She blinked at me, her wide hazel eyes swirling with the millions of thoughts that streamed through her mind. When I’d started dating her, I realized I had to up my game. She was intoxicatingly intelligent. I could talk work without losing her, didn’t matter if it was about King Oil or the ranch.

Regret infused her gaze. “I already ate.”

“Want to join me anyway?” Please say yes. Since I’d heard her voice on the other end of the line, I hadn’t wanted to be anywhere but at her side.

“Where are you going?”

“What about that Thai place we like?”

The corner of her mouth tipped up. “The place where I can’t resist their spring rolls no matter how full I am?”

And I was after the moan she made whenever she bit into one. “Yes.”

“All right. I’ll let Mom know. I was picking up milk for her.”

“As long as Randall gets his morning coffee.”

Her gaze darted up to mine. “Yeah. You remember?”

“Yes.” She shouldn’t have to ask. Her family was important to her and I had paid attention to the details, the parts of her life she shared and talked about. I hadn’t done enough with the knowledge, and I got that now. I pulled away from the tire place. “How are Sharon and Randall?”

“Counting down the days to retirement.” And like I’d hoped, the floodgates opened and I relaxed into the cadence of her speech. “Randall retires in three years. He’s not going to miss it, but if he doesn’t find a hobby, he’s going to drive Mom crazy if they both have to sit on top of each other all day. But he won’t be able to take on more coaching. I think his days with the wrestling club are numbered. He just feels like he’s letting them down if he steps away. He loves coaching, but it takes a lot out of him. He says the boys these days have more energy since they’re not running wild through the neighborhood. He’s so tired when he gets home. Then there’s Mom. She talks about how she’s going to have her desk packed a month before retirement. But she’s going to be lost without hearing all the updates about her employees. She’s like a surrogate grandma.”

She didn’t continue and I glanced over. The streetlights flickered over her face and she’d drawn her plump lower lip between her teeth. She wasn’t wearing makeup and the sweatpants she had on weren’t ones she wore often. She was cute in them. Whenever her coat moved high enough, I got a nice glimpse of her round ass.

Usually when she stopped on a dime like this, I stayed quiet and she continued. Not tonight.

“And then what?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s just more rambling.”