Page 44 of Sergeant O'
“I mean, you’re not wrong. But I feel like stopping anywhere else in town is just asking for our picture to be taken and plastered everywhere.”
“That’s true. I’m sure hiding out from them has only made the demand for a photo worse.” He leaned his head against the headrest with a sigh. “I should’ve just posed for pictures outside the hospital and been done with it.”
“Well, like my gramps used to say, ‘shoulda woulda coulda’. It’s too late now.”
“Yep,” he reluctantly agreed, then turned his head to look at me, revealing those damn dimples again. “How long before we can get snacks?”
I shook my head and grumbled, “It’s a good thing you’re cute.”
That made him sit up straight as his grin grew wider.
“You think I’m cute?”
I kept my eyes on the road and refused to take the bait. “We’ve already established that, Bri.”
He relaxed against the seat again and stared out the window for a few seconds before murmuring, “For the record, I think you’re gorgeous.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jade
What the hell kind of alternate universe had I entered where I’m going on vacation with Brian O’Shaughnessy, kissing him in the bank, before he tells me he thinks I’m gorgeous?
And more importantly, how did I close that wormhole so I got to stay?
This isn’t real, Jade, I reminded myself.
There was no other dimension. I was still the geeky wallflower who didn’t have a chance with the Homecoming King.
He was just being nice because I was driving him to Cape Cod.
And while yes, I considered Brian my friend now that I was an adult, I knew that’s all it would ever be. He’d reminded me as much last night.
“You’re the navigator,” I told him. “Figure out a good place for us to stop for road trip snacks and,” I glanced at the fuel gauge on the dashboard. “Gas.”
He leaned across the console. “We need gas?”
“No, not yet. We’ve got a little over half a tank.”
“So, a couple hundred miles,” he mused out loud while he pulled up a GPS app on his phone.
“Wow, a couple hundred miles on half a tank—in this? That’s about what I can get with my Prius.”
“Yeah, except half a tank in your car is like six gallons. Half a tank with this is double that.”
“That’s true. I told you we should have taken my car.”
He glanced over at me with a grin. “You forget, Sunshine. I’ve got money burning a hole in my pocket. Besides, I’m hoping I can drive home.”
“And you can’t drive my car?”
The corner of his mouth lifted in an Elvis-like sneer. “I mean, it’s not very manly.”
I barked out a laugh. “I never took you as the type to be insecure about his masculinity.”
“I’m very secure in my manhood. I just like driving my truck. And you, by the way, are doing an excellent job. You parked it like a pro at the bank.”
“It’s not my first time driving a truck.”
