“Someone recommended I reconnect with her more now, with me living closer and all,” he reminds me.

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t know you’d talk about me.” I point to my chest to prove my point.

Another laugh slips out of him. “Why are you surprised?”

“I dunno? I thought we were keeping this casual.”

He glances at me again, lets my thigh go, and rests his wrist on the steering wheel. “It’s only brunch, Ash.”

“Only brunch?”

“Yeah. Not a big deal.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“And you felt like having me tag along was a good idea because…?” I prod, still confused, as I wipe my sweaty palms against my jeans.

With another glance my way, he sighs. “I like you, Ash.”

“I like you too.”

“Keeping this thing a secret has been driving me insane, though. I wanted a normal morning for once. Where we could be ourselves.”

My chest pinches with the sweetness overload, and I almost swoon while sitting in the passenger side of a truck belonging to the most amazing guy I’ve ever met.

Seriously. How did I get so lucky?

And yet here he is, wanting to introduce me to his family.

“I get it,” I reply. “And I want us to be able to be ourselves too.” The soft breeze through the window ruffles his short hair while making him look straight out of a magazine or something. I tear my attention from the sight and try to focus on the conversation at hand instead of how freaking attractive the guy is.

“But meeting your family?” I say. “It still feels like a big deal.”

“Did you not want me to tell my family about you?” he asks, his confidence slipping.

I shake my head. “It isn’t that.”

“Does your family not know about me?” he pushes. Like he’s trying to understand my side of things, and it makes me melt a little more.

But I swear this guy has to think I’m a basket case.

Scrunching up my face, I shove aside my embarrassment and rip the truth off like a Band-Aid.

“My family doesn’t know about a lot of things in my life. We don’t exactly talk much.”

There. I said it.

“Did they know about Logan?” he challenges.

“Barely. And even then, most of the time, they didn’t even remember his name. They’d call him Luke or Landon or Lance. Anything with an L they considered a success.”

“No shit?” He laughs.

“It isn’t funny.”

“It’s kind of funny. Besides, my family’s a lot cooler than Logan’s. You’ll do fine.”