Page 34 of Hooked
“Would I be that predictable?” She sat on a wide blue cushion by the table. “So, this is supercute and everything looks delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it. Do you like salmon?”
“I do. I love salmon.”
“I might have known that because I bribed Emmie to tell me secrets.”
Tayla smiled. “What did you bribe her with?”
“I promised to start carrying more romance manga at the store.”
“That sounds like a uniquely Emmie bribe.” Tayla reached for a glass of white wine and eyed the chilled salmon on her plate. Jeremy had complemented it with a green salad and half an artichoke. “Okay, this all looks amazing. Sauvignon blanc?”
Jeremy reached for his fork. “No. A Spanish wine. Albariño. Try it. Since the salmon is cold, it should taste great with it.”
And he knew wine too. The man was ridiculous. She gave up. She lifted her glass. “Cheers. To the best picnic I’ve ever been on.”
“Cheers.” He clinked his wineglass with hers. Then he took a bite of salmon and licked his lips after he swallowed. “This is delicious. Eat. The light show starts when the sun goes down.”
“Light show?”
Hours later,after watching a meteor shower and drinking hot chocolate by an actual campfire, Jeremy drove Tayla home. She’d pitched in to break down the tent and helped him throw everything in the back of the pickup. Now she was wrapped in one of the blankets and looked like she was falling asleep.
They rolled over the hills and back into town. Quiet music on the radio. Silence between the two of them.
He didn’t question whether she’d had a good time. Tayla hadn’t hidden her enjoyment. She was completely open about her feelings, both her irritation with the dirt and bugs and her delight at the meteor shower, the lakeside, and the picnic.
Her head fell forward and jerked up. Her eyes flickered open. “Are we back?”
“Almost.”
“Hmmm.” She unbuckled her seat belt and scooted closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder. “Don’t crash.”
“Don’t do anything crazy and I’ll do my best.”
“Was that a veiled reference to road head?”
He shook his head and tried unsuccessfully to smother a smile. “Woman, you have a dirty mind.”
“I read a lot of romance novels. They’re good for the imagination.”
“I’ll remember that.”
She turned to him, her face glowing in the streetlamps as she leaned her chin on his shoulder. “Good idea.”
Damn. If he wasn’t driving, he’d kiss her. He exited the highway and turned north on 6th Avenue before he turned right again on Main. “And you’re home.”
“Am I?” She was staring at the storefront. “I don’t know if I am, Jeremy.” Her voice was stripped of artifice. She sounded lost.
You don’t know where home is.
He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “Home for now.”
“Yeah.” She scooted over and opened the door before he could hop out of the truck and open it for her.
Jeremy walked around and grabbed her backpack from the toolbox in the back of his truck, making sure there was no dust or dirt on it. He turned to hand it to Tayla and found her standing right in front of him.
“Hey,” she said.
