Page 35 of Love in the Wild

Gage turned back to Hadley. “Listen, the guys were asking about you, and I told them we’re hanging out. So, if anyone asks, that’s the story.”

Hadley grinned. “I knew you liked me.”

“I do not like you. I needed a lie, and I lied. The only way we’re seeing each other is by standing in this parking lot.”

Hadley tried to hide her smile, but she was definitely pleased. “Whatever you say, sweetie.”

“No, not sweetie. Not anything.”

Where was a cigarette when he needed it?

“Mm-hmm,” Hadley hummed. She opened the passenger door of her car and pulled out a bag and a drink. “You get turkey today. Don’t want you to get burnt out on roast beef.”

“Thanks.” Gage took the bag, carefully skirting the implication that there would be enough of these meetings for him to get tired of his favorite food.

He lowered the tailgate and pulled out the sandwich. “So, the problem with my lie this morning was that the guys think you’re a minor.”

Hadley crossed her arms over her chest and rested her hip against the truck. “I’m not.”

Gage studied her while he chewed. “Mind if I ask for proof?”

Hadley rolled her eyes and dug around in her car. Finally, she whipped out her license, carefully covering her address information.

Smart girl.

She was barely twenty-years-old, but that was old enough. Could this innocent-looking woman really be only five years younger than him?

“Good enough for you?” she asked.

Gage took one last look at her license photo. His looked like a mugshot, but Hadley practically radiated light against a dull background.

“Yeah. Your last name is Morgan?”

Hadley pulled her license back and put it back in her car. “To the best of my knowledge.”

Okay, he deserved the cold shoulder. Still, it made him want to apologize for being a jerk yesterday.

Nope. That would be two steps back in the plan to keep Hadley at a safe distance.

“You have any siblings?” he asked.

Hadley crossed her arms again and shook her head. “I’m gonna stop you right there. This isn’t about me.”

Gage took a huge bite of the sandwich to hide the grin threatening to blow his cover. What did it say about him that he liked it when she threw his words back at him?

“Fair enough. How’s Thea?”

“Same as yesterday. I think she and Brett should figure out a way to work things out between them, but I don’t really get a say in that,” Hadley said as she hopped up onto the tailgate and casually kicked her dangling legs.

“That’s a terrible idea.”

Hadley tilted her head. “Thanks for your opinion. Agree to disagree?”

“I guess so.”

Hadley gathered her hair and pulled it to one side so it flowed over her shoulder like a waterfall. “How’s your mom?”

How was his mom? His useless brain was completely empty, as if Hadley had drained it as soon as she showed up. He pulled his attention from her face to look down, but then her legs were in his line of sight.

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