Page 18 of The Love Wager

I grin, remembering that this probably wasn’t the right story to tell her, but once I actually tried to come up with a time Spence and I fought, I realize we don’t.

“It’s something small-town and stupid, isn’t it? Go ahead, out with it.”

Her answering grin makes my smile spread wider. “He stole a handful of fries off my plate with his dirty ass hands from football practice. I don’t care where you’re from, that’s fucked up!”

She busts out laughing, and the pressure in the cab between us dissipates.

I pull into Freedom Inn’s drive, turning with the winding curves until we reach the small, ten-car parking lot.

“I agree,” she says after stowing her laughter, “I’d have been pissed too. That’s disgusting!”

After a moment of staring at her with a stupid smirk on my face, I realize how light I feel. How calm.

“Oh, let me get the door for you,” I tell her, swinging my door open as it groans against my efforts.

“I can open my own door!” I hear her shout as I slam mine and hurry around the front of the truck.

She shakes her head and swings her door open. I grab it and pull it open more. This one sticks from where I got a bit too close to a pole at the bank and dented the door inward.

“Allow me some of my small-town-man pleasantries, will you?” I huff, looking down as she bounds off the bench seat and nearly collides with my chest.

Suddenly, it feels as if I’m breathing through a straw as I stand in her way and stare down at a piece of her hair that has fallen free from her messy bun.

Reaching up, I curl it around her ear, hearing the moment her breathing hitches. Her eyes are investigative. Searching.

“Hey, want to do dinner tonight?” she asks me, and I’m taken aback slightly by her forwardness, but it is nice to have someone who speaks their mind in a town full of veiled smiles and politeness.

“Dinner?”

“I mean,” she shifts on her feet, “you don’t have to; I was just thinking we have things to discuss, you and I.”

“Do we?”

“Of course we do. Maid of Honor, Best Man shit.” Her brow quirks in my direction like I should’ve known that.

“Oh, right.” I deflate a bit that her offer’s all business, but try not to let my disappointment show. “Yeah, sure.”

“Maybe something other than Duke’s?”

“Only here a day and hating on our five-star cuisine.” I shake my head, a mocking simper on my lips.

“If Duke’s is five-star, I’m an elephant’s uncle.”

I step out of her way as she takes a step forward. “Oh yeah, what’s their name?”

“Who?” She turns back, stepping blindly as I see her foot headed for the mother of all mud puddles.

“Indie, watch out!” I lunge for her, but her foot lands, her leg twists slightly, throwing her off balance, and down she goes.

Mud covers us both as I grab her under her arms and lift her, trying to save some of her from getting covered in dirt and instead sending us both toppling to the ground in a spray of the stuff.

Her shriek and my groan mingle as we hit the ground together.

“Fuck! Are you good? Your ankle?” I ask her as she’s beside me, laughing her ass off.

“I’m fine,” she wheezes out.

“What is so funny?” I grumble, sitting up and tossing mud off my hands in a flick.

---