drink.”
“It’s not every day I’m harangued into visiting Dairy Delight.”
Katie could swear his lips curved into the beginnings of a smile, something she’d rarely seen on him.
“What would you like?” Noah asked.
“I thought we were having milkshakes.”
“What flavor?”
“Surprise me.”
He looked at her for a moment, then headed inside with a shrug.
As a group of teenagers left one of the outdoor tables, Katie snagged it and sat down. She sat there people watching, trying not to think about the fact that she was out with Noah. It had seemed natural for them to come out for a drink when she’d asked him. But now it was starting to feel too much like a date.
She wasn’t against dates at all. Normally. Something about Noah made her leery, though. Possibly the fact that she couldn’t use an exciting activity as an excuse for accepting. Half the time, dating was a way to go out and do something fun. Watch a scary movie, take a picnic out on a boat, water ski.
She was with Noah simply because she’d enjoyed talking to him and she was starting to like him.
“One ultra-deluxe surprise milkshake,” he said from behind her.
“That’s huge. And you acted like such a milkshake novice.” Katie used both hands to take the cup from him. “What flavor?”
“You have to guess.”
Katie put in her straw and drank. “Easy. Strawberry.”
“Not just strawberry. There’s banana in there, too. Hope you like it.”
“Love it. Next time, I get to surprise you.”
“Next time, huh?” Noah sat on the bench beside her and stuck a straw in his milkshake.
“I’m hard to resist. What kind did you get?”
“Berry mix, which is blueberry, raspberry...”
“And blackberry.” She laughed.
“You know your milkshake flavors.”
“A girl’s gotta have expertise in something.” She took a drink. “I have to admit, I’m surprised. I’d pegged you for the vanilla type.”
“That should teach you.”
“I’ll consider myself taught. Or something.”
“Every time I see you, I notice a new scar. What’s this from?” He ran his finger lightly over her left shoulder blade. Her thin-strapped tank revealed most of the mark, but parts of it, she knew, were hidden under the pink cotton.
“That,” she said, trying to see it over her shoulder, “was lucky. I wiped out on a surfboard and rammed into some coral with my shoulder.”
“That’s lucky, is it?”
“It beat ramming my head against it and ending up with a concussion or worse.”
He took several sips of his shake, then nodded. “I guess if you look at it that way.”
“That way is much better than worrying about what could’ve happened.”
“So tell me,” Noah said, “when did you start with all the daredevil stunts?” He seemed a little uneasy, as if it was a strain to make idle conversation.
“When I was born.”
He raised his eyebrows doubtfully.
“Really. My mom used to tell stories about me climbing on top of the refrigerator before I was three years old.”
“The poor woman.”
“Yeah. I probably put her through a lot.”
“Don’t we all?”
“You? No way.”
“I was nothing like you, I’m sure.”
“I didn’t start the really fun stuff until after my mom died.”
“What kind of ‘stuff’?” he asked. He looked as if he might not really want to know. “The climbing up on the roof?”
“I guess that was when I first made it up there.” She nodded, impressed he’d picked up on that. “As for sports, I started out easy. Snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding. A couple years later, I started white-water rafting.”
“Lots of rapids around these parts.”
“A sarcastic side,” Katie said, studying him in surprise. “I like.” She rotated her cup on the table. “I went to Colorado with a friend’s family.”
“How old were you?”
“Probably sixteen.”
He frowned. “Anything else you tried before starting at the magazine?”
“Hang-gliding. Bungee jumping. My dad nearly had a
“It’s not every day I’m harangued into visiting Dairy Delight.”
Katie could swear his lips curved into the beginnings of a smile, something she’d rarely seen on him.
“What would you like?” Noah asked.
“I thought we were having milkshakes.”
“What flavor?”
“Surprise me.”
He looked at her for a moment, then headed inside with a shrug.
As a group of teenagers left one of the outdoor tables, Katie snagged it and sat down. She sat there people watching, trying not to think about the fact that she was out with Noah. It had seemed natural for them to come out for a drink when she’d asked him. But now it was starting to feel too much like a date.
She wasn’t against dates at all. Normally. Something about Noah made her leery, though. Possibly the fact that she couldn’t use an exciting activity as an excuse for accepting. Half the time, dating was a way to go out and do something fun. Watch a scary movie, take a picnic out on a boat, water ski.
She was with Noah simply because she’d enjoyed talking to him and she was starting to like him.
“One ultra-deluxe surprise milkshake,” he said from behind her.
“That’s huge. And you acted like such a milkshake novice.” Katie used both hands to take the cup from him. “What flavor?”
“You have to guess.”
Katie put in her straw and drank. “Easy. Strawberry.”
“Not just strawberry. There’s banana in there, too. Hope you like it.”
“Love it. Next time, I get to surprise you.”
“Next time, huh?” Noah sat on the bench beside her and stuck a straw in his milkshake.
“I’m hard to resist. What kind did you get?”
“Berry mix, which is blueberry, raspberry...”
“And blackberry.” She laughed.
“You know your milkshake flavors.”
“A girl’s gotta have expertise in something.” She took a drink. “I have to admit, I’m surprised. I’d pegged you for the vanilla type.”
“That should teach you.”
“I’ll consider myself taught. Or something.”
“Every time I see you, I notice a new scar. What’s this from?” He ran his finger lightly over her left shoulder blade. Her thin-strapped tank revealed most of the mark, but parts of it, she knew, were hidden under the pink cotton.
“That,” she said, trying to see it over her shoulder, “was lucky. I wiped out on a surfboard and rammed into some coral with my shoulder.”
“That’s lucky, is it?”
“It beat ramming my head against it and ending up with a concussion or worse.”
He took several sips of his shake, then nodded. “I guess if you look at it that way.”
“That way is much better than worrying about what could’ve happened.”
“So tell me,” Noah said, “when did you start with all the daredevil stunts?” He seemed a little uneasy, as if it was a strain to make idle conversation.
“When I was born.”
He raised his eyebrows doubtfully.
“Really. My mom used to tell stories about me climbing on top of the refrigerator before I was three years old.”
“The poor woman.”
“Yeah. I probably put her through a lot.”
“Don’t we all?”
“You? No way.”
“I was nothing like you, I’m sure.”
“I didn’t start the really fun stuff until after my mom died.”
“What kind of ‘stuff’?” he asked. He looked as if he might not really want to know. “The climbing up on the roof?”
“I guess that was when I first made it up there.” She nodded, impressed he’d picked up on that. “As for sports, I started out easy. Snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding. A couple years later, I started white-water rafting.”
“Lots of rapids around these parts.”
“A sarcastic side,” Katie said, studying him in surprise. “I like.” She rotated her cup on the table. “I went to Colorado with a friend’s family.”
“How old were you?”
“Probably sixteen.”
He frowned. “Anything else you tried before starting at the magazine?”
“Hang-gliding. Bungee jumping. My dad nearly had a
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