Page 43 of Love Unexpected
With all three of us in the car, the Rabbitdidfeel a little cramped, but you wouldn’t hear me admitting as much to Tyler. I’d picked this car on purpose. Because it was distinctive. And retro. And, despite outward appearances, good for the environment. Though the body style was right out of the seventies, the car had been entirely rebuilt to house an electric engine. A friend I’d known back in high school had recently started a business in Charleston converting classic cars into electric vehicles. But he was having a hard time getting things off the ground, and a little bit of free publicity would go a long way to generate some interest and put his business on the map.
I glanced into the rearview mirror, noticing how scrunched Tyler looked. I’d bought the car without a second thought, immediately loving the idea of helping my friendandacquiring an electric vehicle, which was something I’d been thinking about doing for a while anyway. But Tyler was possibly going to kill me by the time we made it to Kansas. Rosie seemed comfortable enough, at least. She was only slightly taller than Dani; her small frame made the front seat look spacious.
“Snacks next, right?” Tyler said from the backseat. “I cannot road trip without snacks.”
Rosie shot me a sideways glance. “He’s right. Every road trip needs snacks. Luckily, I came prepared.”
She reached for her bag and opened it up before pulling things out one by one. “I only took care of the candy, though. We still need to stop for drinks and salty things.”
“You have given this some thought.”
She looked up, her eyes steady. “I am very serious about my food.”
Tyler sighed longingly. “I think I just found the woman of my dreams.”
Rosie grinned, and the tension she’d been carrying in her shoulders since getting in the car seemed to melt away. “You haven’t even seen what I packed.”
“You’re overestimating his culinary discernment,” I said. “Tyler only needs it to be edible. The specifics don’t matter.”
“That’s concerning then because I did actually bring something that isn’t edible.”
“I am intrigued,” I said, enjoying the banter. I tossed a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure Tyler was filming. I hadn’t expected Rosie to settle in so soon.
“Since every normal person agrees that Twizzlers are the very best road trip snack, I have three different kinds, including everyone’s favorite, Cherry Nibs.”
“Yes,” Tyler said from behind us, extending a hand and taking the Twizzlers from Rosie.
“But for you,” she said, lifting up a second bag, “the one whose taste buds are obviously all dead, I have some Australian black licorice.”
My eyes widened. “What? Where did you find that? How did you know?”
“You said it on a video once. Do you actually like this stuff? I was kinda hoping you had just been kidding, and this would be more like a practical joke.”
My mind caught momentarily on the fact that Rosie remembered such a random detail from an old video. Off hand, I couldn’t remember what I’d said or when I’d said it, but I’d loved black licorice since I was a kid. And I’d made a lot of videos over the years. I wasn’t surprised I’d mentioned it at some point. “You are speaking blasphemous words, Rosie Crenshaw.” I reached for the bag with my spare hand. “Have you even tried it? The Australian stuff is so much better than anything you can find here in the states.”
“Of course I haven’t tried it. And I won’t, either, so don’t get any ideas. No one actuallylikesblack licorice.”
“Then why do jelly bean companies keep making black jelly beans?”
“To keep us grounded in reality,” she said. “Life is good...but not that good.”
I laughed. “I swear, the Australian stuff tastes better. You have to try it.”
“I...do not have to try it. I bought it for you, Isaac. It’s a gift.”
Tyler chuckled from the back seat. “This is great, guys.”
Rosie’s eyes widened and she glanced into the back seat, as if she’d forgotten Tyler was there and filming. She looked back at her lap, suddenly looking flustered.
Stupid Tyler. He’d thrown her off.
“Let’s stop for drinks,” I said, hoping we’d be able to find our rhythm again. Rosie was quick and witty; she’d make for some entertaining conversations, but Tyler may have to fade into the background a little more for it to happen. “But then you’re trying it,” I said to Rosie, hoping she sensed my playful tone.
“Fine,” she said, a smile lifting the corners of her eyes. “But I’m only doing it for the satisfaction of proving you wrong.”
Chapter Sixteen
Rosie
