His eyes soften, flicking between mine. “Don’t thank me. It’s my honor to be a safe place.”
“Thesafe place,” I tell him quietly, dropping back into my seat. “Only one.”
“Get your ass back over here, Firecracker.”
My hand freezes around the seat belt. “Why?”
“I decided I’m not done kissing you yet.”
We wind up being twenty minutes late for dinner.
I don’t mind in the slightest.
“You saidin the truck that Jake announced on his podcast that he’s leaving me alone.”
We’re sitting on the patio under string lights after dinner at The Line & Lariat. It’s quieter out here. The hum of chatter is muted by the walls, but the country music pipes onto the patio through the sound system.
Sutton wipes his mouth with his napkin and takes a slow pull of his beer. “I did.”
“Can I watch it somewhere?”
After a long, contemplative look, Sutton retrieves his phone, unlocks it, and passes it across the table.
I watch the clip with my forehead resting in my hand. Once it’s over, I give an exaggerated shudder and hand it back.
“It’s eerie watching someone talk so casually about you and your family.”
“I watched a few more episodes with my colleague. I get that the case drew a lot of attention, and his audience wants the inside information. What I don’t get is why he’s so obsessed with you specifically.”
“In some of the earlier emails, before he resorted to stalking, he mentioned my brother wouldn’t talk to him from prison. I think he just sees me as the only available link. Though if he threw some money or a love letter at my mom, she’d probably tell him everything he wants to know.”
“Have you spoken to your brother about this?”
I lean on my elbows on the table, resting my chin on the backs of my clasped hands. “The last time I talked to my brother was before he was arrested. When I heard that he and my mom were trying to lure Whitney back to Arizona so they could coerce her into giving him the life insurance money, I washed my hands of the whole family. I told the police there everything I knew.”
“That must have been hard.”
“It was awful, but I don’t regret it. I’d do anything to keep my best friend and my niece and nephew safe.” I take a drink of mycrisp Diet Coke. “The last time I saw my brother, I was on the witness stand. There’s no reason to talk to him about this.”
Sutton relaxes in his chair, resting his arm across the table where he runs his finger along my forearm. “Maybe not. But if it’s possible for him to forgive you, he might not like the idea of someone poking around your business.”
“Not much he can do from a prison cell.”
Sutton flags down a passing server and closes out the tab. I don’t even bother going for my wallet. He made it clear he’s taking me out tonight, and I’m not in the mood to start an argument. If this isn’t a date—and I’m still not convinced it is—he should work on sending the right signals.
Sutton drinks the last of his beer and rises to his feet, extending his hand. “Come with me.”
My fingers slip into his warm grasp, and I let him lead me back inside.
The dance floor is even more packed than the last time, filled to the edges with cowboy hats and boots stomping to a country song. Sutton finds us an open patch of wood near the rustic rail and stops suddenly. He steps behind me and drops his wide, heavy palms on my hips.
“What are we doing here?” I turn my chin over my shoulder and shout above the music.
“I want you to teach me.”
I pivot in his hold, meeting his intense, serious gaze. “You want me to teach you?”
He leans down so his mouth is close to my ear, his hand sliding into mine and curling my fingers around his thumb in my palm. “You love this. I watched you do it once, and I was mesmerized by how damn good you are. I want to learn.” The stubble along his jaw scrapes gently against my temple. “I want you to teach me how.”
