Page 36 of Rebel Bride
She had. It did. “Your underwear seemed to bother me?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. You gripped the steering wheel really, really tight. Because … duh, duh, duh … underwear!”
Maybe I had. Or maybe everything Summer did had me holding on, bracing myself for the next dip of the rollercoaster.
“Did Carter know how weird you are?”
“If he had, I probably wouldn’t be in this mess. Okay, wish me luck!”
She had yet to come home.
It was close to four o’clock and there was no sign of her. I should have taken her number, but I hadn’t, and now I was worried because she was riding that pile of rust and had probably fallen into a fucking ditch.
I got in my car and started driving. No sign of her on the road into town or near the harbor. My relief at finding her walking the bike along Water Street pissed me off so much that I was already rolling my window down as I pulled up alongside her.
“Where the hell have you been?” Dad energy to the max.
Those violet eyes went wide at my reaction. “Didn’t know I needed to check in.”
“What happened?”
“Flat tire.” She wiped her brow and pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. “I didn’t have your number. It’s only a thirty-minute walk.”
More like forty. “Guess we didn’t think that one through.” I got out, grabbed the bike from her, and put it in the trunk. The action provided a much needed moment to cool down. “How did it go?”
She patted her backpack. “I got a few things, tampons and the like.” If she was expecting me to be embarrassed by the mention of menstrual products, she’d be a long time waiting. I had dealt with enough estrogen in my life to be able to handle that.
To prove how evolved I was, I asked, “Pick up any underwear?”
“No. The boutique places in town are too expensive. I didn’t go into any of them, but I can tell.”
“So you don’t have any clean undies?”
“Don’t you worry, Dino Boy. I can wash out my single pair every night before I go to bed.”
Which meant she would be sleeping naked.
I really needed to stop thinking of Summer naked.
“Let’s take a look.”
“At my single pair of underwear?”
“At Saugatuck’s clothing emporiums.” If necessary, I’d drive her into the next biggest town, Holland, but I’d rather check out the local options first.
She got in the car, grumbling, “what a waste of time and money” and “I believe it’s emporia.”
I fought to ignore how my great-gran’s shorts rode up her thighs and how her smooth, golden limbs had me itching to touch. Two minutes later, we pulled up outside one of the Main Street boutiques.
“How about some retail therapy and then something to eat?” This was already going against my resolution to be discreet, but she had the Motors cap, and I was confident we could fool the lot of them.
She brightened. “I can buy you dinner. To thank you!”
“With what? I thought you were broke.”
“Maybe we can find a hot dog stand?”
Even in Saugatuck, they cost a fortune. “Keep it for your underwear. Come on, let’s go.”
