AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She raised her eyebrow in curiosity, but I couldn’t elaborate. The words still choked me. I appreciated her simple assessment of the situation, but I wanted to get back onto less stressful topics. “I don’t usually have a sweet tooth so I didn’t buy anything for dessert.”
She leaned close again. “That’s okay. We could watch for lightning while we finish off the wine?”
I had a small war with myself trying to decide. The smart thing to do would be to get off the roller coaster that was Laurel and take her back to town before I got my hands on her. Because I knew once I did, they wouldn’t be coming off anytime soon. She made the decision for me, grabbing the half empty bottle and plopping down on the huge sofa. She hoisted her foot onto the coffee table and looked over invitingly.
God, she was beautiful there in the soft glow from the kitchen. I could see her reflection in the darkened glass window as she pulled the blanket from the back of the couch around her shoulders.
“Are you cold?” I asked. The temperatures dropped dramatically once the sun went down. “Let me find the thermostat.”
“No, I’m fine. Come on over.”
I settled in next to her and she grinned. “Now who’s taking orders?”
Wow, she was a piece of work, but it felt good laughing. “Have you been plotting that this whole time?”
She nodded vigorously. “My pride demanded vengeance.”
“Well, I hope it considers itself avenged.” I looked out the window only to see our reflections instead of the great outdoors. “I should have turned off the kitchen light so we could see out better.”
“So go turn it off,” she said. Mischievous. I liked it.
“Not falling for it,” I said.
“Worth a shot, though.”
I found myself liking her, separate from wanting to ease the strap of her top off her shoulder and kiss her there. We sipped our wine and sat in companionable silence for a while as streaks of lightning danced in the distance outside. I had decided to ask her in earnest if she wanted to go to the lake with me when she turned and faced me.
Determination furrowed her brow. “What’s really your problem with me doing my stunt?” she asked. “I promise it won’t bother you at all.”
The disappointment hit first, immediately followed by the realization that I had been duped. I actually laughed at myself for being such an idiot. She had been working up to that the whole evening, trying to get on my good side so I’d let her do her crazy stunt. I knew I shouldn’t have let myself try to have a good time. Thinking a distraction was a good idea when I came here to sort out my grief was my first mistake. Thinking I should try a real relationship with Laurel was the second. Well, I wouldn’t make another.
“My problem with it is that it’s crazy and dangerous and it does bother me if I’m the one who finds your body after you’ve broken every bone in it, so you can just wait until I’m gone.”
She went straight past pink to red with rage. I didn’t care because I was just as mad. “When will that be?” she asked, reaching over to slam her wine glass on the coffee table.
I hadn’t booked a return flight but had only meant to stay here for a week or so. Ruby and my brothers would start haranguing me to get back within the next few days and I could only hold them off so long. I should have put Laurel out of her misery and told her that. But something about her made me dig in my heels.
“I have no idea,” I said, standing. “Could be weeks, could be months. I might see if they’re interested in selling.”
“You can’t be serious,” she said, standing up and wincing when her bad foot hit the floor with a thunk.
I forced myself not to ask her if she was okay and turned on my heel to go upstairs and find some cash to pay her back for the groceries and drive her home.
“I’m dead serious,” I called over my shoulder.
This night was over.
