Page 15 of Holidate Fail
This she could do. She’d practiced her dip-chin-and-look-through-the-lashes smile in the mirror.
“We’re here!” Lacole turned to the backseat.
Heath gave her a wink, then got out of the car.
“Why is there a racecar out front?” Kelly slid his body from the front seat.
“Evading the IRS was a precursor to NASCAR.” Dahlia joined him outside.
“Oh, that makes sense.” Kelly gave her a warm smile, his eyes crinkling. “Having to drive fast, maybe even circling back.”
Dahlia thanked the useless knowledge taking up space in her head.
She posed with Heath and Lacole while Kelly positioned them around the racecar, displaying their Georgia Adventures shirts for his publicity picture. Afterward, Heath and Lacole ran ahead, eager to find the article while Kelly uploaded the pic to social media.
Dahlia started to take off after them, but Kelly stopped her. His touch was warm on her skin.
“So what was that about?” he asked. He stuck his phone back in his pocket.
There were so many things to choose from. “What was what about?”
He took a half step forward, not enough to be all in her space, but enough that she could get a thrill from his fresh piney scent. His hand hadn’t moved from her arm. If she inched forward just a little…
“You never used to let men touch you like that,” he said.
“How do you know what I used to do?” And which touch was he talking about? Was it the arm around her shoulders? The brush of her bangs?
Kelly answered her unasked question by sliding his hand down her arm, ending with his fingers holding hers. “You just met him. You’ve known me for years.” He let her fingers drop.
“But you’ve never…” Her mouth was suddenly as dry as crisp autumn leaves. It’s not like she was dense about flirting, but all her experience was based on observing others or reading books. So now that men were actually flirting with her, she wasn’t sure how to react.
She wet her lips to stave off the fall season.
His gaze immediately dropped to take in the movement, and he let out a ragged breath.
“Should knowing me longer make a difference?” God, she ached to put her hand on his chest, to feel his heartbeat, but held back. Out of fear, out of shyness…this was not a situation for New Dahlia. She needed to be all in herself. “How long I’ve known you?”
“You guys coming?” Heath called from the museum door.
“Yeah.” Kelly took a step back. “Just…make sure you’re doing what you want.” He strode into the museum, leaving her standing with her mouth agape as he moved away.
If only she could tell him he was what she wanted. Who she’d always wanted. Even New Dahlia didn’t have that kind of confidence. She tucked away the dreams of the past decade and followed him into the museum.
Heath and Lacole had already found the original article and were discussing car engines and F1 racing when Dahlia and Kelly joined them. Lacole pointed out the address of the crash.
Heath and Lacole continued their discussion as they returned to the car, leaving her and Kelly trailing behind them.
“What I should have said,” Kelly began, “is that you’re still tagging along when I go and play games, but now I like it.”
Dahlia tried to parse that sentence but failed. “What?”
“I didn’t mean to be a jerk about Heath. I like hanging out with you. Reconnecting. I mean, Wayne sometimes told me what you were doing, but, you know. Seeing you again. I like it.”
“You like it?” she parroted. Like,likeit like it, or just like it?
“I’ve never been a wordsmith.” He huffed out a laugh. “I’m trying to give you a compliment.”
“Oh.” Why was her face getting hot? “Thank you.”
