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Duffy’s gaze went beyond Jack to meet with hers.
Jack spun, spotted her and cringed. “You heard that, didn’t you?” He shook his head with disgust, looking very unlike the laidback man she knew. “Why am I asking? Of course you heard that.”
That her smiling, happy Jack was anything but threw Taylor. She took a deep breath, pasted a smile on her face and went toward where the men were.
“Heard what?” She walked right over to Jack, planted a kiss on his cheek as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do and her heart wasn’t pounding out of her chest. She held up the bags in her hands. “You won’t believe the cool things I bought this morning.”
Duffy knew she’d been standing there, had heard, but the older man didn’t call her bluff. Neither did he comment on the fact she’d kissed Jack’s cheek.
Why had she?
Because she’d needed to touch him? To remind herself that he was real? Or had that kiss been an attempt to calm him?
Then it hit her.
She was behaving as she would have with Neil.
No matter what had been going on, she’d pretend everything was fine to keep the peace, not make a scene, defuse his anger.
Startled at the realization, she lifted her gaze to Jack’s.
Happiness didn’t fill her. Neither did trust or a sense of safety.
Anger. That was what filled her.
Anger that he’d immediately revealed this new side and she’d immediately fallen into old habits.
She dropped her bags at her feet. “Actually, I did hear your conversation, but I don’t understand why you’re upset that I heard. Like you said, it meant nothing. Not to either one of us.” Okay, maybe that had been exaggerating the truth a bit, but it had sounded good. “At no point have I had any expectations that you wouldn’t be sneaking into women’s tents in the future, neither have I had any desire for you not to,” she added for good measure. “So what does it matter that I heard things I already knew and had no problem with?”
Jack’s jaw tightened.
Although he didn’t come right out and do so, Taylor would swear Duffy gave her a mental thumbs-up for her change in attitude. Jack, however, didn’t look so thrilled.
“We need to talk.”
She rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“Not here. Not where everyone can hear.”
She glanced around the mostly deserted campground. “I don’t think anyone is paying us the slightest attention.”
“I am.” Duffy spoke up, raising his drink to her. “I’m enjoying the entertainment.”
“You would,” Jack accused, throwing the man a butt out look.
“You just say that because you know I’m right,” the weather-beaten man accused.
“Right? About what?”
Duffy’s gaze flickered toward Taylor.
Rather than answer, Jack raked his fingers through his loose hair, then sighed. “Yeah, I guess you are.”
Taylor didn’t stick around, instead walked over to her car and put her purchases inside with a loss of the sunshine she’d felt when she’d bought the colorful sundress and scarf.
What Jack had said didn’t matter. It didn’t change anything. She’d already known she was just a fling. That was fine. That’s all he was, too.
What mattered was how upset he was with Duffy. How abrupt.
