Page 6 of Wasted On You

“Why is he in the hospital?” she asked crisply, caring more about the answer than she should.

“Oh, that I don’t know,” the woman responded, mouth pursed as she picked at the edge of her jacket.

“I find that hard to believe,” Ivy muttered under her breath.

“What was that dear?” Mary Margaret paused.

“Nothing.” Ivy pushed her cart a few inches ahead until Mary Margaret was forced to step aside. Kip followed her to the cash, and the two of them were able to buy their groceries without anyone else bothering them.

Outside, the brilliant sun shone down, making diamonds glitter across the snow, and she pulled on her sunglasses as they made their way through the parking lot to the truck. Once they were loaded up, Kip returned the cart while Ivy fired up the engine.

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, debating whether to call Millie Sue or not. She’d know what was up with Mike Paul. She’d know why he was in the hospital. Know what had hap?—

“Are we going to talk about this guy or what?” Kip fastened his seatbelt and turned to her.

Startled—she hadn’t heard him slip inside—she took a moment, then shrugged. “What guy?” Eyes straight ahead, she put the truck in gear.

“Don’t play that game with me. You and I both know there’s a reason we’re engaged, and it’s not because we’re madly in love with each other.” He cracked a smile. “No offense.”

“None taken.” She replied dryly, holding up her ring finger. The large square-cut diamond still looked weird on her finger. She maneuvered the truck out of the parking lot, took a left, and headed toward downtown Big Bend.

“So, the reason you asked me to marry you was this Mike Paul guy,” Kip continued conversationally. “Why does he have two names?”

She shot him a dark look. “He only has one name.”

“I beg to differ. Mike is one. Paul is another.” Kip shrugged. “Just saying.” He waited a second or two. “Are you going to fill me in?”

She focused on the road and eased into the left lane. The last thing she wanted was to land in the hospital with Mike Paul in residence. “You could have said no.”

“To what?”

“My proposal.”

“There was a lot of tequila involved.”

She grinned at that. Kip always had a way of making her smile. It’s why they’d become such good friends. “Tequila and that awful kiss.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” he scoffed.

“Worst one I ever had.” They were at a traffic light, and she glanced his way and noted his annoyance. “What? It was.”

“You’re not good for my ego.”

“Your ego is big enough to take it, and anyway, I wouldn’t worry. I’m sure I’m the only female on the planet you’ve kissed who wasn’t blown away.”

“The light is green.” Kip lifted his chin. “Pretty sure the kiss sucked because you were wishing it was someone else.”

She didn’t answer him because he was right.

“This whole thing was a joke that got out of hand.” She gripped the steering wheel and made the next right.

“I don’t like to lose.”

“Neither do I.”

“It’s why we get along so well.”

“You bought this ring and took it to the next level.”

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