Page 54 of The Road Trip Romance

Penn laughs. “How could I forget? I was sick for days.”

“That sounds memorable,” I murmur before taking another sip purely for the caffeine.

“Oh, it was,” Rex adds.

“Sooo…” Jordan pipes up as he surveys us. “Tate tells us he’s calling off our mission.”

I swallow and look over at Tate who is watching me. I feel my cheeks heat again. “Is that so?”

Tate nods. “If I’m not in love with her, I’m not going to go chasing after her. I’d only do that for a woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with, and that woman isn’t Lacey.”

Tate’s looking at me as though he can see into my soul and I quickly glance away before his three friends can see that I want nothing more than to be the woman he chases after, even though my brain is telling me that it can’t work, Tate and I are too different.

“We should get packed up,” Penn states. “I mean, either we’re heading up to Montana or we’re heading home.”

“Not Montana,” Tate states, giving him a look that I can’t quite decipher.

Penn puts up his hands. “OK, cool, cool. Not Montana.”

Rex holds up his cell phone. “Can we go somewhere with service?”

Jordan laughs. “I sort of like it. We went from off the grid tooff the grid.”

We all laugh at that.

“Well, I’m glad we didn’t officially book any of that ‘grand gesture’ stuff yet,” Rex says as he looks at Tate. “I’ll help load the car. Tate, since you helped set up that big tent, can you take it apart?” he adds.

Tate nods.

I look around feeling a little helpless. None of these men need me to do a damn thing.

“Come for a walk with me? There’s supposed to be a rocky cliff over that way, and I want to get a look before we leave,” Jordan says as he links his arm with mine. “I could use the company.”

“OK,” I reply as I follow him to a cleared path near where we parked. We walk in silence for a few yards but then he looks at me.

“Do you like him?” Jordan asks.

My step falters and I nearly trip on a rock. “I—I w-what?” I stammer.

“Tate. Do you like him?” he reiterates.

“I…uh…I mean, Tate’s a great guy,” I answer, trying to skirt my true feelings.

Jordan gives me a pointed look.

I sigh. “Fine. Yes. He’s charming and funny and kind. And attractive, you all are. So big deal. I like Tate Anders. But, like, so does every woman who likes men. I mean, so what?” I stumble over my words as I throw my hands up in the air.

Jordan gives me another knowing look. “Well, Tate doesn’t like every woman.”

“We’re friends,” I say.

His knowing look comes right back.

“We are,” I insist and look away because I know I’m blushing.

“I think we both know you have something more than a friendship happening,” Jordan states.

Sighing, I look back at him. “It can’t turn into anything, Jordan.”

---