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My gaze zeroes in on his ass, because god damn does that man wear the hell out of a pair of jeans. Honestly, I was joking when I thought there was something in the water in Rosewood. But the longer I'm here, the more I see, I'm not convinced it isn't true.
“Cooler, Evangeline?” There's amusement in his tone, and I glance up to find him looking over his shoulder at me.
Busted.
I grin and slip my hands into the pockets of my dress. It's a casual ocean blue strappy linen summer dress that falls mid-thigh.
“In the back hall. Gonna tell me where we're going yet?”
“Nope.” He grins and disappears in the back hall, leaving me at the mercy of my curiosity and imagination.
I love a good surprise, and Nova has a way of making everything feel like an adventure.
36
EVANGELINE
Forty minutes later,we're comfortably seated in the bed of Nova's truck at the drive-in theatre, aptly named The Drive-In.
Honestly, if I wasn't already falling for the man, this kind of romantic gesture would tip me over the edge.
A thin twin-sized air mattress, several plush blankets, a mini cooler that looks like that one character from Star Wars, and two of those reading pillows that have a backrest and arms all make up the perfect little space to watch a movie outdoors.
The last of the sun's rays smudge the horizon in golden oranges and bright pinks, and the air is finally starting to cool off.
We have a prime spot in the lot, not too close to the screen but dead center. He even has two little bluetooth speakers, already tuned in to the movie, on either side of us.
The volume is low, since the movie hasn't started yet. Commercials and movie trivia will continue to play for another ten minutes or so, until the previews start.
He's leaning against the back of the cab, cushioned by his olive-colored sherpa reading pillow, legs outstretched and crossed at the ankle. A beer in one hand, his gaze firmly on me as a smile flirts with the corners of his lips.
I've got my legs crossed, sort of perpendicular to him, just annihilating the French fries he brought. They're not hot anymore, but the aluminum foil and Nana Jo's old thermal cooler kept them warm enough.
It's honestly perfect.
“You ever been here before?” he asks.
I wipe my salty fingers on the corner of a napkin. “Yep. But not since I was a kid. I used to come with Cora and some of my other cousins.”
“Ah, Coraline Carter, the cousin who hates me,” he says, grinning. He doesn't look too broken up about it, even if I think he's exaggerating.
I roll my eyes. “She doesn't hate you. She doesn't even know you.”
He smirks. “She's just being protective of you, and I get that. But she doesn't need to worry about me. I'm not going to hurt you, Evangeline.”
To curb my instinct to kiss those sweet words off of his too-handsome face, I put away the rest of the snacks. I toss the dirty napkins in a little plastic garbage bag and pop the leftover food into the cooler at the end of the truck. Right next to a giant bucket of popcorn Nova insisted we get, despite the little picnic he packed.
The trivia music fades and the screen brightens with The Drive-In's general welcome message. The previews are going to start any second.
I settle in against my own pillow, close enough to feel the heat from Nova but still leaving a few inches of space between us.
“Remind me what movie this is again?” I murmur.
“It's an action movie. Something about the apocalypse, I think. The guy who owns The Drive-In likes to play a lot of indie movies too.”
I wiggle my butt and slide down a little, getting comfortable on the air mattress and pile of blankets beneath us. “Oh, I love a good action movie. I always wished they had more romance though, ya know? Like when the stakes are so high, that kind of instalove just makes sense.”
I glance at him to find his gaze already fixed on me, dark and intense. I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. He reaches over and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his easy touch sending shivers tumbling down my back.
