Page 82 of Strung Along
Anna fidgets in her seat, looking between me and the console separating us over and over again. When her leg starts bouncing, I smile weakly, a soft laugh collecting in my chest.
“Would you like me to rip the thing out and toss it out the window?” I ask.
She keeps her voice steady in a no-bullshit tone. “That would be great, actually. It’s a giant pain in my ass right now.”
“We can talk about this later, yeah? Today is supposed to be easy.”
And ripping open sore wounds isn’t exactly what I had in mind. Not even if the idea of having her help sew them shut again is tempting.
“Consider the subject changed,” she announces, ripping off a chunk of cookie. When she reaches over the console and holds it in front of my face, I go to take it only to have her pull it back an inch. “Open your mouth.”
I double blink but part my lips, letting her push the soft treat past them. Her following grin sends my heart into overdrive as I chew.
“This is one of my official Passenger Princess duties, babe. I’m at your service for the next two hours,” she sings, beaming proudly. “We should get a little sign for my seat so everyone knows what’s up whenever you’re out without me.”
I stifle my laugh, enjoying her possessive train of thought. “What would the sign say? Property Of Anna?”
“Something like that. Or Passenger Princess’s Only. Whichever you prefer.”
“I’m not sure Caleb would appreciate that sentiment, but if anyone could convince him, it would be you.”
“I appreciate that, but he seems like he’d be an alright co-pilot. Maybe we should try and find a double-sided sign. Passenger Princess on one side and Co-Pilot on another.”
I scratch at my jaw, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. “I’d leave your sign up for everyone. As far as I’m concerned, that’s been your seat since the first time you sat in it.”
If I didn’t have to pay attention to the road, I would have kept staring at her forever. It’s especially hard to look away when her entire face lights up and she busies herself with her cookie,popping a piece in her mouth. She licks along her pillowed bottom lip, collecting the crumbs, and I shift in my seat, growing hard in half a second.
“Open again,” she orders, and I jolt, snapping back to the road while hating how potentially bad my staring could have been.
I open my mouth without a second thought, and another piece of cookie hits my tongue.
“Do you think Cherry Peak will ever grow big enough to have need of a second hair salon?” she asks a beat later.
“I think potentially. Why? Are you wantin’ to open your own?”
“It was always a dream of mine. I thought I’d do it someday in Vancouver, but I realized after moving here that it’s probably not a very viable option. Not for a long while anyway.”
“The town has doubled in size since I was a kid. It wouldn’t surprise me if in a few years, it’s grown enough to need a second salon. Everyone needs their hair done, right?”
She laughs softly. “Yeah, that’s true. I’m just still learning all about small-town living, I suppose.”
“It’s different. I didn’t know anything different until movin’ to Nashville. After livin’ there for a few years, Cherry Peak felt odd. It was hard to readjust. Have some grace with yourself.”
It’s a far reach, but I drape my arm across the console and turn my hand over. The comforting weight of her palm against mine comes a moment later. I lace our fingers tight.
“Where do you prefer? Here or Nashville?”
There’s no hesitation in my reply. “It’s always been Cherry Peak. My love for this place has only grown as of late.”
I don’t explain further, and she doesn’t ask me to. There’s no need. Not when it’s already so obvious. If I never had to leave Cherry Peak again, I wouldn’t. And when the time comes that I do, I’ll be leaving half of myself here.
With her.
33
ANNALISE
After a morningof driving and grabbing fries and a milkshake at by far the best drive-in I’ve ever been to, we’ve spent the past hour in the boot store. Thebestboot store in Alberta, according to him.