Sutton twisted his lips before offering me a smile. “It’s a good thing you won’t have to find out.”
A fizz in my gut took me by surprise, quickly picking up speed and zipping to my chest as it bounced unceremoniously around there. “Fuck, are we having a moment?”
His eyes sprang wide, and he took a step back, moving out of my space completely. Regret at the distance I’d created by letting my mouth run hit me square in the chest. And as he released a forced snort while ushering me into the passenger seat, confusion rose to the surface.
My reactions were freaking me out. On the one hand, this was Sutton, who I’d not so secretly missed a fuckton. It had legit hurt when he’d kept his distance. Surely my reaction to him being here now was a result of my relief.
But if that was the case, why, as he leaned into my space and tugged my seat belt across me since I was sitting there staring at him like an idiot, did I close my eyes and fucking sniff him?
“You okay?”
“Huh?” I asked, following his movement as he put on his own seat belt.
“You spaced out and held your breath there.” Concern dipped his voice lower than usual, and his gaze darted around my face.
“Just tired.” My half-truth only had him hesitating a moment before he started the engine, pressed a few buttons on the satnav, and pulled onto the road.
A hand on my shoulder jerked me awake, my eyes fluttering before reclosing.
“Hey, we’re back. Let’s get you inside, and I’ll make you lunch, then you can go to bed.”
I smiled at Sutton and dragged my eyes open fully. “Satnav worked then?” My sleepy voice filled the cab. “Not in the middle of the desert or anything?”
“Once,” he said, lips twitching. “That happened the one time, and you’re the one who programmed in the address.” With a roll of his eyes, he climbed out of the SUV.
Unclipping my seat belt, I stretched, smirking when Sutton opened my door. “You wait till I tell your mom about what a gentleman you’re being. You sure your family aren’t Southern?”
“How about you ask my momthatand see if she’s still willing to have you over for goulash nights.”
“Hell no.” Once out of the car, I stretched again, following up with a giant yawn. “Goulash nights are the best. You will not take them from me ever again.”
A flash of emotion crossed over Sutton’s features. “Never again,” he offered softly, and there went my heart. He cleared his throat and indicated toward the small house. “Come on. Get your ass moving.”
The late-morning sun brushed against my skin as we took the few steps to Nate’s uncle’s place. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“What’s that?”
“Not being in the spotlight, being able to walk along the creek, be here. Relaxing.”
At my side, Sutton nodded. “Yeah. I know it’s part of the price for playing pro, and we have to deal with it, but I could get used to not having the attention.”
I angled my head to look at him. “You could, as in, be out of the spotlight?”
He shrugged. “One day, sure.”
I exhaled, realizing I was relieved he wasn’t saying now. I wasn’t sure how I felt about what he said. “So you’re not ready to do a Ryan, fall in love with a guy, retire, and escape to normality?” While I smiled, a niggling ball of something I struggled to put a name to rolled around in my stomach.
The slightest of movements in his shoulder had my eyes springing open. Why was he tensing? Fuck, was he thinking of retiring? Was “one day” closer to today?
Reaching the screen door, he pulled it open and unlocked the front door. “Why don’t you go wash up, and I’ll get started on lunch?”
Not sure if I was disappointed or relieved he hadn’t answered me, I paused in the main room as he headed to the kitchen. I sighed and went to the bathroom. While my head was no longer pounding like a jackhammer—the painkillers and ten-minute nap having done their jobs—it felt muddled.
As I washed the sleep from my face, I thought back to my half-joking question about having a moment and considered his reaction. Patting my face dry, I wondered what “a moment” would actually look like between us. I paused and glanced at my reflection, focusing on my mouth. The last person I’d kissed was Sutton, so many months ago. While I’d had ample opportunities, and when drinking I’d been tempted, I hadn’t been feeling it. Maybe that should have made me feel a little pathetic.
“Yo, stop preening like a peacock. Your sandwich is ready.”
My gaze latched on to his through the reflection. He stood in the open bathroom doorway. The longer I looked, the deeper the lines between his brows formed.
