Page 85 of How You See Me
“You already know the answer to that. Go, while I can still walk and talk at the same time.” He stops me from reaching for him by catching both wrists in one hand.
“You’re no fun.”
“So, I’ve been told.”
???
While I nibble on a blueberry muffin, Tim takes Hayes to pick up the van. Apparently, Pete towed it to his shop, replaced the tire, and realigned something early this morning. It’s a long story with a lot of shop talk, and I tune out most of it.
When we’re back on the road, Hayes’s broody side resurges with a vengeance. I can’t tell if it’s from the cowboy hat perched stubbornly on his head or my relentless road trip games. Either way, he’s one conversation starter away from jumping out the window.I Spymight have been the last straw.
Maybe he just needs food, and I spot the perfect place to make peace.
“How about lunch?” I point at a local steakhouse as we roll past.
“Sure. I’m starving.”
“I picked up on that. You get even grumpier when you’re hungry.”
“Is that possible?” he asks, parking nearby.
“I didn’t think so, but you’re such an overachiever.”
“Funny,” he deadpans, but there’s a trace of amusement in his eyes. Mission accomplished.
After we order, I give him a break and thumb through the brochures I grabbed on the way in. There should be something fun to do around here, and I’m itching for another adventure. The last one was quite memorable.
I wait until he’s a few bites deep into his hamburger before poking at his patience again, proud of my restraint.
“Do you have any plans for today?” I ask him before crunching into a cucumber slice from my Cobb salad.
“Why don’t you tell me what you found, and I’ll tell you if I have any plans?”
“Meaning if I find something you don’t want to do, you’ll magically remember aplan.”
“Exactly.” He winks before taking another bite, and I’m suddenly squirmy in my chair.
This man does all kinds of things to me I couldn’t possibly explain with educated woman words. He reduces my vocabulary to that of a middle school girl. “Whatevs.”
I rattle off a few things I know he’ll veto, just to get under his skin—museum, antiquing (although, I secretly wished he’d take the bait on that one), heritage center, caverns, zoo, national historic site.
“Maybe we should just get back on the road.”
I continue reviewing the brochure, hoping a hidden gem will reveal itself, but every activity reads like a school field trip. I swallow my disappointment. “You might be right.”
The waiter refills our waters, reminding me to eat.
“Or,” Hayes says. “We could hit that antique shop you almost gave yourself whiplash over on the way out of town.”
My heart soars. Before I can worry about how he’ll react, I bolt out of my chair and throw myself into his space. He welcomes me, not the least bit concerned of everyone watching, as I capture a kiss to show him how much that idea touches my heart. His gaze stays locked on mine even after I pull away.
While reclaiming my seat, I catch a few judgmental glares from nearby tables and lift my chin.Yeah, I kissed that gorgeous man in public. Get over it.
Hayes clears his throat and fumbles his fork, failing to hide his flustered state.Who’s squirmy now, cowboy?
I sit a little straighter in my chair, knowing I did that. “How'd you find out about my antique obsession? Or did my neck-breaking give me away?”
“You told me at your apartment, remember? Yellow plates? I used my own investigative skills to fill in the rest.”
