AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But you said you don’t want Gracie getting attached.”
“Bo and Cash are taking her roller-skating. Uncles’ night out.”
So that’s why he was inviting her. No matter how good these last few days had felt or how being with her grandmother had warmed a place in her heart that had been cold for a while, she was still kept separate.
No, not separate. Casual.
That’s still more than it had been…
“All right,” she said. “What harm could a dinner do?”
He snorted. “You’d be surprised.”
There was more to Tripp than he let on. A deep sadness or anger or fear that was tough to pinpoint. Still, it was dinner. A close distance.
“Well, I suppose we’ll just keep in touch then.” She reached her arms out to take that last case of pears, and he frowned.
“Why are you trying to take my pears?” he asked.
“Because they didn’t sell.”
“Yes, they did. These here are mine,” he confirmed.
She looked at him for a long moment, then at his truck parked next to him and saw all the cases in the bed of it.
“You bought them all?”
He nodded. “Only the jars that were left. I love these. So do Gracie and Bo. We’re set for a bit.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
“I wanted to.”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, honestly wanting to know. To know why he bought the pears, why he danced with her, kissed her in front of everyone he knew, for goodness’ sake. Why did he want her but not want her at the same time?
“Honestly? Gram sells out so fast, we never get as many as we want.” He touched her chin and winked. “And because among the several things you want to call me, all of which I likely deserve, I want something good to be on the list.”
He kissed her so briefly and softly she would have missed it if not for the lingering scent of his minty breath and spicy cologne. Her shoulders tensed, and her chest fluttered like butterflies had taken flight inside her rib cage.
He turned and put the pears in his truck with the rest, then tipped his hat. “You have a pleasant evening, ma’am. And I’ll see you later this week for that meal.”
Tripp Montgomery and all his swagger left her hot, bothered, and confused.
And that stupid warmth in her chest rose another degree.
Chapter Eight
“Hot damn. These all for us?” Cash asked, practically drooling at the stack in the back of Tripp’s truck.
“Yep. You’re welcome.”
Tripp and Cash started offloading the pears, stacking the cases on the pantry floor. Bo was supposed to be home by now, but last Tripp saw, he was getting into what looked to be a heated conversation with Gracie’s troop leader.
Swear to God, if that man drives away another babysitter or teac
her…
“So, what are you doing?” Cash asked, grabbing another case from the back of the pickup.
