“Emily—”
“Come on, entertain me. Start with his kissing technique. On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate?—”
“Jesus Christ.” I bury my face in my hands, but I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up.
For the next ten minutes, Emily grills me mercilessly about every aspect of Jonah. By the time we pull into the motel parking lot, my face hurts from smiling, and I’ve revealed far more than I intended.
Emily is already out of the car and opening my door before I’ve even unbuckled. She unbuckles me, and helps me out of her car.
“You sure you don’t want me to stay longer?” Emily asks for the third time, her arms crossed tight against her chest like she’s physically restraining herself from bundling me into her car and driving me back to safety.
“I’m sure.” I adjust the sling supporting my injured shoulder. “I’ve got Professor Hot Stuff and the Wonder Pup watching my every move. I couldn’t be in better hands.”
Emily glances at Jonah, who’s standing near the entrance of the motel with Max, giving us space for our goodbyes.
“Call me. Every day. And if anything—and I mean anything—happens with that shoulder, you go straight to a hospital.”
“Yes, Mom.” The truth is, having my sister drive all this way just to make sure I was okay meant more than I can articulate. “Thank you for coming.”
She pulls me into a careful hug, mindful of my injuries. “Be careful,” she whispers against my hair. “And don’t push him away again.”
I feel heat rise to my cheeks. “I’m not going to push him away,” I say, though we both know my track record on that front isn’t stellar. “I think I’m done running.”
“Good.” She steps back. “Because I like him. He’s good for you.”
“You’ve barely met him,” I point out.
Emily shrugs. “I’m an excellent judge of character. And he stayed, Lila. Even when you gave him every reason to leave.”
I glance over at Jonah, who’s pretending not to eavesdrop while scratching Max behind the ears. There’s something about seeing them together—this buttoned-up professor and the golden retriever who adopted us both—that makes my chest tight in a way that has nothing to do with my injuries.
“Yeah,” I say softly. “He did.”
Emily follows my gaze, then smirks. “Plus, those cheekbones. Like, damn.”
“Emily!” I hiss, shoving her with my good arm.
She laughs, the sound bright in the motel parking lot. “What? I’m just saying what we’re all thinking.” She drops a kiss on my cheek. “Love you, sis. Try not to get caught in any more natural disasters for at least a week, okay?”
“I’ll do my best,” I promise.
With one final hug and a meaningful look at Jonah that I’m sure contains some sort of warning, Emily slides into her car, gives us a final wave, and pulls away. I watch her taillights disappear around the corner, feeling that mix of relief and emptiness that always comes when she leaves.
“You okay?” Jonah asks, approaching with Max trotting beside him.
“Yeah. It’s always hard when she leaves.”
He nods, understanding without needing me to explain further. That’s becoming a pattern with him—this ability to read between my lines, to hear what I’m not saying as clearly as what I am.
“So,” I say, turning to face him fully. “What now, Professor? We’ve got no truck, no equipment, and I’m down an arm.”
“Now,” he says, pulling a set of keys from his pocket and dangling them in front of me, “we adapt.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“The keys to our new temporary research vehicle.” He gestures toward the far end of the motel we’re calling home forthe day, to the parking lot where a massive dark blue SUV sits gleaming in the afternoon sun. “Four-wheel drive, reinforced chassis, and enough room in the back for all our equipment. Plus,” he adds with a hint of pride, “it has a dog barrier so Max can ride safely.”
I stare at the vehicle, then back at him. “How did you?—”
