Page 36 of We Are Just Us

Kieran nodded, trying to keep cool. “Like...Meg?”

Rory glanced over, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah. Sometimes Meg.”

“Cool,” Kieran said. Then, because apparently he couldn’t help himself, he looked back out his side window. “Are you two—is that a thing?”

Rory’s eyebrows arched. He eased off the gas, letting the truck coast. “Are you asking if I’m dating her?”

“I mean…” Kieran gestured vaguely toward the dashboard. “You seemed pretty comfortable. Together. At the beach that day.”

The turn signal ticked rhythmic and loud in the cab as Rory waited for a gap in traffic to make a left.

Rory seemed to be deciding how much to say. “We used to hook up. A few years ago. Casual. Friends with benefits kind of thing.”

“Oh,” Kieran said.

“Yeah,” Rory said, completing the turn. The truck straightened out, heading down a quieter, tree-lined avenue. “But that ended a while back. We work together now. Strictly professional.”

“Right,” Kieran said quickly, the words tumbling out. “Yeah, no…that makes sense.”

“We’re friends,” Rory added. “But that’s it.”

“Got it,” Kieran said. The relief was so immediate he hoped it wasn’t visible, so he turned his attention to the dashboard, pretending to interest himself in the radio display. “Sorry to pry.”

Rory kept his eyes on the road. “What about you? Seeing anyone?”

Kieran laughed, not because it was funny.

“No,” he said. “Definitely not.”

“No?”

“I barely know anyone here yet,” Kieran said. The truck bumped gently over a pothole, and Kieran used the motion to reset his posture. “There’s Devon, the barista at my usual spot. She knows my coffee order better than I do, but that’s about as deep as my social circle goes.”

Rory nodded, checking his blind spot before merging into the right lane. “That’s a start.”

“She tolerates me. Barely.” Kieran shrugged, fidgeting with the window switch, lowering the glass another inch to let the coastal breeze cut through the heavy cabin air. “She’s got a partner named Patti and three cats. I’ve heard a lot about the cats. Like, a lot. I know more about their eldest cat’s digestive issues than I do about most of my former coworkers.”

Rory laughed, the sound rich and grounding over the low rumble of the engine. “That’s friendship.”

“That’s a captive audience,” Kieran corrected. “But no, I’m not dating. I just moved. And I don’t know if I’m staying.”

Rory’s face shifted, almost too quickly to catch, his grip tightening a fraction on the steering wheel. “You still thinking about leaving?”

“Maybe?” Kieran said. He watched the familiar local storefronts start to blur past. “I don’t have a plan yet. And I wouldn’t want to…start anything knowing I might pack up in six months and disappear.”

“That’s fair,” Rory said quietly.

“Or cowardly,” Kieran offered. “Depends on the day.”

Rory shook his head, coasting toward a red light and bringing the truck to a smooth stop. “Sounds like you’re just being realistic.”

Kieran shrugged, the silence stretching between them as they waited for the light to change.

“Do you have other family around here?” Kieran asked, wanting to shift the focus. “Besides your sister and Aubrey?”

Rory shook his head. “Nope, only them. My parents are in Kentucky. We see them maybe once a year.”

“San Clemente’s not too far, though,” Kieran said, recognizing the neighborhood landmarks now. They were getting close.