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It was on the tip of her tongue to sayHallelujah!, but she stifled it. This was the first time he’d been civil to her. She turned away from him and picked up one of her new shirts to fold. “What time do you want to leave?”
“I have a few things to do in the morning, and then we can leave.”
She smoothed her hand over the plum-colored T-shirt. “Do you want me to come with you this time?”
“Yes. Be ready at seven.”
She nodded but still couldn’t look at him. If she did, she’d want more. And she needed to think tonight. She let out a relieved breath when she heard the door close behind him. Tomorrow she’d be in his company nonstop. The thrill of it warred with her unease. Everything was changing. Her life had been static for so long she couldn’t imagine having the freedom to go and see and experience different places. And now she was doing just that. With a man who made her realize what she’d been missing.
Could she treat this trip as an adventure? She slipped her arm across her midsection.
She just wasn’t sure.
SIX
Shane slammedthe tailgate of his truck. The back was empty save for sleeping bags and his locker of tools. It was a crisp mid-November day, and the sun beat back the fog that had blanketed the coast. He’d been up well before dawn mainlining coffee. If they stayed on course, they should be able to make it across the states in a little under seven days. It was a big if. And the big if was because of Kendall.
She’d been laughing with Kain all morning. She was so easy with him. Shane envied their friendship. Hell, he envied anything that had to do with enjoyment and Kendall. The three days away from her had nearly killed him. The skin-on-skin contact was addicting enough, but he found that he missed her acerbic wit and the wide, sassy smirk when she tried to get him riled up.
She was a means to an end. But when he was around her, he could forget how angry he was. He’d taken so much for granted being a California Justice. He’d worked on his furniture nightly, and it had been a solid goal for his future. But it had been a future with no end date.
This was real. And this was his future.
And Kendall was part of the now. Their reality was soldered together in two misshapen forms. Did it make something ridiculous that would need to be fired apart, or was it something interesting that might fit better than anything else he’d ever known?
Was he even in the right frame of mind to decide?
All he knew was that she made him feel alive. And it seemed to be the only thing he could focus on.
Her peal of laughter dragged him out of his thoughts. She was hanging off Kain with a good two feet of air between her feet and the ground. His best friend had her up on his hip, grinning like a lunatic as he whispered something to her.
She laughed again and gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek. “Thank you so much for taking such good care of me. I don’t remember the last time I’ve been so pampered.”
Shane’s jaw snapped closed. She dropped to the ground and gave Kain one more hug, her nose pressed into the middle of his chest. Shane couldn’t hear what else she said, but he could see the light of interest blazing in his friend’s gaze.
He fisted his hands.
He couldn’t blame his friend. Kendall was a pocket of sunshine with her warm, dark eyes that were at odds with her mane of almost-white hair. But that smile. Man, that smile was a blast to the gut. If Kain didn’t get his damn hands off her, he was going to snap his fucking wrist.
She bent to pick up her backpack, but Kain waved her off.
Fuck.
Shane walked toward them and took the bag from Kain. What was it about this woman that drove him crazy and negated any manners his mother had instilled in him? Kendall had him so freaking twisted up. And it pissed him the fuck off. “Thanks, Kain.”
“I can’t believe you’re leaving me to fend for myself in California, cuz.”
The familiar Hawaiian jargon loosened the lock on his jaw. He smiled. “I’m going to miss you too, brother.”
Kain hauled him in for a full-body-blocking hug and whomped his back.
“Christ, don’t crack my spine. I still have to drive a million miles.”
“I wish you’d let me—”
Shane stepped back and held up his hand. “We’ll be fine.”
Kain sighed and nodded. “Stubborn ass. You just want to road-trip with the hot girl.”
