Page 8 of The Rebound
Which makes me wonder ... what kind of man in his right mind would leave a woman like Kinley? She’s smart as hell, with a wit that’s got me stepping up my usual smack talk because the girl can handle anything. Not to mention her killer sense of humor. She makes me laugh and keeps me on my toes.
While Kinley is distracted, searching through her bottomless pit of a purse for her wallet, I sneak the opportunity to whip out my card and hand it to the cashier. He nods apathetically and runs it without a word.
When Kinley finally looks up, wallet in hand, I’m already shoving the receipt in my pocket. Her eyes are wide and an awed smile sits crooked on her face. “You didn’t ...”
“I know. It wasn’t my place. But I did,” I say with an innocent shrug. I don’t know her well enough to know if she’s actually mad, or just plotting out a way to pay me back.
She shakes her head at me in disbelief, but the sparkle in her eyes is enough to tell me that she’s not mad. “You really are asaint, aren’t you?”
I’ve heard the line a million times, but for some reason, when Kinley says it, it feels brand new. “So they tell me.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’m parking the car next to my favorite ice cream shop. It’s a little corner store with a classic red awning and a line of families spilling out the front door. I open the car door, feeling the summer heat roll off the asphalt in waves. It’s late in the afternoon at this point, and the sun is unavoidable with minimal shade options. I’m not about to let Kinley stand in this heat for God knows how long, so I leave the car running.
“It’s hot as balls out here, so you hang tight. Air-conditioning is here on the dash, or you can just roll your window down for a breeze.”
“Thank you. I’m burning up.” She sighs, leaning her seat back.
I catch a glimpse of her glistening cleavage as she adjusts her top, then look away before I can get any ideas. “I’ll get you a bottle of water too, if you like.”
“That would be amazing.”
“What flavor of ice cream do you want?”
She taps one finger to her chin, contemplating. “Hmm. Surprise me.”
“Surprise you?” Not what I expected ... but I like a challenge.
“Yeah.” She cocks her head to the side, daring me. Kinley’s only known me for two days, and the woman can already tell how much I love a good challenge.
“You got it. And for the little guy?” I nod, glancing at her stomach.
She chuckles, patting her belly gently. “I think we’ll share.”
The line moves quickly, and in under ten minutes, I’m back with a little cardboard cup of limoncello for me and an ice-cold bottle of water and a cup of chocolate peanut butter for her. She squirms happily in her seat at the sight of the thick swirls of peanut butter and white chocolate chips.
“Yesss, you read my mind. Thank you,” she sings before wrapping her lips around a heaping spoonful. Her eyes flutter closed, and she hums in happiness.
Mission accomplished.
We eat our ice cream at the curb in comfortable silence. When we’re finished, I hop out of the car and shove the empty cups in the closest trash can.
As I get back in the car, Kinley stifles a yawn. “Wow, I’m wiped. How are you doing?”
“I’m golden. Let’s get you home.”
The car ride back to the complex isn’t very long, but Kinley still dozes off with her head resting lightly against the window.
A tender feeling seizes my heart.
I’ve never had someone fall asleep while I was driving, except that one time I drove the rookie back to his place when he was blackout drunk. This feels different somehow, more meaningful. Kinley trusts me completely to get her home safely.
I glance at her belly as it rises and falls with her serene breathing. A strange, foreign thought occurs to me.
For the first time ever, I’ve got a baby on board. How about that?
When I pull into the parking garage at our complex, Kinley is still sound asleep. I don’t want to wake her, but we don’t know each other well enough for me to carry her upstairs. I quietly unload the shopping bags and bring them inside before coming back for Kinley. When I open the passenger side door, she jolts awake.
“Hey, it’s okay. We’re home,” I say softly. I consider placing a comforting hand on her knee, but Kinley blinks a few times and recovers before I can decide whether it’s a good idea or not.
