Page 54 of Love is a Game
“I try not to,” he assured her. “But I can’t take too much credit for my old style. High school Andrew had Carol Gregson always on his case about looking presentable. She made Arthur take me to the barber shop every other month to keep me from looking ‘scruffy.’”
At the mention of the Gregsons, Sadie’s face changed. Her eyes dropped to the ground between them, hidden by a veil of thick eyelashes. Maybe he’d said too much about them the other night. He hadn’t meant for her to feel sorry for him.
“Um . . .” She cleared her throat. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
“There’s a lot we need to talk about,” he joked, “but first we should eat before the food gets cold. I’m sure you’re hungry after traveling all day.”
“Not all day,” she corrected, giving him a measured look. “Seattle isn’t that far away, you know.”
“You’re right,” he agreed. “Not a bad place to drive to over a weekend, I’ll bet.”
“No, not at all. You should head out there sometime,” she said slowly.
“Are you offering to show me around?”
Her cheeks bloomed into a soft rosy color that accentuated her green eyes. “Sure. I’ll take you on a library tour; you’ll love it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Okay, Shady, let’s go find our food before the birds do.”
She gestured to the playground nearby. “Do you often have dinner at children’s parks?”
“Not often. Only on special occasions.”
Her smile faltered. “I’m not sure this qualifies as a special occasion,” she said, gripping her purse strap.
“Don’t be silly. You have agreed, of your own free will, to spend time with me outside of the library. I’m pretty sure that means we’ve graduated beyond friendly acquaintances.”
“I hope so,” she said, as her smile returned. There was still something off in her tone, but he didn’t want to worry about it yet.
“Now, follow me.”
When they reached the edge of the fence, she hesitated. “This is legal, right?” she asked, eyeing him skeptically.
“Of course it is,” he assured her. “Trust me. I used to be a lawyer.”
She scoffed and followed him down the barely visible path. In the places where the bushes pushed them close to the slope, he reached back and offered her his hand, which she accepted without hesitation. Her fingers were cool against his skin and even softer than he had imagined. He didn’t want to let go.
“Are you taking me to your secret hideout?” she asked, squeezing his hand tightly as they moved around a particularly large bush.
“Can you be patient for once? We’re almost there.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t blindfold me.”
He pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket and waved it over his shoulder at her. “I still could. Don’t tempt me.”
The flat space opened up enough that there was room for her to stand beside him as they approached the picnic. He tried not to look too eager as he watched her face lift into a pleased smile. She liked it. So far, so good.
He held a hand out. “Have a seat. I already checked; the ground is dry.”
“This looks so nice,” she said, sitting on the corner of the blue quilt and tucking her legs beneath herself. “I can’t remember the last time I had a picnic in the park. How did you know about this place?”
“Ah, you know. Teenage boys trying to be rebels, walking on the wrong side of the fence.”
She laughed. “Wow, I didn’t know you had such a wild side.”
“We’ll have to come back on a nicer day,” he told her. “It’s the best place in town to watch the sunset.”
“I bet. The cove looks so small from up here.”