Page 54

“Quit squabbling, we’re going to miss the next question,” Chase admonished.

I crossed my eyes to prove I wasn’t cowed, but I didn’t pick up the argument. It was just for fun, anyway. We’d all done our share of drills in high school.

“What does the name of our fair city, Tacoma, actually mean?”

“Stink City?” Tamra suggested.

I balled up my napkin, throwing it at her. “No, you traitor.”

“What? The tide flats smell sometimes. I can’t help but thinking the name reflects the Tacoma aroma. Truth in advertising, and all.”

Melena rolled her eyes. “I don’t think that’s the answer.” She looked to her husband. “Jimmy?”

He shook his head. “No idea.”

Crud. I glanced at Ty’s table, catching a quick wink. Did his gesture mean the Knit Wits knew the answer?

Nothing else stumped us the rest of the round, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned in our sheet to Pete at the front of the room. Even if we missed the city name question, we should still finish strong.

“Hey.”

Ty’s casual greeting shouldn’t have me buzzing like I’d finished two cups of coffee, but his appearance at my side triggered an immediate rush.

“Hey.”

His eyes crinkled at the edges as if glad to see me, but he still looked tired. I wanted to reach out and smooth the lines there. Give him a hug and offer what comfort I could. But I wanted to wait, see how he reacted before claiming him in front of Jimmy and everyone.

“You been working hard, making up for lost time after court?” I asked instead.

“Something like that.” His lips twitched into a soft smile. “I’ve missed you.”

My pulse evened out, thumping hard at his words. He’d missed me.

“Well, I guess we could do something about that,” I teased.

“Yeah? Like maybe you’d join me for dinner one night this week? Add in a round of mini golf if you feel like taking a beating?”

Trust Ty to turn a simple date into a competition. Still, he knew me too well. My weaknesses, my strengths.

“You’re on.”

“Yoo-hoo, Ty. Come on. Round’s about to start,” Jeannie hollered from their table.

“I’ll text you later and we can work out the details?” he asked.

I nodded, unable to keep the grin from blooming across my face.

“It’s a date,” he promised, sketching a quick salute before turning on his heel to return to his table.

I stood a moment longer, soaking in the anticipation, and okay, maybe also watching his firm butt in those jeans, before returning to Jimmy and the others.

My brother proved he was ever the trained observer, his eyes narrowing at my no doubt goofy expression. “That looked awfully friendly. What were you and Sheldon doing together?”

“Nothing,” I claimed, trying to distract him. I didn’t need him nosing in my business. Not until I was more confident that Ty and I were ready to present a united front.

“He’s not trying to woo you to the Knit Wits, is he?”

“Yeah, we have better brains,” Chase boasted, taking a sip from his beer.