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didn’t even like it when Syd or Seth tried to tell me what to do. In fact, I normally did the total opposite. This time . . . I felt like I had no choice. Those eyes were daring me to defy him. I didn’t want to.
    We ate the rest of the meal in silence. When the woman brought the check, I pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to her, telling her to keep the change. Wiping my mouth, and picking up my purse, I started to stand when I noticed Dawson glaring at me.
    “What in the hell was that?” Dawson’s voice penetrated my ears.
    Confused I asked, “What?”
    He pulled a wallet from his back pocket and started to take money out. I held my hand up to him, trying to halt his movement. He didn’t. He aggressively threw a twenty on the table.
    “I’ve got it.”
    “But I’ve already paid.”
    “Okay, then you can put that back in your pocket.”
    “Why? I don’t mind paying,” I argued.
    I watched his jaw clench and unclench. He was angry, and I didn’t get why this was such a big deal.
    “I don’t need you paying for my meals.”
    I sat back and shook my head in confusion. “All right, but like you said before, I am the one who wanted to stop and eat. Seriously, it’s not a big deal.”
    His mouth hardened into a thin line. “Take the fucking money. I pay my own way.”
    He stood and made his way out the door, leaving me inside. My own mouth dropped open, flabbergasted with his tone. It really wasn’t a big deal. I mean I knew I might have offended him earlier with the whole homeless thing, but this wasn’t about that. I just always offered to pay when I went out. That was me. I knew he didn’t know this fact about me, but his whole attitude wiped away any lapse in judgment I might have had about my attraction toward him. I was finding it hard to see anything redeeming in him at this point besides a pretty face. Priding myself on being nice and extending that kindness was just how I was. Clearly, we didn’t live by the same standards.
    Not wanting to leave the money on the table, I leaned over and took it, shoving it in my pocket. I refused to make a fuss over this. He wanted to be a hard ass to me then I would do it right back. His blatant rudeness toward me was wearing on my last nerve, and I’d been around him for less than a day.
    When I made it out to the Rover, Dawson was standing by the passenger side waiting for me to unlock it. Hitting the button, he didn’t speak a word as he climbed inside and buckled his seatbelt. Another game of silence, apparently. Wonderful. Getting to Big Sky was going to feel like an eternity sitting next to him. I gritted my teeth as we went the rest of the way through the mountaintops and over the slick roads. It only took another two hours before I saw the first sign indicating that we were five miles from our final destination. I couldn’t wait. Not only was I ready to get out of this car and stretch, but I was also anxious to see my house. It’d been too long. And, of course, let’s not forget about getting the guy next to me out of my car and on his merry little way. Out of sight and out of mind seemed to be the reoccurring theme playing in my head.
    The town of Big Sky was extraordinarily small. It consisted of two main streets, both making a circle, with businesses occupying each building. Three grocery stores, all offering something a little different, a pizza shop, a sushi place, a gym, and a realtor’s office were the main ones that stood out. Figuring I’d hit up the grocery store before heading to the house, I parked.
    “Well, we’re here.” I unbuckled my seatbelt and twisted toward him. “If I remember correctly, there is a hotel or lodge about a quarter of a mile that way,” I said pointing in the direction behind me. Wanting to avoid any awkwardness, I held my hand out to shake his. “Good luck with whatever you are after here.”
    He looked down at my offered hand and then back up at me. I frowned. Wonderful, he was going to leave me