Page 19 of Cold Foot Croc

“Good.” His phone buzzed in his back pocket. He pulled it out and checked the screen quickly. “It’s my brother. I’ve got to go.”

“Okay. Thank you for bringing this by. I was…”

“You were what?”

Just say it.“I was checking the clock, counting down until five. I was kind of nervous you wouldn’t show up, but excited that maybe you would. You made the day fun. The anticipation was…well it was different from my usual day.”

His smile turned megawatt again, and he ducked his gaze. Were his cheeks redder? “Of course I was going to show up. I said I would. I am a follow-through man. I’m not meaning to run, but my brother is already waiting.”

“Tell Dylan hi from me. If you want to, I mean. Only if you want.”

He nodded jerkily, staring at her like he wanted to say more. “We’re from New Mexico.”

The turn in conversation surprised her, and she didn’t really know how to respond.

“That’s what you asked me yesterday. Where we’re from. We’re from New Mexico. That’s where all the snowboarding pictures on my page came from. It’s what we did there. It’s what all my friends did with us there.”

“You know, you could always enjoy the stuff you did in your old life too. There’s snowboarding here. Snowbowl isn’t that far away.” She grinned and used his words. “I internet-searched it.”

He nodded, looking impressed as he backed toward the door. “You’re fun, Lenace.”

“So are you.”

“I got steaks at the store,” he said, pausing at the exit. “Just so you know. I listened. I got extra ones if you ever feel like eating. With me. Eating steaks. Together.”

Oh gah, his awkwardness was so damn hot. “I like steak,” she said.

He looked hopeful. “I have to go. I don’t want to go, but I have to. Dylan found someplace for me to Change, and we’re camping out for it.”

“Wait, you’re getting to Change tonight?”

“Yep. I hate it,” he admitted, shaking his head. He shrugged his shoulders up to his ears. “Dylan tries to make it fun, but mostly I’m just stressed out about killing him or something.”

“There’s bear spray on aisle five,” she said helpfully.

“Wait, really?” he asked. “I didn’t even think about him taking bear spray. He just shoots at me sometimes.” He frowned. “Sometimes he just shoots me.”

“You boys are so dysfunctional. Go grab the bear spray and let me buy it for you. Discount and all.”

“Oh, I can’t let you buy it for me,” he murmured, walking toward aisle five. He returned a few moments later with the spray, tugging his wallet out of his back pocket.

“I insist. It’s the least I can do after you got jackets for me and the baby.”

Slowly, he slid the wallet back into his pocket. “Well, thank you. I’ll tell Dylan you’re giving him the gift of life.” He watched her pulling cash from her wallet to put into the register. “Do you have a name for him yet?”

“For the baby?”

“Yeah.” He looked so serious.

She should, but she didn’t. Raynah shook her head. “I don’t know where to start with that.”

“They got baby-naming books,” he said helpfully. “In book stores, and probably on the internet.”

“Maybe I’ll get one.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” she said softly, not wanting him to go. She could tell he was stalling and didn’t want to leave either.

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