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Of course it was.
“The sheriff?” she asked when she saw it. Great. Just great. After their discussion at the coffee shop, Caitlin De Angelis was the last person she wanted to see.
Lucas shook his head. “No, that’s not Caity.”
And then he said, “It’s Walsh,” and Tessa found herself sinking into her seat. She should've expected this and been more prepared.
Jesus. That guy was never going to take a hint.
It wasn't that she didn't appreciate everything he did for her last night. She did. Mason was a lifesaver. He'd been right there, willing to lend a helping hand ever since he pulled her over. Which was why, when Lucas raised an eyebrow at her, wordlessly asking if she wanted him to continue driving right past the house, she shook her head.
“You sure?”
Tess nodded. “He’s probably just taking the time to come and check up on me after last night. I know I acted like a moron. He’s like you, pulling the good guy routine because you feel bad for me. Don’t worry. I think I can handle him.”
“Oh?” His eyebrow rose infinitesimally higher. “Like you handled me?”
A small smile was her only reply as she unsnapped her seatbelt.
Lucas reached over her to pop open the door for Tessa. His hand brushed against her thigh as he drew his arm back slowly. “I’m heading down to my office to do some work. If you need me for any reason at all, get Maria. She knows how to get in touch with me.”
“Thanks for brunch,” she said, climbing easily out of the car.
“My pleasure. Oh,” he added as she closed the door behind her and stepped away from the Mustang, “and Tessa?”
She paused, turning to look at him through the open window. He still had his arm slung around the headrest where she’d been sitting, leaning in so that she could hear him without him having to raise his voice.
“Walsh isn’t anything like me.”
She barely had time to wonder what he meant before he peeled away from the curb. Giving her head a shake, she started for the walkway that led up to Ophelia. She believed Lucas when he said that the cruiser belonged to Mason. How could anyone else expect her to know that? If she got lucky, she could slip inside her borrowed sanctuary without having to talk to him at all—
The slam of a car door. Heavy boots falling in a steady rhythm as someone jogged up to her. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was the deputy.
“Hey, Tess. I was hoping to catch you.”
Pasting a pleasantly fake smile on her face, she turned to greet him. “Mason, I didn’t see you there. How are you?”
“I’m doing alright.” Mason pulled his thumb in the direction Lucas had just gone. His expression was carefully blank. “Was that the doc?”
“Oh. Yes. He was kind enough to offer me a ride back to the bed and breakfast.” Which reminded her. She still needed her car and here was the one person who might know where it was. “So, um, do you think—”
“Why were you with the doc?” he interrupted. It wasn’t a casual question, either. It was a demand. “Where were you?”
Tess was so surprised by the venom in his voice, she stopped mid-sentence. The car could damn well wait. She had a much bigger problem standing right in front of her to worry about.
A six foot tall, blond-haired, brown-eyed problem.
“We went to get something to eat. Why?”
His jaw ticked. “We? You went with him?”
She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her. Shaking her head royally, she asked, “Why not? I thought it was nice of him to offer.”
“If you need something, you come to me. Not him.”
Tess was so tired of letting everyone walk all over her. Jack had, and she hated it, but they’d dated for many years before they got married. After all that time together, he knew how to manage her and she… well, she just gave up a long time ago.
Talking to Lucas at the coffeehouse had been a revelation for Tess. Now that she was free from him at last, she wasn’t about to let anyone put her down again.
