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An unexpected grin tugged the corners of his mouth. “Careful. You sound jealous.”
She averted her gaze with a roll of her eyes. “Hardly.”
And yet, she refused to meet his gaze again.
“Can I take you out for dinner?”
She frowned and shook her head.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not going to try to make what happened between us into more than what it was.”
He gave a soft snort. “It’s a little too late for that, don’t you think?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Not really.”
She huffed out a loud sigh. “I can’t change the fact that I’m pregnant, but I’m also not going to set myself up to start something with you that’s guaranteed to end badly for me. I have a son to think about. Ian’s young and impressionable, and he likes you. If you get involved in his life and then leave, it’ll break his heart.”
Would it break hers, too? Was that what she was afraid of? “Ian’s a great kid. I wouldn’t intentionally hurt either one of you.”
Her gaze finally rose, and a spark of light in her blue eyes made him think he had her. But then she shook her head. “I have to go. I have work to do.”
“When can I see you again?” Realizing how damn close to begging he was, Merit stiffened his spine and dropped his hand from the truck.
“I’ll let you know how things are going.” The ring of her cell phone cut off his next question, and she hurried to look at the screen. “I have to take this. Tell your sister I’ll call her about the permits.”
She reached for the truck door again, and he forced himself to step back, even though he wasn’t at all satisfied with the results of his visit. She climbed up into her vehicle and left him standing there—without answering her phone.
After she drove out of sight, he rubbed his hands over his face, then ran his hands through his hair as he spun around toward the door.
What the hell was the matter with him? Asking her out. Practically begging to see her again when she clearly wanted nothing to do with him. His damn pride had taken a hike with his common sense.
Chapter 7
Merit eyed Loyal’s Land Rover on the street in front of Asher’s house as he pulled into his middle brother’s driveway. Hesitation hovered his hand over the gear shift before he slammed it into park. He hadn’t counted on talking to both brothers tonight, but might as well get it over with.
He rubbed at a speck of Ultramarine blue paint on his jeans as he slid out of his SUV and strode up the walk to ring Asher and Honor’s doorbell. Then again, they probably wouldn’t notice. No one ever
did.
His sister-in-law swung the door open a few moments later. “Hey, Merit.”
“Hi.” The odd note in Honor’s voice coupled with the sympathetic tilt of her lips sunk his stomach. “She told you, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
His pulse skipped. “And Asher?”
She shook her head. “She made me promise to let you tell your brother.”
“Awesome. This is gonna be fun.”
The sympathy in her smile grew as she waved him inside. “Look at it as practice for your parents.”
He grimaced. “Thanks for that reminder.”
