Graham gave her an exasperated look, as though she were an adorable puppy that had peed on the carpet again. “Babe—”

She pushed up on her toes, kissing him and cutting him off. “Two seconds. I promise.”

He tugged her ponytail. “You’re lucky I love you so much that I think this is cute.”

She grinned, his words moving over her like a summer breeze. For so long when guys looked at her, they saw only one thing—a party girl to get in bed. Like mother, like daughter, right? Graham didn’t look at her that way. He didn’t see where she came from or who her family was. He didn’t see her as an easy score. Sure, he appreciated how she looked, but he saw so much deeper than that layer. He loved who she was and wanted to help make her even better.

The guy who’d once seemed so out of her league—student council vice president, son of a well-known family in town, guy on his way to big things—loved her. Loved her so much that he was trying to figure out a way to take her with him to college. Believed in their relationship so much that he was going to ask his family to help her out with costs to attend the community college near Graham so they could be together. Graham was the real deal. Somehow, some way, despite her mom’s repeated declarations that all men were selfish scumbags who were only out for one thing, Kincaid had found herself in a real love story.

“Let’s go find your purse.” Graham stepped over and bumped fists with Ash. “And get out of here, man. I know my parents aren’t paying you overtime.”

“On my way,” Ash said, tucking the book into the back waistband of his jeans.

Kincaid smiled his way. “And let me know what William decides to do with that tongue.”

Ash kept a stoic expression, but his neck flushed bright red.

“Huh?” Graham asked.

“Nothing, baby,” she said cheerfully. “Just messing with my annoying brother.”

As soon as Graham’s back was turned to head down the aisle, Ash flipped Kincaid the bird.

She smooched the air silently and whispered. “Love you, too.”

When she was a few steps away, following Graham, Ash said something under his breath that sounded like love you more, but it was too low for her to hear it clearly. She turned, surprised. “What?”

Ash crossed his arms, and his gaze shifted away. “I said, see you tomorrow.”

She frowned. “Oh.”

She didn’t like the weird look on his face and almost asked more questions, but Graham was already far ahead of her, and she didn’t want to make him wait even longer. The guy was sweet as pie but had a pouty temper when he got annoyed. She didn’t want to ruin the night with a bad mood.

So she turned and followed Graham.

She dismissed what she thought she’d heard and the odd feeling it had stirred within her.