California Girls(84)

She was kind of stuck on the “couple of rooms,” then told herself not to be greedy. Daniel had been fantastic to her in more ways than she could count. And he was a gentleman—of course there would be two rooms.

“You don’t have to do that,” she told him. “I mean it. This morning was plenty. You probably have lots of other things you’d rather be doing than spending the day with me.”

“Not a one,” he said lightly.

Her natural inclination was to push back again, only she didn’t want to be that person anymore. He’d offered, she’d given him an out and he’d refused. She was going to take him at his word and go with him to Santa Barbara. They would have a great time together because they always did.

“Sounds wonderful. It won’t take me long to pack, then we can be on our way.”

The weather was LA movie perfect, with beach temperatures in the low seventies and the skies a stunning California blue. They took the coast road north, passing through Ventura, then Carpinteria on the way to Santa Barbara.

They stopped at a little hole-in-the wall taco place for a late lunch and ordered a half dozen pulled pork tacos with extra avocado. The tortillas were homemade, as was the salsa. The juices dripped down their chins and onto the plates but were delicious enough to be worth the mess. They took their beers down to the patio by the beach and sat in the shade, watching the ocean.

“This is bliss,” she said, resting her feet on the railing and closing her eyes.

“I agree.”

“What time is it?” she asked.

“Three.”

“Let’s see. I would be getting ready right now, and the makeup lady would be doing her thing. I’d be nervous, but not scared. My mom and sisters would be with me.”

She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Is it weird of me to say that?”

“No. I’m sure talking about the wedding helps.”

“The whole situation feels really surreal. Like the engagement and breakup happened to someone else.” She sipped her beer. “Daniel, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. From the first second you told me about Glen until now, you’ve been amazing. I’m not sure I would have gotten through this without you.”

“Happy to help.”

She studied him, taking in the firm line of his jaw and his broad shoulders. “Tell me why you’ve done it. I get the first part—Glen put you in a horrible position and you were being a great guy. But why do you keep rescuing me?”

“I’m not rescuing you. I’m being a friend.” His gaze was steady. “I like you, Ali. I thought I made that clear.”

What did that mean? He liked her as in she was cute like a puppy and they had fun together? Or he liked her the way a man liked a woman?

One eyebrow rose as if he guessed what she was thinking. She waited, hoping he would cough it up, but he was silent.

“You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”

“You’re the one who complained about agreeing to spice cake when you didn’t want to. Maybe it’s time to demand a little chocolate.”

She went hot, then cold. Embarrassment battled with frustration. He wasn’t wrong, she thought, as resignation joined the emotional stew. She didn’t ever ask for what she wanted—she took what was offered and was often disappointed, be it at work or with her mother and the stupid clock or in her personal life. She always had.

“What if I’m invisible because that’s how I want to be?” she blurted. “What if I’m making a choice? It’s not that people can’t see me, it’s that I don’t want them to?”

She had no idea if she was right, only that the concept felt right. Empowering, even. She had to take charge. If she wanted something, she should go for it. She should respect herself and demand the same from others.

“I want to steal the clock.”

“Good. When we get home, we’ll come up with a plan. Anything else?”

He was watching her carefully, as if he was hoping for something else. Something more. She thought about the initial question, screwed up her courage, sucked in a breath and asked, “What do you mean when you say you like me?”

His expression relaxed. He leaned back in his chair, his posture very “I am the man,” in a sexy kind of way.

“I enjoy your company. I like spending time with you. I look forward to seeing you. I like how you look and move and talk. I like the sound of your laugh and I like kissing you.”

“Oh.”

She opened her mouth to say something else, then couldn’t think of a single thing. Her mind was too busy turning over his words, looking for a meaning beyond the obvious, which was he like liked her. As in boy-girl like. As in there could be more kissing.

Feeling both empowered and incredibly shy, she ducked her head, then looked at him from under her lashes. “I like you, too,” she whispered.

“We probably should have gotten that out of the way before heading off for the weekend,” he teased. “But at least we know now.”

She laughed. “Yes, we do.”

He tossed his bottle into the recycling bin, then took hers and did the same. He pulled her to her feet, then tugged her against him and lightly kissed her.

“Ready to go?”

She nodded. Anticipation quivered in her belly. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she knew whatever it was, it was going to be good.