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Carson had called her sweetness from day one, and Evie knew enough to not get hot and bothered over it. But when he said it this time, the meaning was clear. Barb stepped away from them. “Are y’all dating? Oh, how adorable! That’s just precious.” Her smile broadened. “I know your mamma has wanted you to settle in Prosper. Oh, this is just perfect!”
Evie cringed, because if Barb said anything to her mother . . . which she would in about five hot minutes.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Barbie,” she shot out, maybe too firmly. “I haven’t made any decisions yet. So please don’t get my mom’s hopes up.”
Barb’s eyebrows skyrocketed. “Oh, I see. You’re gonna surprise her. I don’t blame you. This man of yours is yummy. Um-hm.” She winked at Carson, then said to Evie, “I’ll be as silent as a water skeeter. No one will hear a word from me. I won’t even tell Patsy and Jana. They’ll be at Racoons, too, but they won’t hear it from me!”
Then she was gone.
Sashaying out the door, leaving an open-mouthed Evie in her wake, and probably a confused Carson. Patsy and Jana? Patsy was older than Evie, but Jana was one of those girls her age who made Cruella Deville look nice. The last thing she wanted to do was run into Jana—even if she’d matured or somehow grown a heart.
“I’ve got to get home,” Evie said, jumping to her feet. “Barb is probably going to have my mom cornered in two seconds flat.”
She was nearly to the door when Carson caught up with her. “Easy, I still need to pay.”
Evie stopped. “Okay. You pay, and I’ll wait in the truck.”
Carson looked like he was about to argue, but then he opened the door for her. She hurried out of the diner, pulling out her phone. Then she saw the time. It was only 8:30 a.m. Would Barb knock on the door this early?
It wasn’t that Evie couldn’t clear up the misconception, but now she and Carson would be completely exposed, and she didn’t know if she wanted that. This was new territory for her. They’d kissed, and flirted, and kissed some more. And they were on a date.
Well, Evie would be answering questions from her family, and they’d just have to live with it. Plus, it wasn’t like she was falling in love with Carson Hunt or anything. She wasn’t going to get her heart broken, and she wasn’t going to move back to Prosper for anyone.
The driver’s door popped open, and Carson climbed in.
“Sorry about that,” Evie said. “Barb gets under my skin.” She didn’t bother to get into the whole thing about Jana and Patsy. Barb was enough of an explanation.
He didn’t look exactly convinced, but he started the truck and pulled onto Main Street.
“She used to obsess over Holt. Well, both Knox and Holt,” Evie clarified. “Barb’s like a gnat that won’t go away.” She eyed Carson, his eyes forward on the road, the easy way he maneuvered his truck. “Did you think she was pretty?”
Carson shot her a look, then said, “She seems like an entertaining person, and yeah, she’s pretty.”
Evie’s gut squeezed. She could see it now. Carson would come back to Prosper after graduation, and Barb would forget all about her previous crushes, and zero in on him. Otherwise, Carson would have his pick of women in the town. Evie looked out her window, her eyes stinging. Just because she’d finally had her first kiss didn’t mean she owned the man, or that he had to be loyal to her.
“What are you doing?” she asked as the truck slowed and stopped on the side of the road.
“Come here.”
She turned to look at him. His left arm was draped over the steering wheel, and he’d extended his right hand.
“What for?”
“You’re too far away.” Carson tugged her hand toward him, and she scooted closer.
“That’s better,” he whispered. Then he leaned down, and his mouth covered hers, slow and sweet. She’d kissed him more than once by now, but this kiss . . . this one left no doubt that she was the only woman on his mind. He pulled her close as he continued to explore her mouth, and yep, she melted. She wrapped her arms about his neck, and his hands settled at her waist.
Kissing Carson made it hard to remember why she was in such a hurry to get back home. She was fine right here, in his arms, her skin buzzing at his touch.
“Carson,” she whispered as she drew away so she could catch her breath. “Are you trying to distract me?”
“Mmm,” he rumbled, his dark eyes a slit as he studied her. “Is it working?”
“Yes,” she said.
The edge of his mouth lifted. “You’re a beautiful woman, Evie Prosper. Don’t ever think that Barb holds a candle to you. I don’t like fake, never have.”
Evie moved her hands over his shoulder, then down his chest, appreciating the hard planes of his muscles. “I don’t like fake, either.”
