voice belied the nerves beneath the cool surface. His eyes skimmed me up and down, and apparently, he didn’t mind my lack of primping. He glanced over my shoulder and spied my mother.
“Hello, Mrs. Vaughan.” This time his tone was respectful.
“Rafe. It’s nice to see you again,” my mom answered. “Tasmyn, are you going to make him stand at the door there all night?”
I didn’t even turn around. “We’re leaving right now, Mom.”
“Tas, don’t be silly. We have time for me to talk to your mother.” Rafe placed his hands on my arms and gently nudged me out of the way as he stepped into the house.
“What are you two planning to do? Tasmyn mentioned a movie?” My mom was trying to be social; I could feel her struggling not to think about how easy everything was with Michael. I bit my lip and worked harder to block her vibes.
“Actually, I found out that there’s going to be a band playing on the green downtown. It’s such a nice night, I thought we might go and listen to them, and then maybe have ice cream on the way home.” It sounded like the pen-ultimate small-town date, and I had to choke down a snort of derision. King was about as far from a typical small-town as it got.
“Well, that sounds just lovely. I won’t hold you up. Have a good time.” My mother’s smile was actually more relaxed and genuine now.
“Okay. I’ll be home by midnight?” I named what was usually my curfew when Michael and I went out.
My mom hesitated only a moment before she nodded. “Have fun,” she repeated. “Be careful.”
I grabbed a sweater from the back of a nearby chair and ducked out the door. Rafe followed me in silence as we walked toward his car, a fairly new red sports model. I felt another pang as I missed the Mustang.
Rafe carefully opened the passenger door and stepped aside to allow me to climb into the car. Only when I was settled and seatbelted did he close the door and stride to the driver’s side.
“Okay,” I said as he turned the key in the ignition. “Where are we really going?”
He looked at me in confusion. “What do you mean? I told you, we’re going down to the green to hear the band.”
“Seriously? Aren’t you going to drag me off some place to interrogate me?”
Rafe rolled his eyes as the car purred to life and he pulled onto the street. “Tasmyn, you just don’t get it. I’m worried about you. Amber’s worried about you. I want to talk about what’s going on with Ms. Lacusta, yes, but I also thought it might be nice for us to… have a little time together.”
I crossed my arms across my chest. “I told you, I’m not interested in dating. I like you, Rafe—or I usually do, when you’re not coercing me into doing something I don’t want to do. But I’m sorry. I don’t like you—like that.”
I felt the brief flare of hurt that flamed across his mind, and Rafe’s hands tightened on the wheel. “I know that. I’m not stupid. But what’s wrong with two friends spending time together?”
I was about to fling back a retort, but something stopped me. Instead, I answered him thoughtfully. “Nothing at all. If that’s what this is, if you just want to hang out the way we did last fall, then I guess I’m grateful. I’m feeling pretty alone right now.”
He didn’t answer, and in fact the rest of the short drive to the middle of town was silent. We found a parking spot not too far from the green around which King was built, and Rafe jumped out of the car to open my door for me before I could even touch for the handle. After I climbed out, he reached into the backseat and pulled out a red and white checked blanket. At my questioning look, I heard his reply even though he didn’t really answer me.
To sit on during the concert. So you don’t have to be on the grass.
I felt guilty on so many levels. First, just being out in public with a male who wasn’t Michael seemed like a betrayal. And then there were Rafe’s emotions, so unusually
“Hello, Mrs. Vaughan.” This time his tone was respectful.
“Rafe. It’s nice to see you again,” my mom answered. “Tasmyn, are you going to make him stand at the door there all night?”
I didn’t even turn around. “We’re leaving right now, Mom.”
“Tas, don’t be silly. We have time for me to talk to your mother.” Rafe placed his hands on my arms and gently nudged me out of the way as he stepped into the house.
“What are you two planning to do? Tasmyn mentioned a movie?” My mom was trying to be social; I could feel her struggling not to think about how easy everything was with Michael. I bit my lip and worked harder to block her vibes.
“Actually, I found out that there’s going to be a band playing on the green downtown. It’s such a nice night, I thought we might go and listen to them, and then maybe have ice cream on the way home.” It sounded like the pen-ultimate small-town date, and I had to choke down a snort of derision. King was about as far from a typical small-town as it got.
“Well, that sounds just lovely. I won’t hold you up. Have a good time.” My mother’s smile was actually more relaxed and genuine now.
“Okay. I’ll be home by midnight?” I named what was usually my curfew when Michael and I went out.
My mom hesitated only a moment before she nodded. “Have fun,” she repeated. “Be careful.”
I grabbed a sweater from the back of a nearby chair and ducked out the door. Rafe followed me in silence as we walked toward his car, a fairly new red sports model. I felt another pang as I missed the Mustang.
Rafe carefully opened the passenger door and stepped aside to allow me to climb into the car. Only when I was settled and seatbelted did he close the door and stride to the driver’s side.
“Okay,” I said as he turned the key in the ignition. “Where are we really going?”
He looked at me in confusion. “What do you mean? I told you, we’re going down to the green to hear the band.”
“Seriously? Aren’t you going to drag me off some place to interrogate me?”
Rafe rolled his eyes as the car purred to life and he pulled onto the street. “Tasmyn, you just don’t get it. I’m worried about you. Amber’s worried about you. I want to talk about what’s going on with Ms. Lacusta, yes, but I also thought it might be nice for us to… have a little time together.”
I crossed my arms across my chest. “I told you, I’m not interested in dating. I like you, Rafe—or I usually do, when you’re not coercing me into doing something I don’t want to do. But I’m sorry. I don’t like you—like that.”
I felt the brief flare of hurt that flamed across his mind, and Rafe’s hands tightened on the wheel. “I know that. I’m not stupid. But what’s wrong with two friends spending time together?”
I was about to fling back a retort, but something stopped me. Instead, I answered him thoughtfully. “Nothing at all. If that’s what this is, if you just want to hang out the way we did last fall, then I guess I’m grateful. I’m feeling pretty alone right now.”
He didn’t answer, and in fact the rest of the short drive to the middle of town was silent. We found a parking spot not too far from the green around which King was built, and Rafe jumped out of the car to open my door for me before I could even touch for the handle. After I climbed out, he reached into the backseat and pulled out a red and white checked blanket. At my questioning look, I heard his reply even though he didn’t really answer me.
To sit on during the concert. So you don’t have to be on the grass.
I felt guilty on so many levels. First, just being out in public with a male who wasn’t Michael seemed like a betrayal. And then there were Rafe’s emotions, so unusually
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