Page 12 of Known By You
I looked to Liz. “How about you drive first, and we’ll alternate, but I’ll take the last stint just in case jet lag hits?”
The eleven-hour drive would be long, but if we traded off every three-to-four hours, we’d make it quick. With it being winter, the first stretch would be most stressful as we got out of Northern Utah, and after that it was a pretty clear shot through the desert to Cali. I couldn’t think of anythingI’d rather be doing, and I’d get a little bonus for the weekend work despite being on salary, so all in all, there was no downside to this situation.
“Sounds good.”
She took the keys, thanked Cookie, and marched toward the rear exit, which I hadn’t thought she even knew about.
We got our bags settled. I waved obnoxiously to Cookie even though he was nowhere to be seen, and then we were off.
Liz drove carefully but not timidly. I liked it.
Thus far, I liked just about everything she did, so this was no surprise. Still, she had this confident, focused way about her, and it was more than a little attractive.
The temptation to shut my eyes would’ve dragged at me more, but the awareness that we had eleven hours alone together was as effective as a shot of espresso.
Speaking of, we navigated down Elk Street and passed both Joe and Glazed.
“Have you tried Joe or Glazed?” I asked, longing for a donut and knowing full well I wouldn’t ask her to stop. Plus, I’d packed copious road trip snacks, which were their own delicacy.
“Not yet this trip. I had some Joe last time, but otherwise, I got stuffed with bread from Rise and Shine. I’m pretty sure Jane felt it was my duty as Sadie’s step-sister-in-law to eat my bodyweight in homemade carbs.”
The small smile on her lips made me smile.
“I like Jane.” She was just one of those super likeable people, and if you lived in Silverton long enough, you got to know her. The Saints, along with the Morrisons and a few others, were practically founding families of Silver Ridge, so it made sense. “Is it weird that she’s your stepmom?”
Jane Saint had married Liz’s dad, Darcy Malcom, a fewyears back. They’d literally run away to Vegas and got married and they were freaking adorable. They’d found each other after loss and divorce, and the sight of them around town or at a giant table full of Jane’s kids and their spouses and grandkids and Jo and Adam… well, it made a man believe in happy endings.
At least for some people.
“I’m not proud to say I thought it would be. I was really skeptical about her. But after about twenty minutes in her presence, I could see why my dad loves her. She’s genuine and forthright. That’s not how my mom is, and I haven’t really talked to them about what went wrong, but it makes sense he likes that.”
She exhaled in a way that made me feel like maybe she hadn’t anticipated saying so much.
I wondered if she felt guilty for not visiting sooner, but I wasn’t about to ask the question. Instead, I said, “And hey, now you have a bunch of big and or little brothers and such.”
She chuckled, and I couldn’t resist peeking at her to see how the smile looked on her pretty face.
Granted,prettywas like calling the Hoover dam a watering hole. She was… beautiful.
“So true. I was never one of those kids who wanted a big family—that was always Jojo. But I’m enjoying getting to know them all.”
Jojo.Damn, it was an adorable nickname, and it gave me this tiny glimpse into what she might be like as a sister. Fiercely protective and determinedly supportive, yes. I knew this and had witnessed it firsthand during her last visit.
ButJojogave me a hint of softness. A clue about what might be under some of her serious, focused layers.
Not to be a total romcom-loving cliché, but I loved a tough outer shell with a melty inside. Grumpy with a cinnamon roll center heroines were not really a trend from what Jo and the Romance Reader Club ladies told me, but… sign me up.
“I’m sure they feel the same.”
She didn’t respond to that, so I let it lie. No sense in pushing this early, and a Golden Retriever I may be, but I could also be a dog with a bone about things.
So I reached into my bag and pulled out the first round of road snackies. “May I offer you a Combo?”
A laugh barked out of her, startling in the early morning quiet and the lull of the road. “Um, no, thank you.”
“You have a problem with Combos?” I asked, only slightly mocking in my offense.
“I… didn’t realize they still exist.”
