Page 58 of To Belong Together
“A romantic wouldn’t have gotten kicked out of a wedding.”
The humor ebbed. As funny as his gesture may have looked to bystanders, he genuinely cared about Kate, or he wouldn’t have subjected himself to the ridicule.
He must’ve been so disappointed at the way the situation had developed.
“Maybe she’ll reinstate you. She’ll cry her eyes out when you read that passage.” She prayed she was right and folded her hands to keep from reaching over to touch him. “You’re a great brother.”
The corner of his mouth turned down in silent disagreement.
She redoubled her prayers that she’d turn out to be right because, unlike her situation with Dad, at least John’s family situation still had hope of turning around.
19
“So.” Erin took one last swallow of her soda but stopped short of allowing the straw to gurgle at the bottom of her cup.
John had suggested the grill, famous for ribs and burgers, because it had more positive reviews than any other restaurant in town. He’d covered the bill, saying it was a thank-you for her help.
Just a thank-you.Nota date.
That matched up with the fact that he hadn’t touched her today, not even in the most casual way. But as the day continued, she’d found herself wishing more fervently that he’d show more than friendly interest. He was good for her. A good listener who must trust her, or he wouldn’t have told her about his sister.
Since then, he’d encouraged her to do most of the talking by asking questions about cars, her work, and a dozen other topics. Between that and all the cars she’d driven, she’d nearly forgotten about her own problems.
He seemed to enjoy watching her have fun. If she let her soda gurgle, she imagined he’d smile and think no less of her.
Could that be? Or was she the only one with attraction zinging every time their eyes met?
John’s forehead creased, his blue irises trained on her, waiting for her to finish her thought.
Right. Was her face flushing, or did she feel a lot more awkward than she looked? She brushed her cheek. “You’re not going to get any of the cars we drove today, are you?”
John’s slow grin pressed the accelerator on her heart. “How’d you guess?”
“Because you’re not as subtle as you think. We test drove half a dozen cars, but only the ones I gravitated toward, and you always gave me the longer turn at the wheel.” He’d also insisted she drive his sports car when they went from one dealership to another. “You weren’t really shopping.”
He shrugged. “Made for a fun morning.”
True. The vehicles they’d driven had been the nicest she’d ever sat in, let alone driven. Still, John wanted his more common model for daily driving. He’d outfitted his last one to make it nicer than the others she’d worked on, but he could afford a lot more horsepower and handling, not to mention luxury.
“There’s no accounting for taste, is there?” she asked.
He slid out of the booth and led the way toward the exit. “It’s a great car.”
She followed, a sense of unease nipping at her heels. The same guy who’d choose a common car would also choose a common woman. Or had he chosen Erin as a friend rather than a love interest?
Either way … “You settle too easily.”
John’s step hitched, and he focused on her. “You think I got where I am by settling?”
The simple question illuminated a possibility almost too bright and good to consider. If John didn’t settle and he’d chosen her company, he must think her special.
Except that he was talking about cars, and she was lost in a daydream.
She was falling for him, the guy who cared about his sister, who stood for purity even when it cost him, who was faithful to things that weren’t flashy or overly expensive, who listened and heard truths from her she didn’t even realize she’d communicated, and who did it all with understanding and compassion.
As they crossed the restaurant’s lot to the car, he cast a wary look upward. Clouds loomed low and dark. The current temperature meant any precipitation would be rain, not snow, but the farther north they traveled, the colder it would get.
In the car, the stereo picked up in the middle of an upbeat song. John pulled out of the stall, another slow smile replacing the worry in his expression.
