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Nana entered the room in time to overhear that. She snuck up beside Bomber Jacket and slid her arms around his waist. “Thank you for saving my grandbaby,” she said dramatically, then looked at Sophie. “Someone should thank the man properly.”
Noah raised his arms to avoid touching her, but Nana would have none of that and just kept on hugging. Daisy saw the fear and confusion in Noah’s eyes and laughed out loud.
Nana finally let him go. “I’m Audrey,” she said with a wink.
Noah shot Daisy’s dad a desperate, please-help-me look.
“Sorry,” her dad said. “I forget that not everyone is accustomed to drowning in women. It does take some getting used to.” He cleared his throat. “That was you at the robbery? What a coincidence. Once Daisy finally told us the story, I asked around to figure out which officer was there. All I got was that you were no longer on the force. I should have put two and two together. Anyway, I’m also very grateful.” He offered a handshake, which Noah seemed much more comfortable with.
“So, I guess we’re road-trippin’ together,” Daisy said, smiling despite her irritation. “Hope you like K-pop and stopping to pee every hour.”
“I do not,” he deadpanned.
Neither did she, but his reaction to her teasing didn’t bode well for an easy, just-pretend-he’s-a-friend trip.
Daisy faced her father and put her hands on her hips. “Not ‘carefree’? I can think of another word for it.” Screw her online persona. Out of this world handsome or not, she didn’t want to spend the next ten days with Mr. Grumpy glued to her side. “I don’t think this is gonna work out, Dad.”
“Daisy, please,” her father said. “I’m sure you’ll get along fine. It would really, really mean a lot to me.”
Daisy rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine.”
She turned to Noah and made arm motions mimicking a robot. “Are you rea-dy?” she said in a staccato, monotone voice.
She caught his glance to her father, who had the same pleading look for Noah that he’d just given her. Noah pinched his lips together and held out a hand, indicating she lead the way.
“Oh, dear,” her mom mumbled.
They all walked to the driveway where her cherry red convertible VW bug sat, top-down, washed, and ready to go. A black Range Rover was parked next to it.
“This has to be you,” Noah muttered.
“It is,” Daisy said sweetly. “And I’m driving.”
“That thing’s not going to make it six hundred miles. My car is much safer and definitely more comfortable.”
She crossed her arms. “It’s not my fault you’re eight feet tall.”
“Probably ought to pick your battles, son,” her dad whispered to Noah, who grunted in response.
He unloaded a duffel bag from the back of his rig, threw it in the backseat of Daisy’s car, and tossed her father his keys. “So you can move it.”
He turned to Daisy. “We’ll take your car, but I’m driving. No negotiation.”
That was fine with Daisy. Then she could work and nap and fiddle with the radio.
“No negotiation,” she repeated, mocking his deep, gruff voice. Nana giggled, and her dad hushed her.
Daisy hugged her mom and Nana. When she got to her father, she whispered in his ear. “I love you, Daddy. But you owe me.”
She slid into the passenger seat and tried to contain a laugh as Noah struggled to cram himself into the driver’s. Even with the seat back all the way, his long legs were too much for the space.
“We have to make one stop first,” she said. This might be the longest week and a half of her life. There was no way she was starting it without a java jolt.
CHAPTER SIX
Noah had been mistaken. After meeting Daisy and spending less than ten minutes in her company, he realized this wouldn’t be a breeze. She was chipper and chatty, ditsy and dynamic—basically, his polar opposite. The next week and a half would probably drag out like a root canal.
They hadn’t gone five miles, and she already wanted a pitstop.
