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It was true—he didn’t have any traffic tickets. Possibly because since he’d turned eighteen, he hadn’t been in the country for more than a week or two at a time until earlier this year. And even then, it had been months before he’d been released to drive.
Fighting the heaviness that settled onto his shoulders at the memory of why he’d returned stateside, Bodie met Sarah’s gaze. He’d just met her in person the day before, but there was something about her that made it easier to pull himself out of the dark pit he’d wallowed in for too long. Maybe it was the quilt, or the joy-filled note she’d attached to it describing a life he’d barely been able to imagine. Having met Sarah, seen Pine Hill first hand, he knew her joy was real. Sarah Smith loved life and that love flowed from her.
She said, “I didn’t have you pegged as someone who so closely adhered to the laws of the land.”
Her tone was almost disappointed, as if she sort of liked the thought that he might have bad-boy tendencies. Interesting. He eyed her with renewed curiosity.
“Maybe I’m just good enough to not get caught.”
Her full lips curved. “I can see how that would be the more likely scenario.”
Whoa. Sarah looked at him with a light in her eyes that drew him in like a moth to a flame, making him want to know more, to learn what was beneath the surface, what she thought of him. Maybe someone really could be blinded by a dazzling smile. “Explain.”
Her big brown depths shining with something warm and inviting and full of interest, she eyed him as she slowly chewed the bite she’d just taken. “I’m not sure I can without sounding judgmental.”
Giving in to his hunger, he took a bite of his burger. It was so good that he would’ve forgiven Lou on the spot if there’d been anything to forgive. He didn’t blame Sarah’s friends for checking him out. For that matter, she’d been too trusting to let him into her home unsupervised without looking into his background first. Just because she was full of goodness, she seemed to expect that the rest of the world was, too. Bodie knew better. He’d rarely dealt with goodness over the past decade.
“Try.”
She ate a couple of bites, then lowered her dark lashes as she said, “It’s just, well, I get the impression that you’re smarter than the average bear.”
Her explanation wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Not that he was sure exactly what he’d been expecting her to say. Then again, she’d just agreed that it was much more likely that he’d just not gotten caught rather than that he was a rule-follower. Whatever it was, he found her answer humorous and he gri
nned. “You think?”
She went from looking at him, to her eyes widening, to her choking on her burger. When she kept coughing and sputtering, he worried. He stood from his stool and slapped her across the back. Not hard, but enough that if she had food stuck, it would hopefully be dislodged.
Apparently, Harry was ready to act, too—the dog jumped to his feet and gave a loud ruff of concern.
Eyes watering, Sarah sputtered. “You didn’t have to do that. I was okay.”
“Sure you were. I could tell by the gasping sounds as you tried to breathe.”
“See?” She put her hand over her mouth and cleared her throat. “There you go showing how smart you are again.”
“Doesn’t take a genius to recognize the universal sign for choking.”
Wiping at her watery eyes, she said, “I wasn’t clutching my throat.”
“Much,” he corrected, amused at her prideful denials.
Her eyes wide, she asked, “Was I really?”
He nodded.
“I didn’t realize,” she admitted, staring at her burger. “I, um, was distracted, and, well, my food just went down the wrong direction and then I couldn’t breathe, but I was okay.”
Thinking back over their conversation, he wondered which part had distracted her. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary about their conversation other than that they’d been teasing each other a little. Surely that hadn’t caused her to swallow her food wrong?
“Glad you’re okay,” he told her, truthfully. His own ability to breathe had gone on hiatus when Sarah had been coughing and sputtering. Knowing she really was fine, he added, “Now that I saved you.”
She arched a brow. “Hero complex much?”
She had no idea. “Just calling things as I see them.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she teased, then met his gaze. Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “But thank you for saving me.” Taking a much smaller bite, she chewed it carefully. “So, Oh Smart One, tell me what you got done today.”
Her gaze dropped to the notepad he’d pushed to the side when she’d come in with food. Still chuckling, he finished off his burger, wadded up the foil wrapper, and tossed it into the paper bag it had come out of.
