Page 56 of Already Callin’ You Mine

Presley listens intently, asking questions as I go. Those questions leads to more, leading me into asking her questions back. College, work, being a single mom. I hang on every word, our conversation flowing so easily and freely, nothing like the put-down jabs we usually exchange. This is light, simple, both of us letting our guard down with each other for the first time. Errr, second time. I suppose the puke weekend might actually count as the first.

Either way, this is everything. The most magical woman I’ve ever met talking and laughing with me like this is the only place she wants to be. It’s absolutely the only place I want to be.

“Hey, you two,” Milo says, walking over and hitting me with his bar towel. “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

“Huh?” I look at him, not following where he’s going with this. Quoting a trite, overused phrase isn’t like him.

“I would like to go home to my wife,” he says, a little more clearly. “So…GTFO.”

“OMG, it’s eleven p.m. I told my parents I’d be home hours ago.”

I look around, expecting to see everyone else still hanging out, thinking that Milo must be full of it. There is no way we closed this place down. No way we didn’t realize everyone else had left. Sure enough, we’re the only two still here.

“Whooops,” I comment, not sure what else to say. “Sorry, man.”

“Mm-hmm…” He nods, not sure he believes me.

“Milo, sorry,” Presley gushes. “I should have been paying closer attention.”

“You’re fine, Presley. D’ya need a ride home?”

“No, no. It only took me about ten minutes to walk here, so I’ll be fine walking back.”

Errr…walking? At this time of night? I don’t think so.

“I’ll drive you.” The offer is out of me so fast I barely have time to think about it. “It’s not safe for you to be walking alone this late at night.”

She mutters something to herself, and I can’t quite make it all out, but it sounds like “Hickory Hills is nothing but safe…”

“No, really it’s⁠—”

I cut her off. “I’m the resident safety expert. I know things.”

“Do you now?” she chides, giving me a skeptical yet playful look.

“Sure do. Like the way to your place. And before you object any more, you’re not out of the way either.”

Her place is actually in the complete opposite direction of mine, but that’s a detail we don’t need to get into right now. Nothing is going to get in the way of me taking her home. Nothing.

“Okay.”

I stand, nudging my brother out of the way and holding out my hand to her.

“Your chariot awaits.”