She turned on the blinker to merge, and having wrapped up his
issue, Ryan slipped the phone into the center console, arranging it so she
could see the directions on the screen. The simple gesture touched her heart.
Other than her gram, no one had ever looked out for her, not even in a small
way, and his thoughtful courtesy reminded her how concerned he’d been talking
with his sister, his impulse to look out for her, the casual way he’d said love
you.
Not words she’d heard much growing up. Except for Gram. Her
parents weren’t big on affection, except with one another, so she had to stock
up on I love you during her Kentucky summers. Gram always said kindness was in
the little things—delivering a cup of coffee in the morning, offering to make
supper, bringing in the newspaper. Big gestures were nice, but the small stuff
made up a person’s life.
“Hey, before I forget to tell you,” he said, “I appreciate the
assist with Mason Hollis. I admit I was pretty thrown by having the door shut
in my face.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “Not a guy who’s used to
rejection?”
“Not really, no.” He looked over, wearing an expression that
probably made the Midtown girls melt like a Kentucky snowfall. “Most of the
time, the answer I get is yes.”
“I bet.”
“I’m talking clients, not women.”
She raised one brow. “Of course you are.”
“Seriously?” A vague irritation flashed across his face.
“Truth is, I wasn’t prepared to go back to the Hollis place
tonight, not after the ‘city slicker’ comment, but thanks to you, I’ve got a
shot to sign Mason, an opportunity that seemed unlikely an hour ago.” He
paused. “What can I say? There really is some magic in that southern charm of
yours, so thank you. I owe you.”
She looked over briefly, touched by his acknowledgment. “You’re
welcome.”
The inside of the cab grew quiet for a moment, neither having much
to say—or, more accurately, not knowing what to say, considering they were
fundamentally strangers. Ryan tapped his knuckles on the console and nodded
toward the radio. “Not a bad song.”
“One of my favorites,” she said, appreciating Maren Morris’s
lyrics about putting her car in drive, finding an escape. “You like country
music—that’s a good sign.”
He gave her a look that said you’ve got to be kidding me. “No
upstanding New Yorker likes country.”
“I can always sing along,” she said, glancing in his direction.
“Convert you into a fan.”
“So, you must be a good singer?”
“No,” she laughed. “I’m like karaoke’s worst nightmare.”
“I bet you look adorable onstage, sporting cowboy boots, singing
Shania.”
“I do not wear cowboy boots.” She shook her head, chuckling. “And
trust me, nothing is adorable about me singing karaoke—absolutely nothing.”
His brows lifted. “So, no road-trip serenade?”
“No road-trip serenade.”
“Maybe next time.” He shot over another one of those cool-guy
smiles.
Maybe next time.
Except there’d never be a next time. Apart from the fact that he
liked sports and was down for karaoke, she scarcely knew the guy, and what she
did know was in opposition to the low-key life she’d chosen. He was high-end
cashmere and pricey gym membership, excessively work-focused and supposedly
health-conscious, and not at all her speed. He was also surprising and kind in
a way she hadn’t expected when he’d come into the shop.
But no—no. She tightened her grip on the wheel. This trip was
nothing more than a rideshare, and thinking about his finer qualities was just
a road to nowhere.
In twelve hours, Ryan Callahan would be a memory, an impossibly
gorgeous guy from the city who’d stumbled into her shop on a random Friday
night, a guy along for a thirteen-hour ride, down for sharing driving time and
expenses.
Nothing more, nothing less.
After ten years of survival, aka working, in Hollywood, this former actress and current author of sexy contemporary romance is living happily-ever-after in Pittsburgh with her longtime sweetie and their two punky kids. When not carpooling to birthday parties or testing her gourmet cooking skills by throwing a frozen pizza into the oven, Maggie daydreams about sneaking off to the Vegas or Napa, or even just the movies. A love of red wine, Italian food, and music round out her list of life's greatest joys. Oh, and Tuesday night karaoke, totally underrated fun.
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