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She whirled around to face her sister, fire coming from her eyes. “Don’t bring up Shane.”
Eloise was unfazed. She crossed her arms and shifted all her weight onto one foot. Lifting a brow, she said her words slowly so as to make sure Brielle heard them. “I know you guys were close. I also know that things didn’t work out becauseyoupushed him away. Don’t do the same thing with Wade.”
Brielle threw her hands into the air. “Stop talking about Wade! I’m dating Tad right now.”
A knock at the door startled them both. Perhaps it was due to how heated their conversation had become or that the person at the door could have very likely heard Brielle’s last outburst. She exchanged a look with Eloise then her sister dropped her arms and marched to answer it.
That’s when Brielle realized who the person at the door probably was—the only person she was expecting.
She lurched forward. “Eloise, wait!”
But she was too late.
Eloise opened the door and then glanced back at Brielle with a smug look on her face. “Bri, I think it’s for you.”
Heat flashed beneath Brielle’s skin as she made her way more slowly toward the open door. Eloise stepped aside, and there on the doorstep was Wade, holding the most beautiful bouquet of wildflowers she’d ever seen. He wore a pair of crisp-looking jeans, a dress shirt and a tie. His hat was absent, and he’d shaved off the scruffy beard he’d once worn. Even his hair was slicked back rather than the adorable, mussed state he normally wore it in. This wasn’t the Wade she was used to, and yet she couldn’t figure out why her stomach suddenly burst with flutters.
Wade shoved the flowers toward her. “You look beautiful.”
“You look ridiculous,” she mumbled as she took the flowers he offered.
“Bri!” Eloise admonished. She shook her head and faced Wade again. “I’m sorry. She’s going through some things. You look very nice, Wade. I don’t think I’ve seen you this cleaned up before. Something special going on?”
Before he could answer, Brielle shoved the flowers into Eloise’s arms and pushed her aside. She yanked the door shut as she stepped out onto the porch and offered Wade a strained smile. She swallowed hard, unable to meet his eyes. To see this side of him was unexpected, to say the least.
Wade cleared his throat a few times but didn’t speak right away.
Finally, she forced herself to meet his gaze, finding his expression guarded. It felt like they were teenagers again and this was their very first date. Already, everything was going wrong.
He stepped toward her, then stopped abruptly. Wade rubbed the back of his neck, looking away as he did so. “I want us to start over.”
“You—” Her brows puckered, and she dropped her eyes to her hands. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Wade stepped away, turning toward the stairs and grabbing onto the pole that supported the porch awning. “I’ve been a pawn in this game before, Bri. I’ve been that guy on the other end wondering when you were going to tire of me and kick me to the curb.”
A bolt of pain darted through her chest, making it hard to breathe. “Wade—”
“Hear me out. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it today—over the lastseveraldays—and I want to show you that I—we—can be good together.” Wade faced her. His serious gaze pinned her where she stood. “I’m not just some guy you can discard when you’re done with me. I’m going to prove to you that I am just as good as that stranger you insist on welcoming into your life.” Emotion laced his words.
There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he had heard what she’d said to Eloise. Could she blame him? He’d been there for her since Tad arrived—earlier even. But the man who stood before her wasn’t the man she had started to develop feelings for. The Wade she knew wouldn’t wear a tie or put product in his hair. He wouldn’t change the way he looked just to impress her. He was already impressive the way he was.
Brielle stepped toward him as if they were two magnets drawn together. She dropped her gaze to his silly tie and a ghost of a smile touched her lips. Her fingertips trailed down the silken fabric, wondering where he managed to find it. She shook her head and set to work untying it, yanking it from his collar with a flourish. “You don’t need to wear stuff like this to impress me,” she whispered. Her eyes flitted up to meet his, then shifted to his hair.
Wade seemed to be frozen in his spot. His breathing had turned more ragged, but other than that, there were no indicators that he was affected by her actions.
She pushed her fingers into his hair and a soft laugh escaped her lips. “And you definitely don’t need to change your appearance. I liked you the way you were.” Her eyes locked onto his, electricity dancing between them. Brielle didn’t know what possessed her to think it was a good idea, but she took another step toward him so that their bodies nearly pressed against one another. Her hands framed his face, pulling it gently toward her.
Brielle closed her eyes, mostly out of habit but also because her heart was thundering so hard against her ribs that she needed to find her center before it exploded entirely. Her kiss was a whisper against his lips. In reality, it lasted mere seconds, but in that moment, she saw a lifetime of possibilities.
When she pulled back, Wade didn’t move. The way he stared at her unnerved her. This wasn’t the right time. He hadn’t wanted her to do that. Sure, they’d kissed before, but that was just for fun. This was something different, and she knew he could feel it too. Her insides started crumbling. This was what she’d been afraid of. They couldn’t commit to each other. One or both of them were going to end up hurt.
Her blinks came in rapid succession and she stepped back. Brielle couldn’t bring herself to look at him—the instinct to run inside and hide was far too great. She nearly did just that, but he closed the distance between them.
Wade placed his rough hands gently on her cheeks. When she didn’t meet his gaze right away, he whispered, “Bri…”
“What?” she rasped.
“Will you look at me?”
