Tumble (Dogwood Lane, #1)(60)

My jaw drops. “You didn’t even look at the bill.”

“So?”

“So? She could charge you for ten burgers, Dane,” I say, flabbergasted. “You always check the bill before you pay.”

“I’ll get to see it again before I sign the receipt. And come on, Neely. It’s Mucker’s. If they overcharged me, I’d get free food for life.”

I twirl my straw around my glass. “I forget things like that are different here. You don’t check in New York and your bill goes up one hundred percent.”

The corner of his lip curls. I hold my breath as he moves his hand. He lays it on the inner corner of my thigh, his fingers pressing roughly against my skin. “I can tell you something else that goes up one hundred percent,” he says. “At least it does when you’re around.”

I slip my hand on top of his and bring it higher until our entwined fingers sit between my legs. “Are you talking about the temperature around here?” I tease.

“Well, it is awfully hot.” He nudges his hand against me. “But I was talking more about how erect certain things get.”

“What’s ‘erect’ mean?” Mia hops into her seat and grabs her milkshake. She looks from me to Dane. “Is ‘erect’ like a barrette? For my hair?”

“Yup.” Dane swallows. He jerks his hand from me like it is on fire. “Just like that.”

“That’s not true.” I roll my eyes. “‘Erect’ means something is stiff or straight. Like when you’re in a pyramid. Your legs should be erect because it’s easier for your bases to hold you. Get it?”

“Erect. I like that word.” She slurps the final drink from her glass.

“Really?” Dane mutters under his breath.

“Do you want her to have a bad vocabulary?” I ask just as softly.

He leans toward me, his lips glancing my ear. “I’d like her to have a censored vocabulary, if you don’t mind.”

“Let me clue you in on something, big boy,” I whisper. Glancing at Mia, I ensure she’s preoccupied with the television hanging near the bathroom door. “When a guy comes on to her one day, and he will whether you like it or not, you don’t want her shocked at words he throws around. Understanding things like the word ‘erect’ will give her confidence. Trust me.”

He throws his hands up in the air and settles back in his seat.

“Look at me, sitting erect,” Mia says with a hint of pride.

“That’s it.” Dane scoots his chair back and stands. “I’ll pay and then be in the truck.”

I can’t help but giggle as he walks to the cash register and asks for the receipt to sign. He doesn’t check the price, just scribbles his name, takes the card, and walks out.

“What’s wrong with him?” Mia asks.

“Oh, he’s just being a baby today. You ready to go?”

“Yes.” She hops off her chair and follows me to the door.

We mosey through the parking lot side by side, neither of us saying a word. Once we get to the truck, I hold the door open while Mia climbs into the back, and then I get settled in the front beside Dane.

“Everyone ready?” he asks. “Buckle up back there, rascal.”

The sound of the buckle clicking into the clasp rings through the air. “Don’t worry. I’m buckled in and sitting erect.”

I snort so hard I almost choke.

“You owe me for this one, Kimber,” Dane says.

I glance over my shoulder to see a wickedly sexy smile gracing his lips. My legs pull together.

“I look forward to it.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

NEELY

The couch in Dane’s living room is perfectly worn. Each cushion is broken down to the point where you sink in like you’re in a soft cloud as soon as your behind touches it.

Curled up in the corner, I listen to Dane and Mia laugh upstairs. Every now and then, he makes a weird voice, and she bursts out laughing.

The inside of their house isn’t at all what I expected. Everything has a place, and everyone has a job. It’s a mishmash of styles and decorations that seem to work together somehow. There’s even a cookie jar on the center of the island in the kitchen filled with peanut butter cookies.

You can feel the joy when you walk in, sense the loyalty in the walls as you stroll down the hallway decorated with pictures of Mia at different stages of her life. I’ve never felt so comfortable in someone else’s house before.

My phone vibrates on my lap. A text from Grace pops up on the screen. I look at it like it might bite me—not because of the text, but because of the email that needs responding to.

I’ve reread Mr. Snow’s offer a few times. It isn’t groundbreaking, but it isn’t bad. It’s certainly better than nothing. I should take it. I know I should. But every time I have my finger on the “Reply” button, I chicken out.

I tell myself it’s because I know I’m worth more. I made almost double that at my old job and had half again more leave time. But something wrestles inside my chest, and I know it isn’t all about leave time. It’s about leaving them.

Dane’s footsteps echo down the hall, and it isn’t long before he comes around the corner. He’s changed into a white T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants, and all I want to do is bury my face in the soft cloth and have him hold me.