Page 126 of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

“Always,” I vowed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

A few minutes later, Merritt declared herself ready.

I grabbed my jacket. “Come here for a second.”

She turned to face me. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing.” I crossed the room and gently placed my hands over her eyes. “Trust me.”

“Kannon…” Her voice was wary, but she didn’t resist as I guided her outside. The sun was bright, which was perfect for what I had planned.

I led her down the steps and onto the driveway, where her surprise waited. “Okay,” I said, dropping my hands. “Open your eyes.”

She blinked, then gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “No way.”

Parked right in front of her was a pristine yellow Ford Ranger, freshly washed and gleaming in the sunlight. Her dream car.

I grinned, leaning against the hood. “Way.”

“You’re kidding.” She took a step forward, then hesitated, like she thought it might disappear if she touched it. “Kannon, you didn’t.”

“I did.” I handed her the keys. “Come on. Let’s take her for a spin.”

She threw her arms around my neck, laughing. “I can’t believe you did this! How—when—why?”

I hugged her back, chuckling. “You needed something to get around town, right? And I’ve heard you talk about this damn truck enough times to know it had to be this one.”

She pulled back, her eyes shining. “I love you. You know that?”

“I had a feeling.” I kissed her forehead. “Now get in. You’re driving to the bar.”

Watching Merritt behind the wheel of that Ranger was something else. She fit there like she’d been born to drive it, her hands gripping the wheel, her hair glowing in the sunlight streaming through the windows. She looked over at me, shaking her head with a laugh.

“I can’t believe you did this,” she said for the tenth time. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“Crazy about you.” I smirked. “And you’re hot as hell driving this thing. Yet another one of my fantasies, come to life.”

She laughed, her cheeks turning pink. “You’ve got too many fantasies.”

“Not enough when it comes to you. We’ve barely scratched the surface of my fantasy list.”

Merritt smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Oh, really? And what else is on this infamous list of yours?”

I reached over and touched her thigh. “You’ll have to stick around to find out. But trust me, it involves a lot of adventures, a few surprises like this one, and a lot of us. Think of spontaneous road trips, midnight swims, and dancing under the stars. To be clear, dancing under the stars is code for sweet loving.”

“Then I’ll put on my boogie shoes. But for today, just getting to drive this beauty is enough adventure for me.”

She parked in the lot of the bar and jumped out.

“Well, if it isn’t the lovebirds,” Riggs said when he saw us.

Kleo was already at a table with a bowl of peanuts. Merritt dragged her outside to see the new truck while I leaned against the bar.

Riggs chuckled as he poured me a drink. “You went all out this time, huh, Kannon? She’s over the moon.”

“Yeah, she’s had her eye on it for a while,” I replied, watching Merritt through the window as she showed off the truck to Kleo. “Better than that damn Cadillac.”

“It’s good you’re making her smile instead of cry,” Riggs said, handing me the drink. “I’m glad you’ve turned over a new leaf.”