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“It’s through the back door there in the kitchen,” she pointed toward the doorway. I started in that direction, but her next words stopped me. “I made you some coffee.”
I glanced behind me. There were two mugs at the bar, and beside one was a plate with a pastry on it. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“I know. It’s the least I could do,” she said, perching on one of the bar stools while patting the one beside her. “Come sit for a minute.”
I hesitated for a second but then went to where she sat, lowering on the stool opposite hers.
She smiled, lifting her mug to her lips and gesturing to mine. “I made it just the way you like it.”
I smiled and picked up the cup. “You have a good memory.”
“It’s my job.”
I drank down a little of the coffee, and it was exactly the way I liked.
“I’ll just get to the tire now.”
“Wait,” she said, laying her hand on my forearm.
I glanced down to where she touched, and she drew away.
“I want to apologize. The way I acted the other morning… it was awful.”
“You were pretty upset,” I allowed.
Her head bobbed, blue eyes wide and imploring. “I know. I almost got fired. I swore that I would apologize and make things right. I really need this job.”
I dully wondered if she was a scholarship student at Westbrook. It was a well-known, moneyed school. Most students were loaded, but there were a few scholarship students… plus, she worked here on the side.
“Elite will be here tomorrow after practice,” I told her.
“Oh, that’s great,” she said, looking a little relieved. “Please accept my apology, Wes. I was wrong to act like that. I just…” She ducked her head. “I really like you. I hoped that maybe you’d give us a chance. But then I saw you with… your brother.”
Even if I had felt some sympathy for the whole one-sided feelings thing, it pretty much blew away when she mentioned Max. Not to mention thewayshe mentioned him.
“He’s not my brother,” I said, voice tight.
“You said he was.”
“I said he sort of is. He grew up with me and my brother. He stayed with us a lot. My parents looked after him. But we aren’t related, and my parents never adopted him.”
“I don’t think he’s right for you.”
I choked on her words, my palm flattening on the bar top. “It’s not your choice.” I stood.
This conversation was going nowhere, and I wasn’t going to waste my time.
She caught my hand, her fingers clinging around mine with a bit of desperation I didn’t like. I pulled back, but she stood, following my movements and refusing to let go of my hand.
“Veronica—”
She shoved me hard, and I fell back onto the stool. Before I knew what she was doing, she climbed onto my lap, straddling me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I growled, fisting the lapels of her coat. One of the buttons was missing. The buttons that looked just like the one I found beneath my kitchen window.
No. No way…Really?
Letting go of the coat, I palmed her waist to lift her off.
