Chapter 13
Cade
The plan was to take Tasha to Ridgeway State Park, lie under the blanket of stars, seats leaned back in the Camaro, and just…be.
The park closed at sunset, which meant we’d have no company for our stargazing. When I arrived, I was nervous, and not because I had to get out and unhook a metal sign warning: VIOLATORS WILL BE PERSECUTED.
Ahh, Ridgeway. Leave it to my town to misuse a word in a warning.
After I pulled the car past the gate, I let her idle while I put the chain back. The reason for my attack of nerves was because I had packed a picnic and a blanket, and I wasn’t sure if I’d done it right. Dates in the past had consisted of bar food and shots, so I was a little out of my element.
Tasha was nervous for a different reason. When I climbed back inside the car, her hands were clenched together in her lap.
I eased along the road into the dark, abandoned park, resting my hand over her interlaced fingers. “Never broke into anywh-where before?”
“No.” She licked her lips before turning to eye me in the grainy darkness. “It’s kinda fun.”
“Stick with me, kitten. I’ll sh-show you fun.”
“Kitten.”
I sneaked a look at her and saw her lips twist.
“That’s what you called me the night you hit on me with that horrible ‘Cade train’ line.”
There was a time I would’ve laughed that off, but instead, I winced.
“It was pretty bad.” She was laughing, which hadn’t been her reaction at the time, so I guessed she’d forgiven me.
Even so, I said, “Sorry,” the S dragging out a few humiliating beats.
Her hand over mine, she said, “It’s okay now.”
Yeah, I supposed it was.
I navigated past the parking lot, bumping along the grass. We were well out of sight of the road, but I couldn’t trust the trees to hide the car completely. If someone was in the park, he’d spot us, but when’s the last time you saw a park ranger on duty?
Tasha was shivering—I doubted it was from the exhilaration of breaking into the park.
I reached behind me for the blanket.
“I’m fine.”
Said her chattering teeth.
“Haven’t fixed the heater y-yet,” I told her. I killed the engine and spread the blanket over her bare legs. She tugged the blanket over her whole body, and much as I hated her covering up, I liked her better wearing a warm smile. The curve of her lips and the way she closed her eyes and snuggled down in the blanket made her look very kittenlike.
I was tuning in a radio station, the volume low, when she asked, “Is that a cooler?”
I met her raised eyebrow with one of my own. “Maybe.”
“Do you always come prepared for a spontaneous make-out session?”
“I was pr-preparing to do this anyway. The m-making out is a bonus.” I grinned and she grinned back. “Eat, then therapy.”
“Therapy?” She looked excited, which was damn cute. I’d just agreed to let her work on my lips and tongue, and if I wasn’t mistaking her expression, the prospect of helping me speak clearly made her more excited than us making out.
I lifted the blanket and slapped a sandwich in her hand, then pulled out a bottle of water and waggled it at her. “Have y-your straws?”