tobias about it.
“I’m sorry, Little One. I didn’t know it was going to bring that up.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Let’s change the subject. It’s your turn to ask me a question.”
“Why are you away from your work?”
“I was visiting my brother there. He owns a bookstore and needed some help with a shipment he got after he had surgery. I had some time off, so I offered to help him out,” he replies. “Do you like to read?”
“I like to be read to,” I blurt out.
Tobias chuckles. “What kind of books?”
“Anything romance. I like it when they fall in love and have a happily ever after. When the hero takes care of the heroine,” I explain. “It lets me escape from this reality.”
