she pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto the street.
The house was quiet when she got home. Her mom was working at the diner. They hadn’t spoken since dinner the night before, and she wondered if her mom and grandmother were still mad at her. She didn’t care if they were. They’d get over it.
Going straight to her room, she threw the bag on the bed and stripped off her scrubs, exchanging them for a pair of cut offs and a white t-shirt before pulling her hair out of the bun she’d worn at work and headed back downstairs.
She turned on the TV and stretched out on the couch. There were a million things to do around the house, but she needed a break for a just a minute. She closed her eyes and started drifting off, but was jolted awake by the sound of her phone ringing. She scrambled to get to it, hoping it was Ryan.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mallory.”
“Ryan. How’re you feeling?”
“I’m good and before you ask, yes, I’ve been taking care of myself and not doing anything to risk hurting myself anymore.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
“How was work?”
“Not bad. I’m glad to be home though.”
“You sound tired.”
“I am a little.”
“Too tired to hang out?” he asked and she felt herself smile.
“No. Not too tired to hang out.”
“Good, because I have cabin fever. They won’t let me do anything, so I’ve been stuck inside all day. You hungry?”
“I am. I didn’t get much of a lunch at work.”
“I’ll be over in a few minutes then.”
“Alright. See you in a few.”
The phone went silent and she jumped up and stared into the mirror, fluffing the waves in her hair and questioning her casual ensemble. They were just hanging out. Cuts offs and a t-shirt were fine. She did put on some powder and mascara though and then went downstairs to wait. Wanting to prevent her mother from having another conniption fit, she texted a quick note. Going out with a friend. Be back later. As she typed the final period, she rolled her eyes. She was an independent adult and yet she was expected to act like a child.
H er frustration vanished when she saw Ryan’s Jeep pull into the driveway. Grabbing her purse, she headed outside, opened the passenger side and climbed in, buckling her seatbelt.
“You seem as anxious to get out of the house as I am,” he said, easing out of the driveway.
“Probably not as anxious as you, but it’ll be nice just to hang out.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I stopped by the deli and grabbed a couple of sandwiches. I thought we might eat at the beach.”
“Sounds good to me.”
They were quiet for a few minutes as they drove, but she watched him discreetly out of the corner of her eye. He looked casual and relaxed and completely hot in his cargo shorts and t-shirt.
“I see you were able to dress yourself today, or did you call Nate over to help?”
He glanced quickly away from the road for a moment and smiled at her.
“Yes, I was able to dress myself, although it was not an easy task. Perhaps you can swing by tomorrow to help.” She blushed as he laughed.
“I’m surprised you’re driving. I didn’t think you were supposed to.”
“I’m managing. I have a sore shoulder is all. I’m not completely useless.”
“Good to know,” she said and they were quiet again.
Ryan pulled the car off to the side of the road a little while later near the still crowded beach.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mallory asked when she saw Ryan trying to pull a blanket from the back once they were out of the Jeep.
“We can’t sit on the sand and eat.”
“ What I meant was you really shouldn’t be carrying that blanket. Let me get it.”
“How do you think I got it in the Jeep?” he said, but when she gave him a look, h e knew there was no point in arguing and she scooped the blanket from his hands.
“At least let me carry the lunch,” he said and
The house was quiet when she got home. Her mom was working at the diner. They hadn’t spoken since dinner the night before, and she wondered if her mom and grandmother were still mad at her. She didn’t care if they were. They’d get over it.
Going straight to her room, she threw the bag on the bed and stripped off her scrubs, exchanging them for a pair of cut offs and a white t-shirt before pulling her hair out of the bun she’d worn at work and headed back downstairs.
She turned on the TV and stretched out on the couch. There were a million things to do around the house, but she needed a break for a just a minute. She closed her eyes and started drifting off, but was jolted awake by the sound of her phone ringing. She scrambled to get to it, hoping it was Ryan.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mallory.”
“Ryan. How’re you feeling?”
“I’m good and before you ask, yes, I’ve been taking care of myself and not doing anything to risk hurting myself anymore.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
“How was work?”
“Not bad. I’m glad to be home though.”
“You sound tired.”
“I am a little.”
“Too tired to hang out?” he asked and she felt herself smile.
“No. Not too tired to hang out.”
“Good, because I have cabin fever. They won’t let me do anything, so I’ve been stuck inside all day. You hungry?”
“I am. I didn’t get much of a lunch at work.”
“I’ll be over in a few minutes then.”
“Alright. See you in a few.”
The phone went silent and she jumped up and stared into the mirror, fluffing the waves in her hair and questioning her casual ensemble. They were just hanging out. Cuts offs and a t-shirt were fine. She did put on some powder and mascara though and then went downstairs to wait. Wanting to prevent her mother from having another conniption fit, she texted a quick note. Going out with a friend. Be back later. As she typed the final period, she rolled her eyes. She was an independent adult and yet she was expected to act like a child.
H er frustration vanished when she saw Ryan’s Jeep pull into the driveway. Grabbing her purse, she headed outside, opened the passenger side and climbed in, buckling her seatbelt.
“You seem as anxious to get out of the house as I am,” he said, easing out of the driveway.
“Probably not as anxious as you, but it’ll be nice just to hang out.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I stopped by the deli and grabbed a couple of sandwiches. I thought we might eat at the beach.”
“Sounds good to me.”
They were quiet for a few minutes as they drove, but she watched him discreetly out of the corner of her eye. He looked casual and relaxed and completely hot in his cargo shorts and t-shirt.
“I see you were able to dress yourself today, or did you call Nate over to help?”
He glanced quickly away from the road for a moment and smiled at her.
“Yes, I was able to dress myself, although it was not an easy task. Perhaps you can swing by tomorrow to help.” She blushed as he laughed.
“I’m surprised you’re driving. I didn’t think you were supposed to.”
“I’m managing. I have a sore shoulder is all. I’m not completely useless.”
“Good to know,” she said and they were quiet again.
Ryan pulled the car off to the side of the road a little while later near the still crowded beach.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mallory asked when she saw Ryan trying to pull a blanket from the back once they were out of the Jeep.
“We can’t sit on the sand and eat.”
“ What I meant was you really shouldn’t be carrying that blanket. Let me get it.”
“How do you think I got it in the Jeep?” he said, but when she gave him a look, h e knew there was no point in arguing and she scooped the blanket from his hands.
“At least let me carry the lunch,” he said and
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