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They walked outside and down the street before Luke finally got a reign on his temper and could speak. “Seriously, Marley, what the fuck is going on?”
“Nothing—”
“Bullshit it’s nothing! You just shoved me out of your work like you didn’t want anyone to see me. At first, I thought this whole will she-won’t she, sneaking around drama was cute, but enough is enough. Now, what is up?”
Marley was biting her lip so hard the area around her teeth went white. Finally, she took a deep breath. “I can’t. After the wedding, if we’re still a thing, I can tell you, but until then, I just need you to trust me.”
Luke shook his head. He wanted like hell to accept that she had a good reason for all of this, but it was exhausting. He liked her. He wanted to be able to enjoy time with her, take her to lunch and dinner and not have to stress about someone seeing them or the town talking or whatever her trip was.
He needed a break.
Handing her the flowers, he said, “Sorry, but I’m suddenly not hungry.”
“Luke, please…”
“Unless the next words out of your mouth amount to a reasonable explanation, don’t bother.”
Her mouth snapped closed and with a heavy sigh, he got into his car and drove. After the fair and last night, the way they talked about dates, he actually thought they were just playing at sneaking around. That they were finally taking a step in the right direction.
Clearly he’d been wrong. There were three weeks left until the wedding. Did he give her the benefit of the doubt and see what she had to say after the ceremony? Or just try to distance himself and hope he could resist her?
When no sign appeared, he groaned.
Why was it so hard for the universe to give him a straight answer?
Chapter 15
Two Saturdays later, Marley felt like a tractor had run over her head several times and her brain was exposed to an ice pick wielding maniac. God, she hated summer colds. They were always so much worse than winter colds. She’d had the chills for a day and a half, a 101.2 fever, and her nose would not stop oozing. God forbid she sneeze; if she didn’t grab a tissue fast enough, it was like a missile of germs exploded from her nose and mouth.
She should have known she was going to get something when one of the groomsman at the Vaughn wedding last Sunday had asked her to dance, then proceeded to sneeze the entire time.
Allergies her great Aunt Petunia!
Snuggling into her down comforter, she opened one eye when something gently nibbled at her hand. Butters watched her with dark brown eyes, his little nose twitching rapidly.
“This is what we humans call a sick day, dude. That means that we sleep a lot and do not want to be disturbed until at least ten.”
The stubborn bunny nudged her hand with his soft head, and his ears flicked forward, as if to say, no excuses, woman. Feed me.
With a frustrated groan, Marley extracted herself from her cocoon, her head swimming and her nose dripping as she made her way to the bathroom first, and then the kitchen to feed the annoying beast.
She’d just finished putting a kettle of water on when there was a knock at her front door. Kelly knew she was out sick today, and her mom would be at the diner by now. She wasn’t close enough to anyone else for them to stop by and see her.
Marley walked across her dining room to the front door. She looked out of the peep hole and backed up with a gasp.
Luke was standing on her door step, looking absolutely healthy and gorgeous, if a tad disproportionate thanks to the glass. They hadn’t talked since he’d taken off on her, and she’d been sure he was done with her.
So what the hell was he doing here?
Oh God, her teeth weren’t brushed and her hair was a mess and there was probably snot everywhere.
“What are you doing here?” she hollered nasally through the door.
“Checking up on you. Sonora said you were sick.”
Marley snorted. When she’d told Sonora she felt like she was coming down with something, the other woman practically sprinted out of the room. She told Marley to get the hell out and get well before she came near her again because the last thing she needed was to catch something.
As if Marley wanted to be sick.
