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I’m listening to my playlist curated today of songs by all my favorite bands just to see what she says. It’s eclectic, but then, that’s usually a pretty good word to describe my tastes in most things in life.
The car drops her near the store’s entrance, and she glances around the parking lot before she spots my…wait for it…redFord F-350 parked halfway down one of the rows. She walks toward me wearing a sexy as fuck sundress and a pair of Converse on her feet, a sweater draped over her forearm, and her purse slung across her body. She looks somehow cute and hot all at the same time, and my cock strains against my jeans as I watch her walk toward me.
Why are sundresses my kryptonite?
I’m not going to start this date with sex, but I can’t guarantee it won’t end that way.
She slips into the passenger seat of my truck, and I lean over the console, reach around the back of her neck, and pull her to me for a quick kiss. I lean my forehead to hers and take a deep breath, and for as much as the last twenty-four hours have felt chaotic, everything feels peaceful when she’s beside me.
I pull back and catch her eyes, and she looks as smitten as I feel. Her lips curl into a smile as she turns to look out the windshield as she buckles her seatbelt.
“What’s the plan?” she asks.
I shift the truck into drive. “You’ll see.”
We head out of the parking lot and toward the highway, and soon we’re cruising toward our destination. It’s about a forty-minute drive, and I figured it would be a good time to get to know a little more about each other.
“What’s life like in San Diego?” I ask.
She huffs out a small laugh. “It seems like everything’s in flux since my parents moved here, if I’m being honest. I live nearthe beach with one of my best friends, and I’ve never lived in a different town than my mom and dad.”
“Even in college?”
“Even in college,” she confirms.
“Do you miss having them close?” I ask.
“Yes and no. I like the freedom, but I miss weekly dinners on Tuesday nights, you know?”
“Yeah. My parents moved to Vegas just before they got divorced, and it was nice having them both around. Truth be told, I miss my mom.” I stare out the windshield as I say words I’ve never actually voiced out loud to another person.
“Where is she?”
“New York. She had this dream of owning a farm with goats on it, and my brothers and I helped make that dream come true. My dad tried to sell it, and I think that was the end of the road for my mom. It’s her pride and joy.”
“Not her four boys?” she teases.
“I guess we’re up there on the list somewhere—behind the goats, maybe.” I laugh when I say it with affection, but it feels similar to what a lot of adults are like when they become empty nesters. They get pets, and those pets become their pride and joy. My mom happens to own a bunch of them, and they’re her babies now that her human babies are all grown up.
“What does one do with a goat farm?” she asks.
“My mom does all sorts of stuff. Soaps, mostly, but also goat yoga.”
“What the hell is goat yoga?”
I glance over at her with a grin. “You really don’t know?”
She shakes her head.
“Well, I’m not spoiling any surprises, but I will definitely take you there someday.” The words slip out before I get the chance to think them through or stop them. I don’t know if we’re there yet. I clear my throat as I weakly amend that previous statement.“I’m sure we can figure out somewhere local we can go and still maintain privacy.”
She snags her bottom lip between her teeth, and she looks like she wants to say something. My chest tightens as nerves climb up my back.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, not bothering to keep the alarm out of my tone.
“I was going to wait until tomorrow to tell you this, but…” She pauses, and her eyes stay focused out the windshield. “Erin McMahon offered me a job planning next year’s Wild Aces ball, and I decided to take it.”
Those nerves climbing up my spine seem to explode through my whole body. “You’re taking a job with the Aces?”
