She glanced up. “Oh, no. I’m just surprised you noticed.”
“I notice a lot of things.”
She wanted to ask him what else he noticed, but didn’t want to answer the question when he would undoubtedly ask it of her. She could always lie, but didn’t feel right about it.
“A drunk driver killed my parents, so I don’t like drinking. I don’t like that it makes people reckless.”
He leaned toward her. “I’m sorry, Candace. I didn’t know. Surprisingly, considering how long we’ve known each other.”
She shrugged. “Jessica and I don’t talk about it much with others. Usually people don’t ask either, since it makes them uncomfortable.”
“Are you worried you’re going to drink too much and make the same mistake?”
“No. I know my limits. I know how much I can drink without impairing myself.”
“So you never get drunk?”
“I didn’t say that,” she said. “I get drunk occasionally if I’m in a safe space and don’t have to drive.”
He looked around. “You don’t have to drive now. Pretty sure you couldn’t even if you wanted to.”
She glared and opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.
“Because of your ankle and the roads being closed. I’m sure you’re an excellent driver.”
She couldn’t help the smile that tilted the corner of her mouth. “I am.”
He bumped her shoulder with his own. “So let’s have fun.”
She pulled a lip between her teeth and chewed on it for a few beats. He was right. They had nowhere to go and didn’t have the option to leave. She hadn’t let herself unwind in what felt like forever.
There was always something in her life that kept her tightly coiled—whether it be her job or her life. It was as if she always had a reason to be stressed. Now that the wedding was over and she couldn’t even leave Wintervale to go back to real life, what could she stress about now? Absolutely nothing except the fact that she was badly injured and would have to deal with it eventually, but that was a problem for another time.
“Okay. Let’s have fun.”
