after they had pulled out of the driveway that he spoke.
“You’ll get used to it.”
That surprised her. “Used to what?”
“How Luke is. Laid back—sometimes to the extreme. He’s just a nice, trusting guy who assumes everyone is as guileless as him.” He sent her a sidelong glance. “I can tell you’re having trouble reading him at the moment, but you’ll get the hang of it.”
“Good to know,” Rori said, not quite sure what else there was to say until Mike spoke up again.
“Where do you want to go for a gift?”
“Wherever you’re headed,” she said. “I don’t want you to go out of your way.”
“Oh, I’m going to a grocery store. My mom’s out of vanilla and food coloring, so I can go any which way depending on what you need.”
How accommodating. At every turn the guy just seemed nice. Too nice. “I’m not sure. What would your mother like? Flowers? A nice wine? You’re not religious, right? I know Utah is known for…”
When she hesitated in picking her words, Mike stepped in and answered. “No, we’re not. And she would like either of those.”
“Good to know. What would she want? What would make her smile?”
“Smile?” he said, his bright blue eyes locking on hers with a bit of mischief under the surface. It was just a look, and his eyes were just eyes, but something inside Rori stirred in a way it most definitely should not have. “High-end baked goods. They’re my mom’s guilty pleasure. She normally only lets herself have them on birthdays, but she might make an exception if you bring them. And she’ll love them.”
The enthusiasm in his eyes was difficult to refuse. “Baked goods it is, then. I assume you have a place in mind?”
He nodded. “It’s not far and they should be able to hook you up, no problem.”
“Thank you.” Rori knew she should ask him about his family, but hesitated. It just made the excursion feel a little bit too much like a date. Perhaps if she included Luke in the question it wouldn’t be so bad.
“You have a unique accent,” he said, beating her to the punch. “Where are you from?”
“A bit of everywhere,” she replied and kept it at that.
“You traveled as a child?” he asked.
“Extensively, yes.” This was a date conversation. She needed to change the subject. She just wasn’t sure what subject would be proper.
“Is your dad in the military?”
Rori laughed at that one, trying to imagine her narcissist father putting himself on the line for anyone but himself. “Not at all.”
Mike glanced at her again, his eyes looking honestly interested in what she had to say. It was a dangerous expression on masculine face. “Did he travel for work?”
“You could say that, but it’s irrelevant,” Rori said. “He left my mother and me when I was seven. My mother was the catalyst behind on the traveling. Education is very important to her, and she believes things are best learned firsthand, not in books. If you want to learn about Egypt, go to Egypt. If you want to learn about Buddhism, spend time with Buddhist monks. Stuff like that.”
“That sounds awesome.”
In theory, yes. And Rori didn’t regret it. As an adult, however, she could acknowledge that is hadn’t made for much of a childhood either, though, since she had rarely been allowed time to fraternize with children her own age. Nearly always adults.
“Not awesome?” he ventured, making Rori realize she had taken too long on responding. The jet lag must still have her mind in a slower gear.
“No, it was great,” she said quickly.
“But?”
He sounded as if he really wanted an honest answer to the question. What was even stranger, Rori realized she wanted to give him one.
“Nothing to complain about, really. I have my mother to thank for who I am today.”
“But what would you do differently?”
The guy was persistent. “Probably just a little less rigor and a bit more play. Life doesn’t need to be educational 365 days out of the year.”
He nodded. “That makes sense. But still, you’re probably super smart, right?”
“I’ve seen more than most,” she conceded.
“And how many times have you followed a guy home after a trip?”
He made the question playful, probably to take the tension out of it. Rori gave him points for that—not that she should be giving him points at all. “Once.”
“Once?” he said, his expression surprised even in profile. “Just our Luke? What caught your eye?”
Rori smiled at the memory. “Initially? His incompetence. When I first saw him he