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Stunned, she stared at him until a car started up nearby. Rattled, she jumped up. The last thing she wanted to be reminded of was the way she’d hovered in his room the night before. He had to mention kissing her before she’d fled. “I’ll be in the shop all day.” She was a little out of breath, but hopefully, Blake wouldn’t notice.
“Will you be alone?” Blake asked.
“Lilly will be there,” Lindsay said quickly while she cleared the table. He didn’t have to know Lilly left at noon on Saturdays. Nothing could happen to her while she was in her shop. On either side of their building were other businesses; there were other people around. But she needed to get away from Blake before she did something really stupid.
She was nervous and on edge—that was the only reason she was reacting to Blake’s presence like a lovesick schoolgirl.
“I’m going to check in on the dojo before I get the necessary items to repair the window,” Blake said.
Lindsay looked up quickly. Oh, my goodness, she’d completely forgotten about the broken window. Seriously? Having Blake so close was really messing with her brain.
“You don’t have to do that. I should be able to slip out during the morning to buy what is needed.”
Warily, she glanced at him. Taking a stand about anything was still a novelty to her. Mark’s erratic behavior had taught her to keep quiet and agree with his suggestions. But this wasn’t Mark and she wasn’t the same person she’d been two years ago.
The muscle in his jaw moved a few times. “I know you’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself. But I need to do something. Let me do this, please?”
She sighed. It would be better if he got whatever was needed; Saturday mornings were usually quite busy. And he did ask nicely.
Nodding, she poured more syrup on the pancake. “Let me know what I owe you.”
He looked at her but didn’t answer.
“A friend, Jason Coleman, has been helping out at the dojo,” he said after a few minutes. “He tells me you haven’t been back for your self-defense classes since I’ve left?”
She shrugged. “Yes, I know about him. Charlie got married. We were busy.”
“Charlie is now married. And I’m back.”
“I’ll think about it.”
The beginnings of a smile turned up the corners of his mouth ever so slightly. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave. I’ll drop you off at work and I’ll pick you up whatever time you’ve finished.”
“I can drive myself to work, seriously...”
He caught her hand. “I don’t want to fight with you. Please?”
Warm, brown eyes stared down at her. The butterflies loved this and went mad. Irritated, she pulled her hand out of his and turned away. “Do those chocolate brown eyes always work for you?” The minute the words left her mouth she wished she could make them disappear into thin air.
A low chuckle came from behind her. “Chocolate?”
Muttering, she stomped away. Staying in the same house with Blake Davidson was so not working out for her. She’d speak to Brooke as soon as possible about joining them when they went to Seattle.
Over the last two years, she’d worked hard to create a calm and quiet life for herself. After her parents’ sudden death, Charlie’s injury, and on top of that, the whole bad experience she’d had with Mark, she’d rebuilt her life step by step, with her sister’s help, of course.
But now Charlie was married and she didn’t want to rely on her sister any longer. Mark had been her mistake, no one else’s, and she would have to sort out this mess.
She’d never been one for crowds and noise; she needed peace and silence around her ever since she could remember. But now that the lovely people in Alisson had become aware of the fact that Mark was trying to hurt her, she’d been overwhelmed by everyone’s concern. Truth be told, she hated being the center of attention.
And it would be so easy to become dependent on others to fix her problems again but she wouldn’t allow it. Her mistakes—she had to find the solutions.
Her life was anything but peaceful at the moment and she hated that. And okay, yes, maybe everyone, including Blake, thought he was helping her but in fact he was adding to her agitation.
Pressing a hand against her tummy, she raced up the stairs. These stupid butterflies had only appeared when she’d first met him. He was stirring something inside of her, and even though her instincts were telling her he was a completely different man to Mark Taylor, she wasn’t sure she could trust her own feelings again.
––––––––
Even before his carhad come to a complete standstill, Lindsay had opened her door.
