Page 101 of The Route to You

Kyle looked away.

“That’s nice of you,” Jeremy said, but there was an edge to it now. “Didn’t realize you two were . . . reconnecting.”

Oh, good. Great. Amazing. Let’s all unpack this in the driveway.

Kyle opened his mouth to answer, and then Anna lightly slid her hand onto his forearm.

Casually.

Yet . . . possessively enough to register. Kyle went still.

“You should come out with us,” she said to Sloan, smiling brightly. “We’re just grabbing drinks.”

Sloan’s gaze dropped to Anna’s hand, and something flickered in her gaze, then vanished—almost immediately—but not before he saw it.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Sloan said, that smooth, controlled tone snapping into place.

“It’s not an intrusion,” Anna insisted. “It’ll be fun. Especially if you just got a new job. I’m sure you want to celebrate.”

Kyle stared at the crack in the concrete in the driveway. At anything that wasn’t Sloan.

Jeremy had offered to pick him up, and Kyle had said yes, not expecting him to get out of the car. But he should have just met them out. That would have been the smart thing to do.

But you’re not smart, Winnick.

Sloan cleared her throat. “I⁠—”

“No, you should come, Sloan. Right, Kyle?” Jeremy’s eyes glinted deviously. “And I’m dying to hear what brought you to town.”

That rat bastard.

Kyle pulled his arm free of Anna’s grip and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, you know—the more the merrier.”

Sloan shifted. “Um, okay. Let me just put this away.”

As Sloan went inside, he started toward the car with Jeremy and Anna, and Kyle shot him a glare. “Thanks,” he muttered.

Jeremy grinned. “What? I’m being friendly.”

“You’re being an ass,” Kyle muttered, yanking open the passenger door. Plus, some warning about Anna would have been nice.

“Relax,” Jeremy said easily, circling to the driver’s side. “I’m sure alcohol will fix everything.”

Motherfucker.

Kyle slid into the seat and shut the door a little harder than necessary.

Anna climbed into the back seat. “Sloan seems nice,” she said quietly, in a tone Kyle couldn’t interpret. Her eyes traveled over the front of the house. “When did you move in here?”

“A couple of days ago.” Kyle pinched the taut muscle of his shoulder and stared out the windshield.

This was fine. It was just a drink.

With Sloan.

And Anna.

And Jeremy, who clearly had no interest in letting any of this be normal, his mouth already twitching with laughter.