He nodded. “Probably.”
His easy admission surprised me.
“Listen, Cara, I really am sorry about that last question, so I hope you’ll accept the drinks. As for the last time I sent your friends drinks, I’m not sorry for shutting down Summer because she’s way too young for me. Maybe if I weren’t such an old guy...” He held my gaze as he spoke.
Butterflies took flight in my belly because they and I got the distinct impression his “if” was in reference to me and not Summer. “I’m sorry, too, about earlier,” I said. “I didn’t need to be so curt.”
I twisted my hands together in front of me. Now that he’d drawn a firm boundary by announcing he was too old for Summer, and by extension me, agreeing to drive off into the sunset with him should be a no-brainer. The man had asked to share a ride, not to take me back to his place and tie me spread-eagle to his bed. I didn’t know why my brain had gone in such a specific direction or why it had supplied a full-color visual of the thought, but now my face—and possiblymypanties, too—were on fire. Figuratively.
“Earth to Cara,” Nick said quietly. “The bartender’s delivering the drinks to your table.”
“Thanks,” I said, unable to meet his eyes.
When I didn’t move, he asked, “Was there something else?”
“Um…yes.” Smooth, Cara. So, so smooth. “I wanted to say, if you’re still interested... I was rude earlier about sharing the drive, and I’d like to change my answer to yes. But before you answer, you should know I have a small car, a Honda Fit, and I’ll have a significant amount of luggage.”
“I can pack light.”
“And I get to pick the music.”
He frowned. “For the entire three-day drive?”
I furrowed my brow. “It will take five days. Four if we rush it and I cut out a couple of photo shoots.”
“Photo shoots?” He nodded as understanding seemed to dawn on him. “Something about your online career, I’d guess. How much extra time have you built into your travel plan for those?”
“Travel plan?” I chewed my lower lip as I considered the question.
I didn’t have much of a plan beyond hitting Klosston, affectionately known as Clause Towne to tourists, on the eastern side of the Indiana-Ohio border, ending up at my parents’ house north of Philly on Christmas Eve day, and posting the entire collection of photos from my cross-country trip to my subscribers on the 26th. Along the way, I would stop to snap shots of my sculpture in front of picturesque backdrops in a handful of places I’d scouted online. If the mood struck, I might make some unscheduled stops. If it felt right, I’d possibly post some raw shots to my subscribers each day.
The more I thought about it, the prouder I was. That actually sounded like a very fine plan.
“Not that I expected you to have a multi-page itinerary laid out,” Nick continued, but his tone implied that’s exactly what he’d expected. “But maybe with two of us driving, we could shave off a little time from the five days. I’m on a bit of a time crunch.”
“How much of a crunch?”
“How about this? We agree to four days. I’ll do extra driving shifts, you try to keep your photo shoots brief, and you pick the music two and a half of the four days.”
The man drove a hard bargain. That thought tempted my brain to go in another naughty direction, but I cleared my throat and kept my composure. “Deal.”
He handed me his phone. “If you don’t mind, you can text yourself my number so we have each other’s contact information. And would you send me your list of must-stop destinations?”
I raised my eyebrows. “I take it you like to be in control.” I immediately regretted my choice of words. I quickly punched in my number and sent myself a text, hoping he hadn’t picked up on my innuendo. “I’ll look over my list before I send it. I can probably cut out a few of my planned stops.”
“Thanks. And I have to ask—not because I’m a control freak, but because I’m curious—why did you change your mind?”
Because I was mega-attracted to you, then I wasn’t. And now I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking.No way I was admitting any of that.
“Well,” I improvised, “I figured a man who knows the difference between a SIG Sauer P something and a Beretta something else might come in handy on the drive.”
“Not planning to pull off a bank heist, are you?”
Now I laughed. “I won’t if you won’t.”
He held out his hand. “It’s a deal.”
I shook his hand. “Agreed. Let’s meet here in Mason’s parking lot, say around noon?”
