“He didn’t do anything though,” Tawk repeated softly, staring straight ahead. Aaron had done plenty. He’d made her scared of a stranger having a dating app. He’d disappointed her. He’d closed her off.
But he didn’t do anything though.
“Is your car here?”
“No. I walked. I think the battery is dead on my truck. It was okay though. I like walking. I needed to clear my head.”
“Your house is three miles away from here, at least. So, you were going to walk all the way back to your house in the dark after your shift.”
“Any walk less than two miles, and my thoughts aren’t even organized yet. Are you going to sit here all night and judge me and tell me what to do? Tell me how stupid that was?”
“It’s not stupid. You should be able to walk wherever you want to at night and no one ever disturb you. The world is full of assholes, but that isn’t your fault. It’s just not that safe is all.”
“It’s a small town.”
His sigh turned into a growl, and he pulled his door closed. “If I get my first gray hair tonight, woman, I’m naming it Tammy.
She tried to hide her laugh, she did. Tried and failed.
“Oh, it’s funny?”
“Kind of.”
“You stress me out.”
“You asked if I wanted to fuck you on a cupcake baking invite.”
“I said it was a yes to either! It was romantic.”
Tammy belted out a laugh, and now her shoulders were shaking with her giggling. She clapped her hand over her mouth, but her bright blue eyes were dancing, and he could still hear her laughing.
Was she laughing at him? Maybe. He didn’t even care. He liked the way she sounded when she was happy like this.
“Seatbelt,” he muttered as he pulled out of the parking lot. “These cupcakes better not suck.”
“Who said you’re invited anymore?” she said, but he could hear the teasing in her voice.
“Fine. I’ll drop you at a rolling stop. You can just jump out in front of your house. I can’t wait to get back to my hotel and far away from your emotional roller coaster. You’re probably making weird cupcakes anyway, like coffee flavored.”
“Vanilla with butter cream frosting.
Dammit. His favorite. He was a simple man.
“Sprinkles, or no?” he asked dryly.
“Undecided.”
He sighed a put upon sound for her. “Cupcakes are better with sprinkles.”
“Bossing me around again.”
“Woman I don’t think anyone has bossed you around since you left dipshit. I saw you in there handling those drunk guys. You’re fine on your own.”
“If that was true then you wouldn’t have come over when Aaron was there,” she said softly.
“Are there still feelings there?” he asked.
She didn’t answer right away. “I was afraid there would be, but mostly I kept looking at you over at the table. I kind of wanted you to help me make him go away.”
