Page 19 of Lavender Lake
“We’re not going to Elk Ridge yet,” he said.
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out the window. “You said you’d drive me wherever I wanted to go.”
“I lied.”
“Then where are you taking me?”
“To get something to eat. Your blood sugar is low. And after you get something into your system, we’ll talk.”
“I don’t want to talk.”
“You’re right, you want to yell.” He looked at me. “You’re not the least bit embarrassed, are you?”
“Why should I be?” I demanded. “Because the normal thing to do is mash down your feelings and slap a smile on your face and pretend like everything’s okay?”
“Your sister didn’t deserve your anger. But you can’t be angry at the person you really want to be angry at because he’s lying in a hospital bed in a coma.”
I swallowed. “Bowman?”
“Yeah?”
“Shut. Up.”
“Struck a nerve, huh?”
“Let’s play the quiet game. Whoever talks first loses.”
Silence finally reigned in the truck.
“I lose. Let’s play another game.”
I groaned. “No.”
“Why do you hate the idea of your dad having a girlfriend?”
“I don’t.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
I whipped my head around to look at him. “Muddy and Hadley—neither of them bothered to mention her.”
“So you’re telling me that if you’d known about her, you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did?”
When I paused, he shot me a wry grin. “Thought so.”
“Arrogance makes you look three inches shorter.”
“Going for the height? Really? I must actually be pissing you off,” he joked. “Now tell me where you want to go for comfort food and I’ll take you there.”
“The Diner,” I said. “Best poutine in the world.”
“Just direct me.”
I smirked. “A man asking for directions. How original.”
“You deserve a good spanking, Powell.”
“You already gave me one, remember? When you carried me over your shoulder like a lumberjack carries a log.”
