Heading to her door at a fast clip, she said, “Yes, you can.”
He caught her again, then had to speak fast before she decked him. “Your window is broken.”
Growling—like a literalgrowl—she snapped, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Damn it, she had him grinning again. “It’s not a euphemism if that’s what you’re thinking.” He turned her on the walkway and pointed to the main front window. Fortunately, it was a casement window and only one side was broken.
She gasped. “My window!”
When she started to charge forward, Kam snagged her once more. “Hold up there, speed racer. Let’s think this through, okay? Earlier, you tangled with your asshole ex.”
“He’s not an ex. I didn’t date him long enough for him to qualify as an ex.”
Semantics. Not his point. “We both had flat tires. And now your window is broken.”
“Mike doesn’t know where I live.”
Well, that was something, at least. “How about you let me go in first?”
She tucked in her chin and gave him a fierce frown. “How about we go in together?”
“I’ll take what I can get.” He took the keys from her hand and stepped around her.
“Kam! What does that mean?”
Seriously, hewouldtake what he could get, but for now, he didn’t want to debate it with her. “One thing at a time.” She had double front doors, but only the right side opened. He stepped into a foyer with a built-in seat beneath a coat rack and cubbies for shoes or bags. Nice.
To the left was a small living room where broken pieces of glass glittered in the lights she flipped on. They both stopped to listen but didn’t hear anything. Kam nodded at the rock in the middle of the shards. When he glanced at Glory, he found her mouth firmed and her expression stoic.
It infuriated him that some chickenshit bastard had done this to her. “Other than that little bit of mess, your living room looks really nice.”
It relieved him when her tension eased. “Thank you. I decorated it myself, so I wasn’t sure...”
Two stuffed couches in pale gray faced each other over a dark wood coffee table. Beneath the window was a simple bench with accent pillows. It seemed odd to him that the couches didn’t face the TV, but maybe she didn’t watch it much.
Beyond the foyer, still in the center of the house, he spotted the kitchen. “Want to give me a tour so I can make sure everything is secure?”
She gave another glance at the window, drew a shaky breath, and nodded.
He didn’t yet tell her that she shouldn’t stay here alone, that he should stay, too. She was already off-kilter. It’d be better if he eased her into the idea.
“I’ll give you the quick tour,” she relented, “but then you need to go.” She started on her way, assuming he’d follow. “It’ll take me a bit to clean up the mess, and it’s already late.”
Okay then, no time like the present. Right behind her, he stated, “I’m not going.”
Just as matter-of-fact, she said, “Yes, you are.” Gesturing, she said, “This is the kitchen.”
It was nice and streamlined, with seats at a bar that held the sink. A person could clean a pan and still chat, or tidy the kitchen while keeping an eye on children.
With its location, there were no windows to worry about. “Be reasonable, Glory.”
“That’s my line to you.” Another wave of her hand. “Dining room.”
The dining room, with a cathedral ceiling, had a table with four chairs around it, and two more chairs, each of them with padded seats, flanked a window.
Kam lifted the simple blinds to check the lock, but it was secure. “I like your furniture.” The gray cushions on the chairs matched the couches, which made sense, given that the rooms flowed together.
Surprisingly, there wasn’t much in the way of wall decor and no plants to be seen. He couldn’t imagine Glory decorating on a budget. After all, she was part of the McCallahan family. Could she be that different from her cousin? Callie loved plants and was forever adding a piece of artwork or a glass dish to every available surface.
