“No. I borrowed it from Bowser so I could haul some sand tomorrow. I want to make a sandbox for Hazel in the backyard.”
Ugh, he’s so sweet.
We jump in the truck, but when he pulls out of the driveway, he heads in the opposite direction of the restaurant. We head down some winding dark roads until he pulls into a wildlife preserve. The sign says it’s closed, but there’s nothing that bars cars from entering. He parks along the far corner of the parking lot under a giant oak tree.
The moment he turns off the ignition, my heart leaps in my chest. This is it. We’re going to have sex.
I turn to him and fight the blush that’s working up my neck. “This truck isn’t big enough for this. If I climb onto your lap, I’m going to end up with a concussion from hitting the ceiling.”
He laughs and kisses the back of my hand. “I was actually thinking we could do a little stargazing in the back. Just wanted to spend some time alone with you without worrying about my daughter or football or school for five minutes. We don’t have to do anything.”
Disappointment crashes through me. Living with him is making my hormones go insane. I was never a sex-crazed girl with Ezra, but for some reason, I want to pounce on Nick and do all the naked things all the time.
Slow is good, I remind myself. Slow means we’re building something.
He comes around to the passenger side and helps me out. Then he lowers the tailgate, removes a tarp, lifts me up to the edge, and joins me. There’s a huge gym mat on the bed that he slides closer, which makes this pretty comfortable. With our legs dangling, we lean back on our arms and stare up at the million stars in the sky.
I bump him. “What inspired this little trip?”
“Our options are pretty limited. We could go to a bar, a restaurant, or the drive-in, but I’ve been gone all day, and I figured a movie might take too long. And I’m not in the mood to be around crowds. I’m always pretty tapped after a game. I just want quiet.” He threads our hands together. “When I borrowed Bowser’s truck, he mentioned that his old girlfriend always liked to stargaze back here, so when Baylee offered to babysit, I thought this might be fun. I probably should’ve brought snacks, though.”
My insides go all gooey. Granted, he didn’t call me his girlfriend, but he’s taking me on a girlfriend-type excursion, so this all points in the right direction.
I lean against him. “This is nice. We’ll grab food later.”
The wind blows, and I shiver.
“You cold?” He jumps off the back and returns a minute later with a blanket. He hops back up next to me and spreads it over our laps. “I didn’t realize it was so chilly out tonight.”
“What happened to your letterman? I never see you wear it anymore.” He’s sporting a hoodie over a t-shirt and some jeans.
He winces. “Kinda got torn up.”
“That sucks. What happened?”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Seriously, how did it get torn?”
He looks down. “It’s my fault. Remember when I used it on the ledge of your window to get you out of your bedroom?”
“Yes,” I say slowly.
“It got shredded by the jagged glass.”
My eyes instantly well. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’m so sorry.” Those jackets are so expensive. Usually several hundred dollars. I remember Ezra complaining about it once.
“It’s cool. I just can’t afford to replace it yet.”
I make a mental note to buy him a new letterman, even if that means I have to cut my trip short. That sounds dramatic, but the dollar isn’t as strong in England. I figured out that a hundred US dollars only gets me seventy-five pounds. So I’m going to need more money than I had anticipated.
It shouldn’t be a problem since Nick’s been so laid-back about me paying him rent, but my old landlord is dragging his feet refunding my deposit, and I just found out my transmission needs a bunch of work. As long as I don’t have to drive down to San Antonio, I can put that off for a while.
I’ll figure something out, even if I have to pick up more shifts at Moe’s.
With my palms, I wipe my eyes. “I feel terrible.”
“Aww, babe, it’s okay.” His arm drapes around my shoulders, and he tugs me to his chest. “Don’t worry about it.” My throat feels tight, and I struggle to swallow. I nod to buy myself a minute, but he turns my chin, and then I’m staring into his beautiful green eyes. “Don’t cry over this, Abby. Please. You’re kinda breaking my heart.”
