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Vic moved forward and wrapped her arm around her brother’s waist, burying her face in his chest. “Bry, don’t do this. I was mad, and I’m hormonal and acting stupid. I’m sorry. Don’t listen to me. I love you.”
Jill didn’t move, waiting to hear Bryan’s next words.
“I know you love me,” he said. “That’s why I know you were telling the truth as you saw it. You weren’t trying to hurt me. You’re genuinely worried.” He glanced at Jill. “Maybe you’re right to be.”
Jill swallowed. Was he warning her away? Or was this a test? Because she was afraid she was about to fail.
She’d never been good about standing her ground when she wasn’t sure if the other side shared her feelings—and when it came to Bryan, she had no fucking clue. Her gut told her there was more to the story than how dismissive he’d just been, but she wasn’t sure. And when she wasn’t sure, she retreated into herself. Always.
“Yeah, I am worried,” Vic said. She pulled back from Bryan. “Who wouldn’t be? Why would you hide this from me? You know I love you both.” She shook her head, blinking away the tears Jill glimpsed. “Never mind. That’s not important now. The point is, I stuck my big behind where it wasn’t warranted—”
“You’ve done enough damage control, Victoria.” Cory stepped up beside her and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her head. “This is for them to sort out now. Let’s give them a chance to do that without our prying eyes.”
“But—”
“Later, Vic,” Cory admoni
shed gently, leading her away in spite of her fervent protests.
Once the others had followed, leaving Bryan and Jill alone, she rubbed her chilled arms through her flannel parka and stared up at the starry sky.
God, she didn’t want it to end this way. Didn’t want it to end any way. But especially not like this. They’d finally gotten closer, and she’d begun to hope for more.
But saying that felt like too huge of a risk when she was still smarting from what he hadn’t said a few minutes ago. She didn’t expect declarations of love, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t nicked her heart with his reaction.
“Some view up here,” she said, hoping like hell he couldn’t hear her teeth chattering.
“It is. Pretty night.”
Was that all he was going to say? Just stand there and wait for her to make a move? He could’ve denied what Vic had accused him of. Perhaps even acted like he gave a damn what was going on rather than staring up at the sky with his jaw clenched.
He was so close, but she didn’t think she could reach him from this far away.
She fumbled for something, anything, to say. They’d had plans after the party tonight. Date number four. She’d bought her dirty little schoolgirl outfit, and she’d intended to tease him within an inch of his life. How could she do that now? She definitely wasn’t feeling sexy, and he wasn’t giving her an inch.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she tugged it out, frowning at the readout. “It’s the cat rescue center. I need to take this.”
“Go ahead.”
Deliberately, she didn’t turn away. She didn’t want him to think she was cutting him out of anything, even a professional phone call. “Pete? What’s going on?”
Bryan seemed to bristle at Pete’s name, but he didn’t react otherwise.
“It’s Ernie,” Pete said. “Her respiration is off. We think she may have aspirated milk into her lungs.”
“I’m on my way.” She hung up and sucked in a deep breath. “Ernie—the orange kitten—is sick. She might have pneumonia from inhaling milk—”
“Go,” he said quietly.
She nearly asked him to come with her, then decided maybe he’d prefer the space. She had no idea what to do to close the gap between them, so she fell back on her standard response. Cool indifference. She nodded and made it two steps away before she turned back and tried one last time.
“I should be back to my place within an hour or two at the most. Why don’t you take my key and wait for me?”
He didn’t hide his internal struggle. His features tightened, and he fisted his hands at his sides as he looked out at the hills that surrounded the town, his focus anywhere but on her. Still, she waited. She wanted to show him she hadn’t given up on them.
Forget his sister’s warnings. Forget everyone who said she shouldn’t feel the way she did about this man. If she had to make a choice, he was it. It was that simple.
“Yeah.” He held out his hand, and she detached her key from the ring and laid it in his palm. He closed his fingers and gave her an indecipherable look. “Take your time with Ernie. I’ll be waiting.”
