Page 108 of The Route to You

“Oh, Penny, I remember her,” Jeremy said, jumping into the conversation as the server left the table. “Your whole family moved away a while ago, didn’t they?”

Great. Now the whole conversation was centered on her. “Yeah, to San Francisco.”

“So, what brought you back to Tennessee?” Anna tucked her shoulder-length blond hair behind one ear. “Most people I know who go to California stay there.”

“I . . .” Sloan saw Kyle approaching the table, another guy following him. She met Anna’s gaze and held it. “This is home. California is beautiful, but I spent a lot of time traveling the last decade and, honestly, I’ve come to realize that roots mean more to me than location.”

“I can concur,” Kyle said, reaching over and dragging another chair from a nearby table. He placed it between Sloan and Liddy, then sat. “This is Brandon, by the way. Brandon, my sisters, Liddy, Elle, and this is my roommate, Sloan, and Jeremy’s friend, Anna.”

Jeremy’s friend. Interesting.

Brandon greeted the women, then slid behind Anna and sat in the seat Kyle had been occupying.

Even though Kyle didn’t say anything to her, Sloan felt herself relax at his proximity and bit back a smile. Kyle was a lot of things she didn’t always understand—like his need to act indestructible—but his loyalty and consistency had always been one of the things she liked most about him.

And it hadn’t gone unnoticed, either, Sloan was sure of that.

“Sloan . . .” Brandon eyed her, brows furrowing together. “Wait. You’re not the Sloan⁠—”

“Did you hear Brooks Kent is coming to play at Nissan Stadium in August?” Jeremy asked, his voice loud. “My brother’s trying to offload studio box tickets he picked up before he realized he had a work trip. Who’s in?”

Sloan could have hugged Jeremy.

Elle grimaced. “I don’t think I’ll be going to any concerts for the next couple of months, not that you were asking me.” She winked.

“You’re one of my favorite Winnicks.” Jeremy smiled. “Of course I was asking you.”

“Oh yeah?” Liddy nudged him with her elbow. “Just how many favorite Winnicks do you have?”

“Three.”

“You were saying about commitment?” Kyle raised a brow at Jeremy, looking at him over Liddy’s head.

Even though Jeremy had helped save Sloan from Brandon’s questions, Sloan felt both Brandon and Anna staring at her now.

The strum of a guitar was as welcome as water in the desert. Sloan checked over her shoulder to a small stage by the windows, and the pressure in her chest eased. Thank God for Nashville and live music.

As the guitarist introduced herself, the server returned with their drinks, and the attention at the table shifted.

For the first time since they’d sat down, no one was looking at Sloan.

She reached for her drink, took a sip, and immediately regretted it.

God. That was awful.

Beside her, Kyle tipped his wineglass toward hers. “Trade?”

She glanced at him. “You want this?”

“No.” He chuckled. “But you definitely don’t.”

A corner of her mouth lifted despite herself. “Wow. Chivalry is alive and well.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

Too late. She couldn’t help expecting it from him. Even when she shouldn’t.

He nudged his wine closer anyway, and after a second, she slid her glass toward him in exchange. He leaned closer, his breath warm on her ear as he whispered, “I don’t really drink white wine, anyway.”