Page 78 of Worth the Trip

“I ain’t said nothing.”

“Your face did.”

“My face pays attention too.”

I slid the plate toward him. “Eat before I forget generosity.”

He took a bite. “Yeah. That’s dangerous.”

“Finally, we agree.”

“We been agreeing all day.”

“About what?”

His eyes lifted to mine.

“That neither one of us been in a hurry for this date to end.”

My fork stilled.

He wasn’t wrong.

Lunch had become walking.

Walking had become a tour.

The tour had become a beach.

The beach had become dinner.

“No,” I admitted. “I guess we haven’t.”

The check arrived soon after.

I reached for my purse.

Landon placed his hand over the folder.

“You invited me to lunch. I can contribute to dinner.”

“You can.”

I waited.

He slid his card inside.

“When?”

“Next time.”

The certainty in those words slipped beneath my defenses before I could decide whether to challenge it.

“You’re assuming there’ll be a next time.”

He looked at me.

“You fed me off your fork and spent all day voluntarily extending this date. I’m working with favorable data.”