Page 55 of Forbidden to Fall

His gaze rested on me.

“It’s not too tough, is it?” I asked doubtfully.

“What?”

“Driving stick.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Once you know how to do it, it’s easy.”

“And if I don’t know how to do it?”

“You’ll have an adventure driving into town.” He jerked his head to the side. “Scoot over. I’ll drive you.”

“I’m sure you’ve got better things to do. I can just…” I was about to say I could use Ryan’s truck, but I wasn’t sure that was the best idea—asking to borrow it to help James.

“I’m happy to do it.” James slipped onto the edge of the seat so I had no choice but to shift across to the passenger side.

He’d turned on the truck before he’d even finished moving into the seat.

Show off.

He slung his arm across the seat back, his fingers nearly touching me, as the car reversed.

My neck tingled, and a cascade of goosebumps made my upper body shiver.

James’s brows pulled together. “Are you cold?”

“No.” I realized, though, that being cold was a much easier explanation for my shivers than the real one. “Maybe a little. I’m fine, though.”

James turned the heat on low.

I smiled slightly.

“What?” He shot a quick, curious glance at me as we started down the drive.

I shook my head. “Nothing.” Before he could reask the question, I changed the subject. “You’ve officially surpassed me as Mia’s favorite person, you know.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“You shouldn’t. She brought Mr. James up at least six times yesterday. In her mind, you’re singlehandedly protecting Autumn Ridge from the fleet of bears and moose and tigers threatening us.”

His smile grew. “Tigers, huh?”

“Especially tigers. She’s preoccupied with them and is convinced they’re on the path to world domination. She’s also under the impression that you sleep outside every night here.”

“Well, not every night.”

I laughed, glancing at him. My smile wavered.

He was serious.

“Wait, really?” I asked.

He looked both ways down the main road, then turned. “I’ve only done it a few times since coming back. I don’t like to leave Mama alone in the house at night. She tends to do too much if I don’t enforce a strict bedtime.”

My mind was taken up with the idea of James sleeping in the woods. I could picture him, lying on his back, head resting on his interlaced fingers as he stared up at the trees above.

“Mia’s right. You are way cooler than I am.”