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“Means we’re not done,” he answered confidently and walked out around me to pull open the driver’s side door. “I’ll text you this week.”
Rachel’s eyes widened, and she stared awkwardly at Ritz before running around the front of the SUV and climbing in. I could only nod, not sure how to respond to any of this. On the one hand, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted him to text me, but on the other, that was all I wanted. I was more confused now than I had been all those months ago when he found me walking along the side of the road.
Without the energy to deal with more, I climbed into the SUV, and he came to stand in the open doorway. “You okay to drive?”
I set my purse on the console between me and Rachel before looking back at Tank. “Yeah.”
He jerked up his chin. “Drive carefully.”
That was all he said before he closed the door and took a few steps back. Without hesitating, I started the engine and pulled out, lifting my hand in a quick wave before driving around the parking lot to the exit.
Once on the road back to town, I spoke quietly. “Did it seem like he cared when we were saying goodbye?”
“Don’t romanticize it, Jane.” She sighed. “We know how this goes with men. The beginning is great and then…”
“Yeah,” I agreed, that being all the reminder I needed. “And then.”
“It was a lot of fun, though.”
I glanced over when I sensed the smile in her voice and grinned when I saw it lingering on her lips. “Yeah, it was.”
She cleared her throat. “Would you do it again?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Would you?”
“Absolutely.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “But we’d have to have a better plan in place.”
“Like what to tell our mothers?”
“And where to stay if we drink too much.”
“Did you stay with Ritz?” I asked what I thought I already knew, but I wasn’t sure.
“Yeah. But he slept on the couch in his room.” I felt her stare on the side of my face. “What about you?”
I swallowed hard, remembering all too well the feeling of waking up literally on top of Tank. I wasn’t sure I was ready to share that, though. “I woke up in Tank’s bed.”
“Where did he sleep?”
The way she asked gave me the out I needed. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t know what it all meant, and Rachel could be really negative when it came to these types of things. She’d had such a crappy history with men, including her own father, so I understood, but no matter what I’d been through, I couldn’t seem to write off the idea of loving someone and him loving me in return.
“I’m not sure.” I had a feeling she was going to ask more but was saved by a sign. “Is that a coffee shop?”
Her head snapped to the right, and she sighed. “It looks like it. Let’s stop. I really need coffee.”
“Me too,” I agreed.
I found a space up front and pulled alongside the road. Getting out, we headed inside and both smiled when the scent of coffee hit us.
“God, it smells good in here,” Rachel announced.
“That’s what we like to hear.” The girl behind the counter smiled and stepped forward. “I’m Maddie. What can I get you?”
“Hmm…” I studied the board. “How about a mocha latte to go?”
“Ooh, same,” Rachel said.
“Coming right up.” Maddie turned her back to us and began making our drinks.
