Page 37 of Tricked in October
“I think it worked,” June said happily.
Kelsey waved him off. “All right, don’t act like that’s the only reason. I know your deepest secrets, remember?”
His throat thickened. “Secrets?”
“Yeah, Franklin asked you to shave. Thought it would hike up the ratings.” She winked.
“Oh, right. Totally.”
Kelsey flashed him a smile, it was probably the same smile he’d seen about a trillion times before. But now, it looked different. It caused her blue eyes to sparkle and at the same time sent an ache of satisfaction in his chest. If all it took on his part to manufacture that smile, was for him to shave, he’d do it every damn day.
Kelsey cleared her throat. “Okay, we should go.”
He set June down and she hugged his waist. “Bye, Davis.”
“Bye, kiddo.”
A baby screamed from inside the house. Charlotte’s cry could be easily deciphered. His gut tightened, worried this trip wasn’t going to happen. Kelsey was running out of time and she needed a solution. He hadn’t given up the idea of offering to help her out completely. The only thing holding him back was her. He was almost positive she’d never accept.
“Oh hell, we didn’t get outta here soon enough,” Kelsey grumbled.
Mr. Whitley rushed into the front entryway. “Go, you two. Get out while you can.”
“It’s okay, Mr. W. I can calm her down,” Kelsey insisted.
He took her by the shoulders and shoved her toward the door. “Don’t be silly. We can handle things from here. Believe me. Now go.” Mr. Whitley snatched up a bag from the floor and pressed it into Davis’s chest.
Kelsey hugged Mr. W before taking the steps behind Davis. She yanked her bag away from him.
“You don’t have to carry my bag.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Yeah, well, I’m more than capable.”
“Oh, I know.” He thought a comeback was warranted. But at the same time, she’d been trying extra hard to prove her independence. He decided to let her have a win. Even if it was small, so he kept his mouth shut.
They climbed into his truck in silence. After tossing her bag into the cab and buckling in, she began syncing her phone to the truck’s stereo.
Davis shook his head. “I haven’t even backed out of the driveway yet.”
“Your point?”
He simply chuckled.
Hozier’s voice poured through the speakers, growing louder as Kelsey turned up the volume. Because that’s what Hozier’s voice did. It poured like liquid running over, seeping into nooks and crannies. And it was in that moment, the silent conversation and music transcendence stretching between the neighborhood and the open road, when Davis relaxed.
They’d been rewarded with a sunny fall day, and the further they drove, they were welcomed with views of the snow-capped mountains and hillsides of red maples and golden aspens. But with the temperature expected to dip below forty degrees in Denver that night, he was glad he decided to wear the vest.
Glancing Kelsey’s way, he found her focused on her phone, her lower lip pulled between her teeth.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I was just checking in on my mama.”
“She good?”
“She seems more herself this week. Her old self,” Kelsey corrected.
