Page 6 of A Date with Fate

I leaned back, slipping my feet out of my sandals and tucking one under my knees. “And that surprises you?”

There would be a place for me.

Moments later, Scott climbed into the driver’s seat. “Are you all ready?” He was looking at me, questions clear in his eyes. He put the big truck in gear. “I guess it shouldn’t. But it does.”

I pulled out my latest fantasy romance book, a crossword book and then dangled my phone between us, blinking as Scott took us up to ground level and out into the sun. “Which one first?”

“Am I deciding for you or for both of us?”

I bit down on my tongue at the wary quality of his voice. “Don’t worry, it’s only a short-term commitment. Nothing to stress about.”

“Commitment isn’t stressful to me,” Scott answered, facing away as he began to make his way out of town. “Sudoku does.”

I smiled broadly at him. “Noted. Let's start with crosswords, then.” I took his silence for agreement, and as soon as I had adjusted the air vents just right, I leaned back in my chair and opened the book to the first puzzle.

“What’s another word for reunion? Nine letters, starts with an H.”

Scott was quiet for a long moment then said, “Homecoming.”

There was most definitely a blush on my cheeks at this point. And when I glanced over at Scott, I couldn’t help but notice the small curl of his mouth as he observed the road.

***

“You really think we can do this in three days?”

Scott picked up a fry, dipping it liberally in ketchup before looking back up at me. “I think we could. It’s about twenty hours.” He stabbed a thumb towards the parking lot, where his truck was parked with the RV now attached to it. “The hard part is done. Now we’ve just got to get there.”

“Sounds good to me.” I put down my fork, the salad in front of me looking especially unappetizing compared to the sandwich on Scott’s plate. I eyed the plate, then my salad, and then his sandwich again.

“Go on, as many as you want,” Scott said, leaning back and gesturing to his plate. I grinned, sneaking my hand across the diner’s table to grab a fry from the pile still remaining.

“You want me to order you more?”

My hand snapped back to my lap. “Oh, no, of course not. I just wanted one.”

Scott’s hand, much like the night before, followed mine, gentling it as he pulled it closer to his plate once more. His words were quiet, calming as he drew me in. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just wanted you to be full.”

“My salad is just fine.”

Scott nodded, his lips pulling down a little comically, “Yeah, sure, looks delicious.”

I snorted. “Liar.” But I picked my fork up, spearing a hefty mouthful of green lettuce and shoveling it into my mouth. It was dry and pitifully tasteless. While there was a time for veggies and salad and whatnot, it clearly was not in this diner in the middle of nowhere. My stomach growled just as I did, taking away from whatever statement I was trying to make.

Scott’s smile just spread wider. “Faker.”

“Fine.” I choked down the greens and then reached for his plate, dragging it to the middle of the table before taking a fry and popping it into my mouth. It was fried, salty perfection. “Oh my God, these fries are amazing.”

“I know. I tried to tell you.”

“I was wrong. So very wrong. Don’t let me order a single more salad this trip.”

Scott’s voice was bright with humor as he answered, “Deal, although honestly, I don't mind sharing.”

“You’re a lovely human,” I said, finding a small dish to pour out more ketchup onto so that I could dip more thoroughly. “You know that, right?”

“I’ve been told.”

I laughed. “In case you needed to hear it again.”

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