Page 57 of Worth the Trip

“You’re very confident I’m saying yes.”

“I’m confident enough to ask. Your answer’s still yours.”

She studied me for another second, then she opened the car door. “Text me the time, Coach.”

I smiled. “That a yes?”

“That’s permission to send a text. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Aight.”

Nolani climbed inside.

I stepped back from the door. “Drive safe, Hershey.”

She lowered the window. “Don’t abuse that nickname now that you have my number.”

“I believe in responsible usage.”

“That answer does not reassure me.”

“It wasn’t supposed to.”

Her laugh followed.

I liked that too.

“Get home safe, Nolani.”

“I will.”

I stood there while she pulled away, but this time, I wasn’t watching possibility leave with no way to reach it again.

Her number was in my phone.

I had a date to plan.

And tomorrow, I’d get to show Hershey my city.

Yeah.

Saturday had turned out pretty damn good.

By twelve forty five Sunday afternoon, I’d changed clothes three times and stopped insulting myself by pretending the weather had anything to do with it.

The pale-pink sundress had been too soft. The cream linen set made me look like I planned to negotiate somebody’s commercial lease near the marina. I stood in front of the bedroom mirror, wearing a coral dress that skimmed my waist before falling loosely around my calves, trying to decide whether the narrow straps looked effortless or like I had spent forty-five minutes engineering effortless.

Downstairs, a card slapped against Nana’s dining room table.

“Your granddaughter still up there changing?” Miss Corrine called.

“She claims she only changed once,” Nana answered.

“That girl been walking back and forth so much, the ceiling got footsteps.”

Laughter rose through the floorboards.

I leaned toward the mirror and adjusted one curl near my cheek. “I can hear y’all.”