“There’s my little badass nurse,” he complimented her.
“You bring it out in me,” she admitted shyly. “There’s a zoo nearby, and I’ve always wanted to visit it.”
“A zoo?” he asked, surprised.
Addy laughed. “What? You know I love animals.”
“I figured you’ve run a circus on Serenity Mountain; you might be tired of seeing all the critters,” Liam teased.
“Not my circus and not my monkeys,” she threw back. “They’re Kassie’s problem. She runs it efficiently when I’m not there. I want to enjoy the nice weather and…have fun.”
“What’s the matter, Addy?” he asked softly. “Did I scare you last night?”
“No,” she assured him. “It’s like I woke up from a coma and I’ve missed out while life went on without me. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “What do you plan on doing about it?”
“I’m buying two tickets and watching the otters play. Did you know they hold hands while sleeping to anchor themselves and prevent drifting apart in the water?” she informed him. “It’s sweet.”
“I didn’t know,” he admitted.
“They’re my favorite animal,” she confessed as they drove closer to the dealership.
Liam pretended to pout. “I thought I changed your mind last night?”
“Trust me, you’re an entirely different species,” she shot back.
They pulled into the parking lot, and the same salesman, Tom, greeted them.
Liam took Addy’s hand as they went into the showroom to finalize the deal and complete the paperwork.
As they sat down, Addyson noticed the gleam in Tom’s eye, determined to get the sale. Sliding the paper toward Liam, he leaned back in the seat triumphantly, waiting for Liam’s approval.
She leaned over, entwining her arm around his and laying her head against his broad shoulder. Gazing into Liam’s eyes, she blinked up at him. “Honey, do you really like this one better than the truck at the other dealership? After all, he added a lot of incentives.”
Catching on to her little game. He placed the offer on the desk, giving her his full attention.
“Do you like the red one better?” he asked.
“We can’t keep this green one on the lot these days. It’s in high demand,” Tom rushed, worried he might lose his sale.
“I don’t know. We already have a new dark colored SUV…” Addyson said, letting her statement hang in the air. She saw the corners of Liam’s mouth curl up as he contained his laughter.
“Can you give us a minute?” Liam asked Tom. “I’m having second thoughts.”
Tom glared at Addyson as he rose and hurried into the business office.
“My, my, naughty nurse Addy has some tricks up her sleeve,” Liam whispered against her ear, making her shiver. “You didn’t tell me you liked to play dirty.”
Still clutching his hand, she nipped his fingertip and batted her eyes. “Maybe I recently discovered it,” she said innocently.
Shaking his head, he pretended to go over the figures with her, and she scowled at the numbers.
“Did he see me?” she whispered conspiratorially.
“Oh, yeah,” he drew out. “He’s coming this way.”
“I spoke with my manager. We can go down another three thousand. If you finance it, the company has a special offer for two thousand in cash back,” Tom informed him.
