Semi-Psychic Life (Glimmer Lake #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,42
said. “Right now I can’t think about anything other than figuring out what’s best for my boys, you know? They have one responsible parent. Me. I’m it. Josh is just… He’s the fun one. I’m the not-fun one.”
“I think you’re fun.”
She lowered her voice. “Well, that’s because you’ve had sex with me and I’m never going to nag you to do your homework.”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “You could give me homework if you wanted to.”
“Stop.”
“Stop what?”
Being so damn attractive. Being nice. Being funny and making me feel special.
“Just stop bringing it up. I’m not saying no, okay? I’m just saying… not now.”
He nodded slowly. “Okay. Not now. I can deal with that.”
“And don’t be pushy.”
“I’m not some punk kid.” He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Have I been pushy?”
“No.”
“Your friends are the pushy ones. I’m the one pretending not to hear the comments.”
She closed her eyes. “And I appreciate that.”
“Good.” He nudged her glass toward her. “Finish your beer. I’ll drive you home.”
“I can walk.”
He looked over his shoulder. “It’s snowing. I’m not letting you walk home in the snow.”
“Is it?” Damn, he was right. Tiny white flakes were falling in the glow of the parking lot lights. Val finished her beer. “I can walk. It’s not far.”
“Just let me drive you home. I got this one, by the way.” He stood and put a twenty on the bar, enough for both their beers and a healthy tip. Sully walked to the jacket hooks by the door. “I will drive you home as a friend. Because it’s cold.”
“Okay. Thank you, friend.” Val walked to the wall, carefully pulling on her gloves before she even reached for her jacket.
Clothes were one of the things that triggered her visions most strongly, and rifling through a mess of jackets would probably give her a seizure. She delicately picked through the jackets that had been piled on top of hers, careful not to let the fabric touch her skin.
“Gotta stop doing this,” she said.
“Stop doing what?”
Leaving my clothes where they could get tangled up with someone else’s. “Gotta stop going out for random drinks in the middle of the week.”
“Why? You got a drinking problem with your”—he glanced back at the bar—“one beer and cashew habit?”
“Ha ha.” They walked out to the parking lot, and Val spotted his lifted pickup parked on the far end. “Boy, you don’t like taking the close parking space, do you?”
His breath huffed out in a cloud. “It’s stupid, but it makes sense in my head.”
“What does?”
He stopped and looked between the front door and the truck. “I can run to my truck and get to the road faster than I can drive through the parking lot if there was an emergency.”
Val looked between the truck and the quickly dimming facade of Chaco’s. “Huh. I wouldn’t have thought about that.”
“Sometimes minutes count.” Sully put his hand on the small of her back and opened the door, making sure she was steady as she climbed on the running board.
Val sat in the truck and turned, waiting for him to close the door. He didn’t. He just stood in the gently falling snow, looking at her.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked.
Yessssssss.
No.
Yes?
No.
“Better not,” she said quietly.
His eyes drilled into her. “Okay.” He nudged her knee. “Better scoot in. Watch your toes.”
He walked around and Val had to hold back from banging her head on the window.
Not no, just not now.
Not no. But not now.
Not now was going to kill her. Her libido was not happy with her brain.
Sully hopped in the other side of the cab and started the truck. He rubbed his hands together and glanced across the bench. “Gotta give her a second to warm up.”
“Yeah.”
“She’s a diesel, so she takes her time.”
“Mm-hmm.” Say nothing. Say. Nothing.
“Nice thing about a diesel engine though, once you get her hot, she’ll go for hours and—”
“Sully!”
His low laugh filled the truck.
Val could feel her cheeks getting warm. “You’re an evil tormenter.”
“Takes one to know one.”
“I am not evil.”
“Don’t pretend like I haven’t seen your tattoos, Valerie.”
Okay, well there is that one…
“Can you please take me home now?”
“I will. As soon as the truck warms up.”
“Right.” Val stared at the dark forest in front of the dashboard.
Sully fiddled with the radio, tuning it to a classic country station before he said, “So did I ever tell you about the police psychic I worked with in LA?”