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“When you say it like that...” I grin. “I’m not sure how flattering it sounds.”

He takes another sip of his coffee.

“I kind of like that.”

“You do?”

“Sure. I mean...” He shrugs. “If that’s what it took for us to end up sitting here...”

“I’d say it was a pretty good dare.”

Luke glances at his watch, and something in him deflates.

“I have to go.” He taps the face of it, apologetic. “I’ve got to pick Bo up.”

“Oh.”

Disappointment lands before I can stop it. Somehow two hours have gone somewhere I wasn’t watching.

He catches it on my face. Of course he does. He catches everything.

“I’d really like to see you again.”

I glance out the window, buying myself a second.

“Can I be honest?”

“I hope so.”

“I’ve really enjoyed today.”

More than I expected to.

More than I let myself plan for.

“But dating...” I make myself say it. “...kind of terrifies me.”

He doesn’t look surprised. If anything, he looks like he already knew and likes me anyway.

“That’s why your friends had to dare you?”

I drop my face into one hand. “I was hoping we’d forget that part.”

“Not a chance.”

I laugh into my palm, then look back up at him. “I think somewhere along the way I decided it was easier not to try.”

“I get that.” And the way he says it, I believe him. Two hours in, and this man already reads me better than people who’ve had years.

He goes still a moment, turning something over. Then he leans back, and a slow smile starts.

“So what if we don’t?”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t worry about the dating part.” He lets it sit. “What if we just become really good friends?”

I raise an eyebrow. “You make that sound simple.”