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And it was. Between the crappy way he’d been feeling recently and how he’d treated Autumn earlier that morning, he wasn’t sure if he was more angry at himself for being a pussy or more sorry for himself for not being able to be happy with the little time he’d shared with Autumn.
She’d ignored his phone calls. So he’d done something he knew she wouldn’t be able to ignore. Hopefully his dad had called her and she’d gone down to his auto shop. Saying he had some pull with the local mechanic was an understatement, and hopefully they’d come to some arrangement that got her at least some short-term work. He needed to buy more time with her and feel better about this whole situation before she left for good.
“So you’re still reeling over the leggy bridesmaid.” Ryder said. Not a question. Because apparently by now it was obvious to all Huck’s friends that he had a problem with “the leggy bridesmaid.”
“There’s something about her, man.” He sighed and took another chunk out of the wall.
Try as he might, he couldn’t stop replaying their last night together. Which was a fucking awesome replay since it was the best he’d felt in a long time. For a two-night stand, he felt more connected to the woman than he should.
Sure, he may have been mad this morning, and yeah, she’d read him and called out his motives. And that’s what got him. He’d blown into Penny’s BBQ all piss and rage, ready to hash it out, but one look at those eyes and that mouth had sent him reeling.
She didn’t let him get away with his usual crap. God, she would be the end of him. It was bad enough needing another night with her, but he had some weird desire to see what made her smile. To hear her laugh.
Christ, he’d never heard her laugh.
The realization made this need soar to the top of the list. The desire to hear her voice laced with happiness he felt almost as strong as the need to see her naked again. Maybe stronger. Don’t get him wrong, he’d give just about anything to see her naked again, but her laugh? If it was half as powerful as her smile, it’d be life changing.
Which brought another realization: the beautiful woman didn’t smile much either. Sure, she flirted, gave saucy grins, but had he ever seen her smile with joy and light? No. He hadn’t.
Most girls seemed happy to take a few orgasms from him and call it quits, but Autumn? He didn’t want her to leave town without him giving her something real to smile about.
“She’s sticking around for a couple weeks,” Ryder said, as though Huck wasn’t painfully aware of that. “Ever thought about pursuing her for something outside the bedroom?”
His best friend seemed to be tapping into his thoughts.
“I kind of blew it this morning,” Huck admitted. “She strutted that sweet ass away from me with no intention of returning. I can guarantee it.”
He wasn’t lying. He’d tried calling her, had put in a word with his father to get her a temporary job at his auto shop, but still, he hadn’t heard one word back from her. Maybe he could go to the shop and see her in person. She couldn’t just ignore him then. But why take the risk? It had been a big enough deal going after her for that second night together. Look at what had happened.
Ryder put down his sledgehammer, took off his safety glasses, and grinned like a moron.
“What?”
He shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day where Huck Galvin didn’t go after what he wanted.”
“And you think I want her?”
“I know you do, for a lot more than you’re admitting. You talked to your dad about getting her a job. Was that just to get into her pants?”
Ryder had him there. Maybe at first it had been just to get back into her pants. But if that wasn’t an option, it would be enough that he’d done a nice thing for her. So what if he’d lost out in the end? You did a nice thing for someone because it needed doing, not because you wanted something in return.
“I thought it would help her out.”
“Uh-huh.” Ryder eyed him. “Why is it so bad that you admit that you like her?”
“It’s not bad. It’s…uncomfortable.”
Ryder nodded as if he understood. Hopefully someone did, because this whole emotional feeling crap was getting annoying.
It didn’t help that sometimes it also felt kind of…well, good. Like when he thought of how soft her hair or how strong her will was. A woman like Autumn Lane could handle a hell of a lot. He had no doubt about that. Part of him really wanted to tap into all she kept hidden. But that would require some level of repetition.
Trust.
The word made his skin crawl.
“I think you’re missing the beauty of the situation here,” Ryder said. “You already know she’s leaving at some point. You know she’s only here for a short while.”
Huck let his buddy’s words sink in. Since Huck knew she’d leave, he was ready for it. This worry didn’t have to plague him. He didn’t want or hope for more. He already knew.
