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“If I can. Depends on the extent of the damage.”
He lowered his voice. “That’s nice of you, Ellen. You’re such a good person, you know that?”
That wasn’t something she was used to hearing. She’d had to prove herself to everyone here in Coyote Canyon. It hadn’t been much different in Anaconda, actually. “Yeah, well, don’t let the word get out. You’ll ruin my reputation.”
He chuckled. “The people who matter already know.”
Like him? Didhematter?
Sadly, after last night he seemed to matter more to her than he should. As much as she’d enjoyed herself, she lamented getting caught up with him like she had.
Shading her eyes, she gazed across the lot at the chicken coop.Ellen’s a bitch.“Your aunt and my father don’t think much of me. Are you saying they don’t matter?”
“Lynn’s just plain wrong.”
“And Stuart?”
“He’s trying not to upset the woman he lives with. He prizes peace more than anything, and he can’t have peace if he doesn’t agree with his wife.”
“Forgive me if I don’t feel any sympathy for his ‘difficult’ position.”
“Deep down, he loves you, Ellen. I firmly believe that.”
She wishedshecould believe it. But he’d proved otherwise. “What he feels doesn’t matter to me anymore. If he can’t treat me any better than he’s treated me over the years, what good is love?”
“I can’t blame you for feeling the way you do. My aunt’s done a lot for me, so I feel guilty saying anything negative about her, but the raw truth is she deserves a large part of the blame. Stuart tries to keep her happy, but she’s high-strung and temperamental—”
“Not to mention petty and selfish.”
There was a slight hesitation before Hendrix spoke again. “I won’t go that far, but I will acknowledge it can be hard to get along with her. For some reason—a reason I don’t fully understand—she’s got her mind set against you and won’t give you or anyone else the chance to change it.”
Hadhetried to change it? Was he alluding to some effort of his? She couldn’t imagine he’d done much. He’d only recently started interacting with her in a friendly way. “I don’t expect any major improvement after so long.” She climbed back into her truck. “I’d better get busy. I’ve got to go home and get my drill so I can fix this mess.”
“Wish I could help you, but after being away from my own job for two days, I’m backed up over here. I’m afraid if I disappear again, it’ll send a red flag to Lynn and Stuart.”
He’d already done far more than she expected. “I appreciate the help you’ve already given me. Have a good day.” She was about to disconnect when he stopped her.
“Ellen?”
“What?”
“Can I see you again?” he asked.
Her chest grew so tight it felt like she was caught in a vise. “I’m sorry, but... I don’t think continuing what we started last night would be a good idea,” she said and forced herself to press the End button right after. Otherwise, given a few more seconds, she was afraid she’d change her mind.
To get her phone out of her hands as soon as possible, she tossed it on the passenger seat as she got behind the wheel, waiting to feel some sort of elation—or even relief—for having done what she should’ve done last night.
But it didn’t come. She felt terrible instead, as if she’d lost or broken something meaningful and important.
Trying to ignore the dark cloud that hung over her, she spent the next five hours removing what was clogging the well, which turned out to be a chunk of cement. Someone had poured a bag down the hole, but it hadn’t encountered enough water to set up correctly and came out much more easily than she’d expected.
When she called Jay before heading home, she was relieved and excited to be able to give him the good news. But the sick feeling in her gut that’d started when she hung up with Hendrix never went away.
Since Stuart had taken Leo with him, Hendrix was alone in the office with Zeus when he had lunch. He had a lot of work-related things he should’ve been thinking about, but he couldn’t get his mind off Ellen and the negative answer she’d given him when he asked to see her again.
“Damn it.” He’d been afraid she’d turn him down. He probably shouldn’t even have posed the question, but he hadn’t been able to resist. He’d enjoyed her so much last night. And he knew she’d enjoyed him, too. He could tell by the way her body had risen to meet his, how readily she’d welcomed his kisses and how she’d curled into him as they slept.
Those were all classic signs he couldn’t have missed, right? And yet...that was it? What they’d had last night was over, and there’d be nothing more?
