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It’s been two months, and they haven’t yet.
We’ll cross that bridge if we get there.
I let out a sigh, hating that I’m worrying her. “Grams, I’m not pushing her to do anything. I’ll go as slow as she needs. But I’m telling you now, I’m marrying this woman.”
“Pax! You barely know her.”
She’s right. I could be wrong about Kali, but I don’t believe so. I laugh, already knowing the answer, but I ask to make a point. “How long did you and Pops date before getting engaged?”
“It was a different time,” she snaps back.
Well, as much as Grams can snap at me. She and Pops have been my rock through the years. I wouldn’t have survived losing Jack and Dad if it hadn’t been for them. And even though Mom made it almost impossible for them to get in touch with me after Dad died, whenever they got a chance, they were quick to remind me that they were always on my side.
“Mm-hmm,” I murmur, pulling up to a red stoplight hanging from a wire above as I drive into town. A sheriff hangs out in the gas station parking lot, waiting for an out-of-towner to miss the drop in speed. Man, I’d hate to work in a small town. I bet he’s there often during the week. “Well, I’m almost here, so I gotta go. Tell Pops hi and love you both.”
“Love you too. Be careful, Paxton.”
“Always, Grams.”
CHAPTER 20
Paxton
“I could’ve met you somewhere. This place is so out of the way for you,” Kali says as she settles into the Jeep, tossing her bag into the back seat.
I shut her door and circle around to the driver’s side. The moment she stepped into the living room and smiled, the way her eyes lit up— damn, I knew this wasn’t a mistake. I want to get to know this woman more. The light missing from her eyes the day I saved her is returning to its vibrant, natural state.
Before reversing, I twist in my seat and stare for a moment longer than necessary. Her cheeks flush pink, and she shifts in her seat. “It’s our first date. I am not making you meet me somewhere. Grams would kill me if I did that.”
Her face lights up. “Tell me about your grams.”
I put the Jeep in drive. “Her and Pops live in Michigan. She’s the glue of our family. Without her, I’d have been in jail right now.”
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “For what?”
I smirk. “Murder.”
“Is this when I should be concerned?” Her voice dances with amusement. She thinks I’m joking. I’m not. But discussing my stepfather wasn’t how I wanted to kick off our date.
As we merge onto the main road, I’m careful with my speed, aware of who’s waiting ahead. “Let’s say…she was the light at the end of my tunnel. Pushed me toward the badge and all.”
“Aw, the classic transformation of bad boy to hero,” she quips playfully.
I give her a sideways glance. “Do I look like a bad boy?” I’m curious about her impression. After all, she’s only been around me twice. Her laughter fills the Jeep, and I find myself drawn to it.
She shakes her head. “Nah. The badge kinda ruins the rebellious image,” she teases, glancing over with a grin. “You have the mysterious vibe, sure, but you’re too…what’s the word? Sweet? Yeah, too sweet to be a bad boy.”
“Sweet?” I arch an eyebrow, taken aback. Being called sweet is a first for me. “That sounds close to soft.” And I am not fucking soft.
“No, not soft. Sweet as in respectable. In a good way,” she clarifies. I suppose with her, sweet isn’t a stretch. She brings out this protective instinct in me I’ve never had for a woman. Usually, they’re storming out, hurling insults like self-serving, narcissist, and arrogant. Those are the words I’m used to. Not sweet.
“We’ll see if your opinion stays the same after a couple of months.”
“Really? How can a man who loves his grams be anything but?” She pokes me in the shoulder. “You’re trying to seem like a badass. But I see the real you.”
That’s my biggest fear.
“All right. All right. We’re done talking about me. Let’s talk about you. What was life like in Blackburn? And what brought you here to Austin?” The night at my cabin, she kept our conversation light, focusing on the cabin and its renovations. Oh, and the horse. She talked a lot about him. The way he made her smile, it made me a little jealous. I want that smile when my name comes out of her mouth.
