Page 81 of Spurred On

She looked away, raked back her hair. “I look like a wreck.”

“Not true. Besides, I meant your eyes. When you’re happy, they . . . glow.”

She made a face. “As in, alien eyes?”

“No.” He barked a laugh. “They just . . . glow.”

“Well, thank you. I think.”

It was an awkward moment for her, so she did what she always did when faced with an awkward moment. Ate pie.

It was good pie, but then the hospital cafeteria was known for good pie . . . and little else.

“Good job,” she said as they finished the last of both pieces.

“Thank you, ma’am. And ah . . . do me a favor?”

“Sure. What?”

“Don’t tell Lisa we ate pie here.”

Sidney had to laugh. Lisa would no doubt have a conniption that they hadn’t asked her for pie. “Lisa needs to learn she cannot feed the world.”

“That is her goal in life, I think.”

“I like her.”

“I do too. I’m so glad she and Cade got together. They are so right for each other. Hard to think I nearly—”

He cut off abruptly, and she glanced at him. “You nearly what?”

He cringed. “I hate to admit it, but I nearly kept them apart forever.” His sigh was heavy. “I had no idea Cade liked her. And I asked her out in high school.”

Sidney had to snicker. “Is there anyone you didn’t ask out in high school?”

He scowled at her, but it was a playful scowl. “I felt awful when I found out. But it was way too late to make amends. Fortunately, they worked it out.”

“It’s not always easy, working things out.”

His gaze burned her. “No. It’s not. But if you really love someone, you just keep trying.”

“I suppose.” This conversation was getting too deep and it was making her all prickly, so she forced a smile and said, “Oh, while you were gone your girlfriend came by.”

He blanched. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“According to her you do.” It was wrong to tease him, but she couldn’t help it. His chagrin was way too enjoyable to watch. “She had a question about your date on Saturday night.”

“I don’t have a date on Saturday night!” A squawk. His eyes flicked around the room in a panic, as though he expected this mysterious girlfriend to pop out at any moment and drag him down into dating hell.

“She also made it a point to warn me away from you. Apparently we’re not allowed to be seen together . . . or else.”

He stilled. His expression darkened. “Or else what?”

“She didn’t say. Something horrible, I suppose.”

“Who the fuck are we talking about?” he growled.

“Can’t you figure it out?” she said with a laugh.