Page 42 of Driven to Love

“Oh.” Her expression sobered.

“Obviously, you didn’t realize this was an all-day thing. If you don’t want to go…”

“No. I do. What time does the game start?” She adjusted her ball cap and pushed up her dark glasses.

“Ten. We should be there in plenty of time.”

She sat quietly, stroking Max’s fur. Usually, silence didn’t bug Nash, but something nudged him to get her talking. “Did you gals find the dress yesterday?”

“I think so. Laney knew what she wanted both for flowers and her dress. We narrowed down the bridesmaid dress colors as well.” A slight grin tugged at her mouth.

“What?”

“Laney and her mom almost came to blows about veils. It was the big veil or no veil discussion. Marti and I thought we’d need to jump between them.”

“That intense?”

“You have no idea.” She relaxed back, stroking a hand through his dog’s fur while she recapped the events of the ladies’ day.

The tension Nash had been feeling eased. His grip on the steering wheel relaxed, and the rhythm of her words lulled him. It could be the smell of her perfume as well. It filled the truck as if the backseat held two dozen bouquets.

The conversation moved from wedding prep to work for the next few miles. Addison slid into her position at Busted Knuckle like a well-oiled piston in a cylinder.

They were getting along so well that she actually smiled a time or two. Nash hated to change the subject, but he couldn’t beat back his concern. “Did you file a report about your car?”

“No.” Her spine straightened.

Shit. The last thing he wanted was to put emotional distance between them again. “I think you should. I will document the repair just in case.”

“You’re overreacting.”

“I may not have been in the military as long as Cade, but I was in long enough to trust my instincts when something is off. And this, dear Addison, is fishier than a tuna sandwich at Rumor’s Café.”

She dropped her head back and stared at the ceiling for a long moment before dragging her attention back to him. “Fine. I’ll call them in the morning. But I doubt anything will come of it.”

“If not, you’re only out a little time.” He reached for her hand. When she didn’t pull away, he gave a light squeeze. “Thank you.”

She nodded. They drove like that for a mile, hand in hand, before she slipped hers free from his. Her tiny gesture of acceptance elevated his endorphins. A lightness flowed through him. Maybe they really could be friends.

“So, what branch of the military were you in?” She focused on the road, absently stroking the puppy’s fur.

“Army.”

“And?”

“And what?” He glanced across the truck, unable to read her expression through those oversized dark glasses.

“What was your job in the Army? Where were you stationed? Were you ever deployed? Inquiring minds want to know.”

The fact she wanted to know anything about him had his insides feeling lighter. “I was a wheeled vehicle mechanic. As for where, lots of places. California, Hawaii, North Carolina.”

“Hawaii? I bet it was amazing.” Her voice turned dreamy.

“It’s beautiful, but I was on base most of the time.” Mostly, Nash remembered it being expensive. By the six-month mark, Beth started complaining about the cost of living there and missing her family back in Minnesota.

“Deployments?” She turned in her seat. Her gaze heated his skin.

He shrugged. “I had a few.”