Page 39 of Dare to Hold
But what if she’s waiting for me?
I sigh, raking my hands through my hair. I’m halfway back to the song sheets before I finallybreak.
Screw it.
I snatch my phone off the cushion and type two words.
Gray
You busy?
I stare at the screen. Regret it. Then don’t. Then regret it again.
Until she texts back.
Ivy
Not too busy for you.
I blink and exhale as I feel something warm spread across my chest that I wasn’t prepared for.
Before I can second-guess myself, I reply.
Gray
Good answer. Wanna go for a drive?
Three dots pop up immediately. I hold my breath.
Ivy
I can be ready in fifteen.
I can’t help but grin. She sends me her address and I slide my phone back into my pocket and reach for my keys. I glance over my shoulder at the setlist I still need to complete, but it can wait.
Because I get to see Ivy tonight.
Because no song, no setlist, nothing compares to being with her.
“I’ll be back Goliath!”
Fifteen minutes later, she slides into the passenger seat of my truck, still smelling faintly of that floral perfume she wears. Her hair is up in a loose knot with a few strands falling around her face, and she’s wearing an oversized cream sweater with soft, wide sleeves and a slouchy neckline that looks like it was made for cold nights and lingering conversations.
“Hey, you.” I rest one hand on the steering wheel, the other draped over the center console.
“Hey.” She smiles as she buckles her seatbelt. “So…where are we going?”
I tap the steering wheel with my thumb, leaning just a little closer. “It’s a surprise.”
Her eyes narrow in playful suspicion. “A good surprise?”
“The best,” I promise, my mouth curving. “There’s this place just outside of town I’ve been wanting to take you. It’s…hard to explain. You’ll see when we get there.”
She tilts her head, curiosity written all over her face. “Mysterious.”
I grin, shifting the truck into drive. “Exactly.”
We drive for a while—long enough for the city lights to fall behind us and the narrow backroads to stretch out. Ivy’s window is cracked just slightly, the cool evening air slipping in and brushing against her hair.
