Page 21 of Side Trip

“I’ll pay for gas,” Dylan said, sweetening his offer.

“I don’t know ...”

“Let me ride with you to New York and you can check off another item on your sister’s list,” Dylan negotiated, changing tactics.

“What do you mean?”

He slipped his sunglasses down his nose, peered down at her, and slowly grinned. “I dare you to take me to New York.”

“That’s not fair.” Joy huffed. Dylan couldn’t be bothmake a new friendanddo something daringitems on Judy’s list. That would be cheating.

He moved in closer and lowered his voice. “I double dare you, Joy.” The rumble in his throat shot straight to her stomach and made her feel all sorts of things she shouldn’t be feeling.

She started to object when she remembered the reason she was on this trip. She could get through Judy’s list that much faster. She could get to Mark sooner. Anticipation fluttered through her chest and spread outward. Mark would be ecstatic if she arrived a day earlier.

“Fine. All right.” Joy held up her hands, giving in. “But we’re setting some ground rules.”

“I can do rules. We had them on the tour bus.”

“What sort of rules?” she asked, hooked.

“I’ll tell you when we get on the road. What have you got in mind?”

Joy went to her car and popped the trunk. “Rule number one: we don’t exchange last names.”

“Too late. You already know mine.”

“But you don’t know mine, so please don’t ask.” The last thing she wanted to risk was Dylan showing up on her porch stoop or sending an email because he found her on the internet. She’d have to explain to Mark who Dylan was and how they met.

Dylan broke eye contact and his shoulders slumped, but he agreed. “If that’s the way you want it, I promise I won’t ask. What’s rule number two?”

Joy dropped in her bag and closed the trunk. “What happens on the road stays on the road.”

“What are you expecting to happen, Joy?” His tone was teasing. The look in his eyes wasn’t. It was hot.

She scowled, because that look reminded her of that kiss on her temple she shouldn’t be thinking about. “Nothing that’s anywhere close to what’s on your mind at this very second.”

“Food, Joy. My mind is on food. I’m famished. Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, but nobody can know that we drove together. Got it?”

He frowned. “Why?”

“If Mark ...” She glanced away. “I don’t want to hurt him. He really wanted to come with me.”

“Why didn’t he?”

“None of your business.”

He scrunched up his mouth, then relaxed and nodded. “Fine. Anything else?”

“Nope. That’s it for me. You?” She unlocked the doors. Dylan went to his side and put his stuff in the back seat.

“One rule,” he announced as Joy started to sit down. She stood back up and looked at him across the roof of the car. “We need a rule about side trips. I have gigs scheduled. I can’t be late or miss a performance.”

Dylan had been a little more than miffed yesterday when she took a slight detour to the museum. “What are you proposing?”

“If one of us wants to take a side trip, we both have to agree. So, what do you say, Joy, do we have a deal?”

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