Page 71 of Slapshot Kiss

“Hey.”

His gaze drops to the hoodie I'm wearing, and his smile gets a little wider. “Looks familiar.”

I glance down. “Oh, this old thing? Found it lying around.”

“Yeah? Lucky find.”

“Thought so.”

He opens the passenger door for me, and I slide inside while he walks around to the driver's side.

“So,” I say as he gets behind the wheel. “Where are we going?”

“Nice try.”

“Come on. Just give me a hint.”

“You'll have to wait and see.”

He grins as he pulls away from the curb.

I settle back in my seat and glance over at him. He's wearing jeans and a faded T-shirt, which is about as dressed down as I've ever seen him outside his apartment.

“Nice shirt.”

He looks down at himself. “What's wrong with my shirt?”

“Nothing. I don't think I've ever seen you wear something so… normal.”

“Normal?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Wow. And here I was, thinking I looked pretty damn good.”

I laugh. “You do.”

His grin returns. “Yeah?”

“Wyatt, enough already. Don't push your luck.”

He turns onto the freeway, and I glance out the window, trying to figure out where we're headed. The radio is playing quietly, and for a while, neither of us says anything.

It's nice, actually. Just being here with him.

I look over at him again. “Seriously, though. Where are you taking me?”

He laughs. “I planned a date. I'm allowed to keep some of it a secret.”

Something about hearing him call it a date makes me smile.

“You planned the whole thing?”

“Yep.”

I'm delighted, but when I glance over, I notice him tapping his thumb against the steering wheel.

That's not like him.