AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Tip-top. Whatever Griff did to it, I think it’s running better than before.”
“He’s a gearhead. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he tweaked a few other things besides the starter.”
“That was awfully nice of him. And you,” she adds quickly.
I shrug off the comment. I didn’t do anything special. Listening to Emily helps the drive go by fast. Before I know it, I’m signaling for the exit.
Emily
“Sorry I babbled so much.” I rub my hands over my pants. Why is it so easy to open my mouth and say all the dumb things that come to mind around him?
“I like listening to you,” Dex says.
“Thanks,” I murmur, heat searing my face.
He turns onto a narrow dirt road. Branches smack at the windshield and he curses under his breath.
“They don’t seem to keep up on the grounds maintenance very well,” I joke to lighten up the mood a little.
“I guess not.”
He stops short, jolting me forward a bit.
I take my eyes off him and stare at the rusty chain blocking the rest of the road. A small metal sign reads “closed” in big, orange letters.
Dex huffs a cynical laugh. “Well, shit. In all my planning, it never occurred to me to make sure they were actuallyopentoday.”
He says it jokingly but I sense he’s genuinely upset. “Don’t feel too bad,” I say. “I did look up the place andstilldidn’t notice they weren’t open.”
“Were you worried I was dragging you off into the middle of nowhere?” he teases.
“No.” I glance at my sneakers. “I wanted to dress appropriately.”
“You’re perfect.” He shifts the truck into park and glances over his shoulder. “Well, where should we go now? I have lunch in the back. Picnic in the woods okay with you?”
I glance around. We’re surrounded by woods. Majestic pines, maple trees, oaks, and others I can’t name. Some stand stark naked, their branches pointing at the sky and their leaves scattered on the ground. Not a person in sight.
Beyond the trees, what looks like a house breaks up the scenery. “What if a werewolf tries to eat us?”
“Werewolf?” He chuckles. “I’ll protect you.”
Dex shifts into drive and eases the truck off the road, parking under a large maple tree.
“Do you think we’ll get yelled at for trespassing?”
“If we do, we’ll leave.” He shrugs, completely unconcerned.
“I’m a bit of a rule follower.”
“And I’m a bit of a rule breaker.” He opens his door and steps out. “We make a good pair.”
Peering inside the cab, he studies me for a moment. “We’re not going to wreck anything. We’re not even sneaking into the park. Just two would-be visitors turned away at the gate, looking for a lunch spot.”
He’s right. I’m being silly. “Okay.”
He shuts his door with a quietthump. I reach down and grab my purse, digging through it for a lip balm and quickly swipe it over my lips, then tuck it in my pocket.
My door opens and Dex holds out his hand. He’s so sweet. In a scowling, wide-shouldered, protective hero sort of way. Strength and confidence always seem to radiate from him.
