Slide(Boosted Hearts Book 3)(49)

“Much.”

Adam put on the turn signal and turned off onto a gravel road.

“Where are we going?”

“Thought we’d stop for lunch. My aunt and uncle used to live few miles from here, before they moved to Chicago. I camped down here a time or two with my cousin when we were younger.”

The road was lined with trees, leaves swaying in the breeze. It was idyllic. “Is this where you brought girls?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Never brought anyone down here. It was our spot. Mine and my cousin’s. We’d fish, drink the beers we stole from my uncle, and just…” His gaze turned faraway, heavy. “Shoot the shit, yanno?”

“Yeah, Joe and me always had an easy relationship like that.” She grinned at Adam. “Well, until I got boobs and he went from being my friend to my bodyguard.” She chuckled. “Scared away every boy I ever liked.”

“They love you.”

There was something in his voice, something that made her want to reach out and touch him, place her hand on his cheek and brush her thumb over his skin. “They do. But it can be suffocating sometimes.”

“If I had a sister, I’d be the same.” He cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t like you with someone like me, for example.”

“They’d have a problem with any guy I went out with, which is why I’ve always tried to keep that part of my life to myself. I’d die an old maid if they had their way.” She twisted in her seat more. “And anyway, what’s wrong with you?”

He was a loyal friend. He’d stood by Joe and Hugh when everything was falling apart. Yeah, he fucked around, which had never really suited him, not the man she knew, the man she saw when he was with the people he cared about. He’d always loved to be around her family when they’d been younger. Had spent a lot of time at their house. If he’d open the hell up and let the demons out, whatever they were, she knew he could find the happiness he desperately wanted. He could deny it until he was blue in the face, but that’s what he wanted. And if he ever allowed himself to have that happiness, she knew he’d be one hundred percent loyal to the woman lucky enough to get through to him. She shook that thought off. The idea of him with someone else hurt like hell.

He offered her a self-depreciating smile. “More than you know, baby girl.”

She wanted to growl in frustration. The man had a warped view of himself, and she noticed whenever he wanted to put emotional distance between them he called her baby girl. At the realization, she didn’t love the name quite so much anymore.

“Being a narcissistic egomaniac is not a crime. I’m sure there’s a woman out there who would happily put up with you. Would love to watch you stare at yourself in the mirror all day, talking to yourself in the third person.” She lowered her voice again. “Yes, Adam, you are a sexy beast…Adam, you handsome devil, look at your magnificent penis…Good God, Adam, you’re a stallion among men…”

“Jesus Christ.”

She giggled at the look on his face. “Am I wrong?”

He just stared at her.

“You’re telling me your mirror isn’t getting a workout?” She was teasing, of course. Adam was the least vain person she knew. Was fun to tease him, though.

“You realize you’ll pay for that, right?”

“Do your worst, Grady.” She’d pay all damn day if he had a mind to dish it out. If his punishment was anything like this morning, she planned on being a very naughty girl. They’d reached the end of the road and when he turned the car off, she could hear lapping water. “Are we near a lake?”

“Yeah.” He pushed his door open. “Come on.”

Adam moved to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and pulled out a bag.

Lucy shielded her eyes from the sun. “What’s that?”

He shrugged. “Lunch. I picked it up when we stopped for gas.” He pulled something else from the trunk. A blanket.

“Are we having a picnic?”

He tilted his head to the side then looked down at his hands, like the idea had never occurred to him. “No. We’re eating outside.”

She gave him a huge cheesy grin. “Aw, I never would have guessed you were such a romantic.”

He shook his head and started walking.

“Ma and Pa are gonna like you. They won’t mind one bit that you’ve already dirtied me up.”

“Shit…”

“I can’t wait to tell them about the triplets.”

“Jesus.”

“We can name them after my favorite pigs on the farm…”

“I feel like I’m going on a picnic with Joe.”