Love on the Lifts by Rachel Hawthorne Page B

time for the snowball he’d hit me with yesterday.
    â€œNot if you make a contribution to the Kate-have-a-good-time fund.”
    â€œAh, Kate, come on. I’m not hurting anyone. I’m a responsible drinker.”
    â€œHow can you be responsible if you’re breaking the law?”
    â€œI don’t drive when I drink. No one gets hurt except me, if I happen to fall flat on my face.”
    â€œYou get that drunk?”
    â€œI’ve got better things to do than discuss my life with you.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “How much?”
    â€œTwenty should do it.”
    â€œFive.”
    â€œTen.”
    He held out the bill that had one of my favorite presidents on it. “You know, Kate, no one likes a snitch.”
    I snatched it from his fingers, folded it up, and shoved it into the front pocket of my jeans. “Payback’s a bitch, Brother.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI wouldn’t have tattled. But I didn’t like getting hit with a snowball yesterday, either. So now we’re even.”
    He snapped his fingers. “Give it back.”
    â€œNope. Possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
    â€œYou don’t even know what that means.”
    â€œAnd I suppose you do.”
    â€œHey, y’all, can we go?” Leah asked. “The cute guys are gonna be taken by the time we get there.”
    â€œNo, they won’t be,” Sam said. “Because you’ll be arriving with them.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Please, give us a break!”
    Sam jerked open the door. “Let’s go.”
    We all filed past. He closed and locked the door, and we were on our way. Somehow Sam took the lead with Allie and Leah flanking him, leaving me and Joe trudging along behind them.
    I glanced over at Joe. He was wearing a turtleneck sweater and a leather jacket. Hedidn’t even have the jacket buttoned up. His hands were shoved in the front pockets of his jeans, and he was staring at the sidewalk like he expected it to disappear at any second and he wanted to be prepared. I think he’d styled his hair, too.
    â€œAren’t you cold?” I asked.
    â€œNope.”
    Eyes straight ahead. Jaw clenched. I didn’t think the tight muscles in his jaw were because of the cold. Although I could have been wrong.
    â€œYour aftershave doesn’t stink. I thought Sam was wearing it. I was just giving him a hard time. It actually smells good.”
    He smelled really good, as a matter of fact.
    He sliced his gaze over to me. If I’d been a snowman, the heat in his eyes would have turned me into a puddle of melted snow.
    â€œThe bottle slipped and splashed too much on me. I didn’t want to take time for another shower. If I’d known you and Sam were going to go at it for so long, I would have taken the time.”
    â€œDon’t you and your sisters ever pester each other?”
    â€œSure, but you and Sam are at it constantly.You should cut the guy some slack.”
    â€œThat works two ways you know.”
    â€œYeah, I know. Your brother’s not such a bad guy.”
    â€œYou’re just saying that because you’re his friend.”
    â€œI guess. So since I tossed snow at you earlier, am I going to have to make a contribution to the Kate-have-a-good-time fund?” he asked.
    I angled my chin haughtily. “You might. It’ll cost you more, though, since you also tackled me to the ground.”
    â€œI’m strapped for cash. We might have to work it out in trade.”
    â€œWhat kind of trade?”
    He gave me a grin that made me think I was in deep trouble.
    â€œWe’ll work something out. Maybe it’ll end up being a good time for us both.”

Chapter 11
    I really tried not to think about Joe’s comment on making a deposit in my good-time fund. I was supposed to be at a party enjoying myself, practicing my flirtation skills, getting Brad to notice me. But it seemed