Under the Viaduct, H. Anderson [top young adult novels .TXT] 📗

but as she breathed in his scent—a combination of campfire smoke and cheap laundry detergent—she relaxed into him and returned his hug.

Blayne laid his cheek on the top of her head and said in a low, husky voice, “I wanted to surprise you. Guess it worked, huh?”

She nodded against his chest and squeezed tighter as she remembered how he’d stayed on the phone with her all night.

“All right lovebirds! It’s freezing out here and this parking attendant is giving me the evil eye. How about you get in the car?” Allie’s loud voice seemed to echo all around them.

Kaylee didn’t even care. And, for the first time since she could remember, she didn’t feel the warm flush of an embarrassed blush creeping up her neck as the object of strangers’ attention. The warmth she was feeling had nothing to do with embarrassment.

Blayne’s biceps tightened around her arms for another couple of seconds before he released her. Still close enough to feel his warm breath on her face, she looked up and smiled at his one raised eyebrow.

He said, “I guess we’d better do as we’re told before your friend decides to use her loud voice again.”

Kaylee laughed, wanting nothing more than to kiss those lips quirked into a mischievous grin. Before she could act on this strong impulse, Blayne pulled away. He grabbed her hand as they walked the few yards to Allie’s car.

“You two ride in the back,” Allie said. “I’ll pretend like I’m chauffeuring a celebrity couple around.” She got in the driver’s seat and turned to look at them as they buckled up. “And, bonus for both of us, I can’t hear what you two lovebirds are talking about back there.”

“She makes a good point.” Blayne reached to hold her hand again as soon as both of their seatbelts were buckled.

The callouses on his palm rubbed against her ‘college girl’ skin and she thought how nothing had ever felt quite so good. “How is work going?” she asked.

“Great. I love my job and my coworkers. It’s so good to be doing something productive with my life.” His smile of moments before turned to a look of concern, his eyes tight as he gazed at her. “I’m so glad you’re back. Safe.” He pursed his lips like he had more to say, but held it back.

Kaylee looked down at their entwined fingers. “Me too. I’ll never travel by myself again.”

“I was so worried about you.” A small hitch in his voice made her look up at him. His eyes bore into hers before he turned to look out the window. He rubbed the back of his neck. “That driver that dropped you off won’t be doing that to anyone else. At least not with the same drive-share company.”

Kaylee became acutely aware of every inch of her hand that touched his. His leg pressed up against hers in the crowded back seat of Allie’s compact car. His breath blowing against the window, fogging the view. His shoulders, so broad they took up more than his share of the backrest, the arm next to her rubbing against her coat with each bump in the road. Her heart fluttered like a rose petal floating on a breeze. She squeezed his hand, staring at the back of his head, waiting for him to turn his face to her again.

When he did, the intensity of his gaze softened as she blinked up at him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He nodded in response, his eyes flicking to her lips then back to her gaze.

Kaylee cleared her throat and looked down at her lap again. She must look like a huge mess. She hadn’t bothered to put makeup on that morning, she’d barely slept the night before, she’d slept on the plane, and she hadn’t showered in well over twenty-four hours. She touched her hair, realizing pieces of it had escaped the scrunchy and now poked out everywhere. Ugh. Why hadn’t she taken the time to freshen up in the bathroom at the airport?

She avoided Blayne’s gaze the rest of the drive home, telling him what she’d found out about Mama C as she stared out the window.

Allie pulled into her parking space at their apartment building and turned off the car. She turned in her seat to look at Kaylee. “I figure you can give Blayne a ride when he’s ready to go.”

Kaylee knew she was going to say “home” but stopped herself. A sleeping bag under a viaduct wasn’t really a home, was it? “Thank you, Al.”

Blayne touched Allie on the shoulder and when she looked at him, he signed, Yes, thank you for letting me come with you to get Kaylee.

Allie and Kaylee both opened their mouths in shock. “When did you learn how to sign?” Allie asked.

Blayne shrugged, his face turning a shade darker. “I just went to the library on my lunch breaks this week and taught myself a few words. I learned that sentence the day after you said I could come with you to the airport.”

“Blayne that’s…” Kaylee searched for the right words. “That’s the sweetest thing.”

His blush darkened further, and he mumbled, “It’s no big deal.”

With a slight tremor in her voice, Allie said, much quieter than usual for her, “It is a huge deal. You have no idea how much it means to me.”

He shook his head, then must have decided not to object again. “Well, you’re welcome. I don’t know very much, but I’m going to try to keep learning.”

Allie patted his cheek then turned back to open her door, swiping at her face as she did so.

Kaylee and Blayne stood next to the car as Allie climbed the stairs to their apartment. “Well, what’s the plan? Are you hungry?” he asked.

She nodded. “I am. I haven’t eaten all day.” Her stomach growled in agreement. “Want to come in? I’ll make you one of my famous peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

His smile lit up his eyes. “I’d love that.”

She stopped halfway up the stairs