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Eleanor watched him go, then turned to me, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “You’re gonna apologize to the lady and leave,” she mocked.

I huffed out a breath, trying to calm the lingering adrenaline. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

She grinned, her sass as sharp as ever. “Thanks, big guy. You sure know how to make a girl feel protected.” Eleanor swiped the bag from the counter, and I gave the cashier a tight nod.

Biting back a smile, I followed her to the truck.

I opened the door for her, watching as she climbed in with her arms full of snacks. She dropped into her seat with a dramatic plop, a smug smile already tugging at her lips.

“Don’t worry, grumpy. I got you something too,” she said with a wink that instantly put me on edge.

“Something tells me I should be very afraid,” I muttered, eyeing her suspiciously.

Eleanor bobbed her head back and forth, her playful grin widening. It was anything but reassuring. Letting out a scoff and an exaggerated eye roll, I shut the door and made my way around to the driver’s seat.

As I slid in, she leaned toward me, her voice dripping with anticipation. “Now, I want you to keep an open mind.”

Her smile was so wide it made the delicate wrinkles around her eyes appear, a detail that kept hitting me harder. I’d never look at those fine lines the same ever again.

I sighed, bracing myself. “All right, what is it? Just show me already. We need to get back on the road.”

She groaned like I was ruining her big reveal, then finally pulled something from behind her back. A rainbow lollipop.

At first, I thought she was just being her usual quirky self, but as I leaned closer, I noticed the unmistakable shape.

It was a penis. A rainbow, penis-shaped lollipop.

I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to stifle the laugh bubbling up in my chest. Eleanor, of course, was having the time of her life, waving the ridiculous thing in the air like it was some kind of trophy.

“Come on,” she teased, her voice a perfect mix of sass and mischief. “It’ll be hot.”

I reached out, snatched the lollipop from her hand, and, just for good measure, grabbed a bag of chips from the plastic sack in her lap.

“Hey!” she squealed, clutching the bag to her chest. “Those are my favorite!”

I shoved the offending lollipop into the door pocket without a word, popped open the bag of chips, and tossed one into my mouth. After wiping my hands on my jeans, I started the truck and shifted into drive.

“Mine too,” I replied, my tone dry but laced with humor as I kept my eyes on the road.

Eleanor huffed, crossing her legs in dramatic protest, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught it—that tiny, satisfied smirk tugging at her lips.

Even when she lost, she found a way to win. Damn her. Damn me for liking it.

“WHY CAN’T WE just fly?” Eleanor asked as we neared the Utah border, halfway through our trip to Prairie Rose.

She’d spent most of the ride alternating between typing a few words on her laptop and asking me questions. Most were harmless—about me, the ranch, or Cooper—but every time she mentioned him, I felt an involuntary prickle under my skin. The thought of her being interested in him, even in a friendly way, made my jaw tighten. I liked having Eleanor to myself.

We’d killed time with a ridiculous game of finding words for every letter of the alphabet. Turns out, in the middle of nowhere, words for X, Y, and Z are a challenge, and Eleanor’s creative substitutions made me laugh more than they should’ve.

“Because I don’t fly,” I answered simply, keeping my eyes on the road. It was the truth. The thought of not being in control, of leaving my fate up to someone else, made my skin crawl. That’s why I always drove, no matter the distance.

“So, you always drive? Everywhere?” she pressed, her tone curious.

I nodded.

“So, I’m assuming you’ve never been out of the country?”

“Why would I want to?”