Page 38 of Chasing Forever
I look down at Wren. “I’ll be right there. Can you ask Aunt Lottie to come talk to me real quick?”
Wren frowns but nods and bolts back toward the car. She and Lottie talk for maybe ten seconds before Wren climbs into the back seat, and Lottie gets out. Her body’s all stiff lines and tight shoulders, showing she’s clearly not thrilled to be here.
Mack strolls over and nudges at Lottie’s hand. She pets him automatically. Doesn’t even realize she’s doing it, I don’t think.
“What?” she bites out through clenched teeth when she joins me at the door.
I was going to say something about her bringing Wren, about how she clearly doesn’t want to be alone with me—but when she stepped out of the car, that plan flew out the window. Her hair’s a little wind-blown, cheeks flushed. She looks beautiful. And pissed. My favorite combo.
“Where are my flowers?” I ask.
She blinks. “Flowers?”
“You wanted to plan this date, and I’m not feeling very wooed.” I lean on the doorframe, arms crossed.
“This is a check-the-box date, and you know it.”
“Nope. They’re real dates. Not ones where you honk like a taxi and expect me to come running.”
She turns her head and stares at my barn as if she’d rather go figure out what’s wrong with the truck in there than keep this conversation going. “Are we going or not?”
I grab my keys, get Mack back inside, and shut the front door. “Next time I’d appreciate flowers. And you coming to the door.” I walk past her, down the steps.
She lets out a long-suffering sigh while I grin to myself.
“How do you feel about the fair with Wren?” she calls out, a little hopeful, a little hesitant, as though she thinks this might stop me in my tracks.
“Sounds like fun.” I stop outside the car’s passenger door, waiting.
She doesn’t look over.
I clear my throat.
Her hand freezes on her door handle. Her eyes lift and meet mine across the top of the SUV. “Seriously?”
“Deadly.”
She mutters something under her breath that I’m pretty sure isn’t flattering. Then, to my surprise, she walks around the front of the car and opens my door. “Satisfied?”
“Immensely.” I slide into her car, already missing my truck. I practically have to fold myself into this thing.
Lottie slams the door and walks around the front of the SUV while I chuckle.
“Why does Aunt Lottie look so mad?” Wren asks from the back seat, all innocence and big eyes, already strapped into her booster.
“She’s just annoyed. She’ll get over it when we get to the fair.” I twist to face her. “We have one mission tonight, Wren. And I need a partner.”
She leans forward, her curiosity fully engaged.
“We’re getting Aunt Lottie on the Zipper.”
Her back hits her seat, and she shakes her head. “Aunt Lottie doesn’t like the Zipper.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Lottie puts her hand on the door handle.
