“It doesn’t count unless he kissed you afterward,” Franny said.
Lia remained silent, trying to decide what pair of shoes to wear, and decidedly not commenting onthat.
“He kissed youalready?” Franny demanded.
Lia didn’t meet her gaze. “Maybe.”
“Well, this changes everything,” Albennie said, apparently interestednow. “Describe the when, where, how, and why.”
“Um,no.”
“Why not?”
“Because that’s…private.”
“That good, huh?” Albennie said with a grin that Lia couldn’t quite help returning.Gooddidn’t begin to cover it.
“So this isn’t a first date. It’s not even a second date with that smug look over a kiss,” Franny said, looking around Lia’s room in dismay. “We should probably clean up your room.”
“Why?”
“Well, you might want to…” Franny trailed off, gesturing at Lia’s bed.
Heat crept into Lia’s cheeks. She hadn’t even considered…that. Not in anyconcreteway. Because thiswasa first date, even if it…kind of wasn’t. “That’s moving faster than I…move.”
“I’d speed up for a guy who looks like that, considering I’veneverseen you with a guy,” Albennie muttered. “How long has it been?”
Lia was not about to touch that subject with a ten-foot pole.
“We better go,” Franny said, glancing at the clock with some worry. “We don’t want to ambush him.”
“Speak for yourself,” Albennie replied.
Franny shook her head and grabbed Albennie’s arm and started dragging her out of Lia’s room. Lia trailed after them, suddenly about ten times more nervous than she already had been.
Why had she agreed to a date? Why did she think this was a good idea? Why—
The sound of an engine when Franny opened the door had them all peering outside. Gard’s truck was pulling in.
“Behave,” Lia heard Franny mutter to Albennie as Gard turned off the truck and got out. He was wearing dark slacks and a button-up shirt that accentuated the broad strength in his shoulders. He was so classically handsome it didn’t seem fair or real that he was also just…such a good guy.
“Hey, Franny. Albennie.” He greeted her friends as they passed—him moving toward the door where Lia stood and them heading for Franny’s car.
“Hi, Gard,” Franny said brightly, still dragging Albennie along. “We were just leaving. You two have fun!”
Gard looked past the duo to Lia. His smile deepened as he made his way up her walk.
Lia’s heart was in a full-on gallop now. She was nothing but a sack of nerves, but they weren’t questioning why she’d agreed to this.
Thatsmilewas why.
When he made it to where she stood in her doorway, he reached out, wrapped a tendril of hair around his finger. “I’venever seen your hair down before.” He flashed that lethal grin at her. “Wow.”
All she could seem to think was… Maybe sheshouldhave cleaned up her room.
Chapter Eleven
Gard helped Lia into his truck and then they started to drive out to Fairmont. Lia asked how dropping off Sammy at the party had gone, and Gard asked about her day at the bakery. Conversation was easy, even if there was a strange layer of nerves over it.
