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About her?
As she got back into Wyatt’s truck, which he’d kindly been letting her borrow, she decided to make him dinner. Spend some time sitting and talking with him. If he did feel lonely, he’d never tell her that, but perhaps she could be there for him anyway. And hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d share something of himself with her.
Because she wanted to know it all. Everything that made Wyatt Kincaid the man he was. She wanted to see inside his heart and soul, learn what made him tick. She wanted him to open up to her, let her in. But she knew that was crazy. She barely knew the man and she couldn’t dare let him know her. Beth couldn’t stay in Silverbell Shore, even if she wanted to. She had to keep going, keep running. Get as far away from Arizona as she could so Miles could never find her.
She could never let her ex anywhere near Wyatt, even though he was more than capable of defending himself. She didn’t want the toxicity of that man to seep into the goodness that was Wyatt Kincaid. Leaving was one of the smartest moves she’d ever made, although she still blamed herself for not seeing the signs earlier. Not realizing what Miles had been doing to her. Maybe if she had, she could have had more time with her precious mother.
Thinking of her mom made tears well up, and she had to blink them back so she could drive. The supermarket was only a couple of minutes down the road, so once she’d parked, she grabbed the recyclable tote bags Wyatt left in the back seat of his truck and headed inside. Taking her time, she cruised up and down the aisles, inspecting and selecting ingredients carefully before placing them in the cart.
Wyatt’s home was blissfully silent when she returned, and she selected some music to hum along to while she prepared the evening meal. She’d decided to make lamb chops and an array of colorful vegetables, the least she could do given the lifeline he’d thrown her upon her arrival. Beth would never be able to repay him for everything he’d done.
He’d also offered her something much more precious: a safe harbor. She always felt at ease around him, as though she’d known him all her life. If someone were to ask her what it was about Wyatt that made her feel that way, Beth wasn’t sure she could put it into words. She’d come to distrust the world in general over the last couple of years, wary of forming attachments to anyone new, but Wyatt was different. He’d proven over and over he was reliable and trustworthy, even though she was a stranger he had no obligation to do a damn thing for.
Beth dropped the knife she was holding when a sudden thought startled her: she could so easily love the man whose kitchen she was currently standing in, cooking a meal for him. He was the polar opposite of her narcissistic, antagonistic ex, and his calm, gentle manner put her at ease in a way Miles never had.
Shaking her head, she carried on with her task. It was a foolish thought to even contemplate. As soon as her car was fixed, she would leave Silverbell Shore and never look back. And when her chest began to feel heavy, like she couldn’t breathe properly at the thought, she ignored it. There was little point even entertaining the idea she could stay because she couldn’t.
Even if she wanted to, more than anything else in the world.
Her reverie was shattered by the sound of the screen door opening, and she turned her head toward it. Freya was trotting toward her, a sight she wasn’t surprised by, but what had her staring was the bunch of flowers she carried in her mouth. Wyatt was behind her, sporting a grin.
Freya dropped the flowers on the floor in front of Beth and barked once, then nudged them toward her. “Are these for me?” Beth bent over and scooped them up, holding the flowers to her nose and breathing in deeply, the lush scent filling her senses.
“It was Freya’s idea.” Wyatt grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and held a second one up to Beth, who nodded. “She saw them and thought you might like them.”
“Well, thank you, Freya.” Beth patted the dog. “And thank you, Wyatt. They’re beautiful.”
He gazed at her, his deep blue eyes wide and full of emotion. “Just like you.” He then turned and reached into a cupboard, retrieving a crystal vase from a top shelf. Beth took it with thanks and filled it with water, then placed the flowers in it.
“I wanted to run something by you.” Wyatt eased himself onto one of the stools opposite where Beth stood. “Hang on a moment. What are you doing?” It was as though he’d only just realized she was cooking something, and he sniffed. “Is that lamb I smell?”
“It is. I’m making lamb chops. It’s something Mom and I would cook together.” She gave him a small smile. “Just wanted to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me this week, Wyatt. I can never repay your kindness.”
He gave her a warm grin and her heart flip-flopped in her chest. “I’d say you don’t have to repay me for anything, but that lamb smells so good I’m just going to shut my mouth.”
A burst of laughter escaped her lips before she could stop it, and suddenly she felt lighter. “Did you get everything done at the office you wanted to?” He’d left her alone for the afternoon so he could catch up on some things at the shed, as he referred to the building on the dock where his boat was. He’d promised to take her out on the lake the following day, and she was very much looking forward to it.
“I did. Speaking of, I have an offer for you.”
Beth raised her eyebrows. “I’m listening.”
“Since you’ll be here for a few weeks, I wondered if you’d like a job of sorts. I’m happy to pay you, of course.”
Her stomach fell. “It’s so kind of you to offer, but I can’t take money from you.” There was no way she could risk any sort of legal documents being filed for tax purposes, because Miles would find her.
“It would be cash in hand, Beth. Nobody would know except you and me.”
“Oh.” She paused for a few seconds. “What did you have in mind?”
“I need some help with tidying up the office. I’m not the best at filing paperwork, and I want to set up a new financial system to make tax time easier.” He took a long pull of his beer, and she twisted the top off her bottle and sipped it. “I’m guessing you’re experienced enough with computers and filing, so it would be easy for you.”
She nodded. “Sure, I’m happy to help you where I can. But I don’t want any money.”
“It’s a paid job. Full stop, end of story.”
Something in the way he was smiling at her made her narrow her eyes. “That sounds ominous.”
“I’m confident you’ll be able to whip it into shape in no time. Is Monday okay?”
