“Well?” he asked.
“It’s fine, a little red, but that could be because you keep rubbing it.”
“It feels like there’s something in there.”
I placed my fingers on the top and bottom of his eye and looked closer. I had to crawl out of my seat to get close enough to look.
“Nothing is in your eye, but if you want me to pour water in it, I can.”
I let go of his eye and noticed I was inches from his face. His mouth. Like a stupid idiot, I let my gaze go down to his lips. He licked them.
A moan almost slipped from my lips. What in the heck, Saryn? I jerked my eyes up to the gum again and Truitt cleared his throat.
“Hold on, let me get the gum out of your hair.”
Carefully, I got it out and then tossed it out the still-open window and dropped back down into my seat.
“Thanks,” Truitt said, his voice sounding strained.
“Sure. Did you want me to pour water in your eye?”
He shook his head. “No, I think it’s okay now.”
Rolling up his window, Truitt looked back and saw that Liliana had slept through the whole show.
“She’s a heavy sleeper,” I stated.
All he did was nod, then pull back out onto the road. It took a few moments before he broke the silence.
“You know, you can ask about the gum.”
“Oh, thank goodness! How many times has it happened?”
“Twice. Well, now three times.”
Trying with all my might not to laugh, I lost the battle. Soon, Truitt was laughing right along with me.
“Truitt, how?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t think I spit it hard enough, or the wind gods hate me, and it blows back in.”
I laughed again. In that moment he looked at me. Our eyes met and something sparked between us. I chuckled again and let out a sigh.
“Man, I needed that laugh.”
“Glad to be of help.”
There were so many things that just felt right. And right now, it felt amazing to just be in his company.
Truitt
AS WE WALKED along the shops at La Cantera, I carried Liliana up on my shoulders. She’d given up on the idea of walking about thirty minutes ago after we left Pottery Barn Kids.
“Truitt, you don’t have to carry her on your shoulders,” Saryn argued, for the hundredth time.
“She’s light as a feather, stop worrying so much, Saryn.”
Chewing on her lip, she focused ahead of us. When she was unsure of something, or nervous, she nibbled on her lip, and I knew to look away because it did weird things to my body.
“Are you dating anyone?” she asked.
The question had just flown out of her mouth and the moment she asked it she seemed to regret it.
“No.”
Her brows rose. “No?”
Laughing, I replied, “No. I haven’t really ever seriously dated anyone.”
That caused her eyes to go wide with shock. “Never?”
I shrugged. “I mean, I’ve dated one or two women, nothing that I would call serious.”
“Why not?”
I looked straight ahead. “I have a bad habit of comparing them to someone I once cared a lot about.”
Saryn’s gaze felt like it was burning a hole into me.
“What happened? I mean, with this person.”
With a slight smile, I looked down at her. “She started dating someone else.”
Saryn looked like her breath had caught in her throat, then she looked as if a million questions were running through her mind.
Liliana gasped and let out an excited giggle. I looked to where she was pointing and said, “Build-A-Bear? What’s that?”
“Someplace you don’t want to go. Keep walking, Truitt, for your own good,” Saryn stated.
“Pwease!” Liliana cried out and my heart melted on the spot. “Pooh Bear! Momma, pwease.”
“Oh no, no! I see it in your eyes. Truitt…”
Turning to look at Saryn, I replied, “How can you be so cruel? Listen to that voice!”
She shook her head. “Trust me, she’ll forget all about it.”
Liliana bent forward and pulled my chin up to look at her. “Pooh Bear! Pwease!”
Oh, God. How could anyone say no that. Those baby blues pierced right into my soul and damn near brought me to my knees.
“There is no way I’m saying no to that.” I walked straight over to the stuffed animal store. “Let’s get you a Pooh Bear, baby girl.”
Liliana bounced around on my shoulders. I reached up and took her down. She grabbed my hand and pulled me over to a bunch of bins.
“You caved, just like that,” Saryn said, a smirk on her face.
“Do you not see those eyes? They were pleading, Saryn.”
“Yes, I see them every day, and that is called manipulation, Truitt. You’ve just been had by a three-year-old.”
“What’s the harm in getting a little Pooh Bear?”
Her arms folded over her chest. “Okay, this is all on you, Mr. I Can’t Say No.”
I smiled and then focused on Liliana. “What do we do first?”