“Can you at least turn on the AC in here?” I dramaticallyfanned myself with both hands, glaring at him with a scowl.
“AC doesn’t work.”
I grumbled, “Figures,” under my breath. He always had apenchant for crap trucks. The more broken parts, the better, and I fought thesmile tugging at my traitorous lips.
“Okay, here we are,” he finally said. “First stop.”
The rusty old truck pulled up along the edge of the pier.Lobster season was in full-swing, with the traps stacked at the ready along theboardwalk, and I spotted the old hot dog stand in the near distance. Nostalgiareared its ugly head in the way it always did whenever I was near him, and Isighed.
Patrick hummed.
He hopped from the truck’s cab, but me? I was frozen, as Ilooked out at the water, collecting the remnants of the sun’s rays, sparklingagainst the rippling blue that perfectly matched the color of his eyes.
Patrick came around to my side, pulling the door open withan irritatingscreech, and I turned to look at him.
“Patrick.” I meant it as a warning, but my voice pleadedwith him. Begging him not to do this, not to encourage the torture.
“They’re just hot dogs, Kinsey,” he said, and he made agrab at my hand.
But they were more than that, and he knew it.
I shuddered with a chatter of my teeth as his hand wrappedaround mine. I tried to pull away, but he eyed me knowingly and pulled me fromthe truck. The moment my feet hit the ground, he let me go.
“Toofeckin’ short to getyourself outwit’outfallin’flat on yourarse,” he said with laughing eyes,allowing the brogue to roll heavily on his tongue.
My toes curled, my fists clenched. He knew how to get to me.He knew too much.
The hand was again on the small of my back, walking metoward Harry’s HotDiggityDogs. I recognized the oldman immediately from my youth, with only the balding of his head and thewrinkles around his eyes to give away his age and all the time that had passed.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said with a certain fondness inhis voice. “Patrick Kinney and Kinsey McKenna. Nice to see you two backtogether again.”
“Finally got her to say yes, Harry.Headin’up to Maine tonight to elope and honeymoon in the Cape.”
“What? Connie told me about a wedding, buttonight?”
Ugh, Connie …
Old Harry’s eyes widened with nervous excitement, and Ipulled back and whacked Patrick right in the middle of his chest,making contact witha hollowthud. I scrunched up myface, glaring up at him until he cracked with a rumble of laughter.
“Okay, okay, I’m justkiddin’,”he said, brushing my hand away. He leaned over the counter, putting his mouthclose to Harry’s ear. “Our parents would kill us if we eloped. So, we’rethinkin’ a summer wedding.Somethin’small.”
I growled under my breath.
Harry lit with laughter. “You better watch it, kiddo, orthis one will be digging your grave.”
“That’s fine, as long as I get to marry her first. Then, Icould die a happy man.”
My hand clapped over my eyes. “In two seconds, I’m walkingback to my car.”
“Quick, Harry! Take the order,” Patrick said with achuckle, spreading his hands against the splintered bar.
“Alright, let me see if I can remember … Two with ketchup,mustard, and relish; two with mustard and onions?” He squinted an eye, pointingboth finger-guns at us. “And two Cokes?”
Patrick nodded. “Impressive, but I’ll just have a water.Watchin’ my figure.” He turned to eye me questioningly.
“Make that two waters,” I said with a weak smile.
Second nature took over, and we both turned to lean ourbacks against the old wooden stand in the way we always did when we were kids.Our arms crossed over our chests, looking out at the near-still water of theLong Island Sound. Boats were tied to the dock, and I wondered, did I have itin me to steal one of them? How far could I get before the cop next to meslapped the cuffs on and bound me to his bedpost?
