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For now, she was feeling so low. She needed the love of someone like him. That could all change with one conversation with Ethan.
Mike’s stomach swirled and if Ethan wasn’t there, he might have run off to empty the contents that were being knocked around. He shouldn’t have gotten so attached to her. He was crazy about her, and he didn’t want to live without her.
As they finished up their work, Ethan stared hard at Mike. “You really should think about what I’ve said. I know you don’t agree with me right now, but you must admit that I’m making some really good points. You guys… you just wouldn’t work.”
Mike scowled at the man who used to believe in him. “I would never hurt her, Ethan.”
“Not on purpose,” Ethan muttered. “But you will.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” Mike spit out with derision. “Good to know exactly where you stand.”
“It’s not personal.”
“Really? Because it sure feels like it.”
They stared each other down, a battle of wills with no clear winner. Then Ethan sighed and climbed into his truck. “Tell Rose to text me if she wants me to take another trip to the dump.”
“Thanks, but I think we got it.”
Ethan gave him one final look—one that said he wasn’t going to change his mind on any of this. Part of Mike wondered if he’d be capable of following through with his threat. Heaven knew if the sheriff started poking around this place, he’d find more than a few things that would draw suspicion, the tools and the window replacement among them.
Mike heaved a sigh as the truck finally drove out of sight. The weight of the unknown crushed down on him, making it hard to breathe. He needed to get out of there.
“Is everything okay?” Rose’s arms came around his waist and she rested her chin on his shoulder. “Sounds like you guys were fighting.”
Mike withdrew from her and stomped toward the house. “Well, you’re wrong.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Rose watched Mike retreat into the house and glanced toward the taillights of Ethan’s truck. They were definitely fighting, but over what, she wasn’t sure.
A multitude of possible reasons flooded her thoughts.
The tools that Ethan had found. The argument her brother had had with Mike a couple months ago at Lily’s party. And those theories were just the tip of the iceberg. She wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that Mike was keeping more from her.
Rose glanced toward the house, her eyes landing on the window that had been broken. She didn’t want to assume he’d stolen it. In fact, she’d tried hard to convince herself that Mike had been honest with how he’d gotten the supplies to do what they’d accomplished so far.
To even think that he had resorted to stealing again hurt her to her core. It would mean that Ethan was right all along. Mike wasn’t the guy she thought him to be, and she’d made a mistake in trusting him.
Her face contorted into a grimace as she fought hard to keep her emotions in check. There was no proof that Mike was involved in criminal acts. She could be blowing this all out of proportion. Now was not the time to give in to that doubt. She should give him a chance to show he was the kind of man she knew him to be.
But that was difficult when she didn’t know how to bring up her concerns without making him feel like she was accusing him of wrongdoing. How could she show she trusted him when she needed him to explain what was going on between himself and her brother?
Rose was stuck.
There was no good outcome from this point moving forward. She couldn’t see a situation where she came out on top. Either she found out what he and her brother had been arguing about and she had to pick a side, or Mike would keep it from her and she’d end up feeling like he was hiding more from her than he should be.
Rose groaned. She could kill her brother for putting this doubt in her head. It really wasn’t fair. Shouldn’t she be able to make her own decisions on this matter? Mike should be allowed to prove himself no matter what others were saying about him.
She spent the next thirty minutes sitting on the porch steps, not knowing what she should do. The temptation to head home was the strongest she’d felt in a long time. Mike needed to work through some stuff, as did her brother.
Rose got to her feet just as the door opened and Mike wandered toward her. She stared at him, uncertain. No more fighting. That was what she needed. She couldn’t let him continue to push her away.
Before she could say as much, he cut her off. “How about we get some lunch at Three Sisters?”
She opened her mouth but shut it just as quickly.
Mike’s chagrined smile was enough to give her additional pause. He reached out and took her hand in his. They both stared at their fingers and Mike sighed.
