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She wasn’t. She considered Kyle’s question from the day before. More of a command then a question. The directness of what he had said surprised her, and she hadn’t answered right away. Instead she unzipped his fleece sweater and pressed her face into his neck, feeling the warmth transfer from his skin to hers. It was a reasonable request, one that he wouldn’t have to ask of any other date. But it was more than she’d ordinarily give of herself, and Laney didn’t care. She’d leaned fully against the wide, hard planes of his chest, acknowledging that she did want more. And there was no reason to hold back when they only had a few days. They should embrace the possibilities of a fling, the freedom of zero expectations. She’d nodded her head against his body and then turned without a word and fled inside before she said something smart-alecky that might ruin the moment.
“Why would I be nervous?”
Evie and Claire exchanged silent looks.
“Hello? Evie, what’s Mom alluding to?”
Her sister shrugged. “Oh, you know. Kyle’s always loved you, he’s the only man you’ve ever loved, yadda yadda yadda. Potential for great messiness. That kind of thing.”
Laney sighed and plunked her butt down on the couch next to her mother. “I promise you, Kyle and I are on the same page about that. We both want to move forward in our lives. And we want very different things. No one is going to get hurt.”
Claire cocked her head to the side. “Just how much have you two been talking? That’s some pretty heavy subject matter.”
“I know, I’m just as surprised as you. I wasn’t going to go there, but he told me a bit about his ex and how he’s been stuck in a bit of a loop. I have too, in a way, so it was cathartic to compare ruts.” Laney didn’t know how much she wanted to share with her mother and sister, but they had each been through so much more than her, that she didn’t feel right blowing them off once again as if they didn’t get it. They did, absolutely. “There was a guy that I was seeing. I broke up with him just before coming home. I wasn’t as nice to him as I should have been. I’ve just gotten so good at guarding myself that I didn’t notice when I went from being careful to actually using other people. So running into Kyle, and admitting that I had some unresolved issues there…it opened me up to other possibilities.”
Claire looked piqued, her mind obviously whirling between the possibility of more grandchildren and the likelihood of a once-again broken-hearted daughter.
“Not with Kyle, Mom. And not necessarily love, but just honest connections with people. I’m really looking forward to having dinner with an old friend tonight, and it’s been way too long since I’ve said that. I just need to meet some new Kyles in Chicago.”
Evie had been quietly putting away Pilates gear, listening with one ear but trying not to react in her usual big sister way. Laney looked up at her, giving her an official opportunity to comment. Evie nodded and smiled. “Hell, I’d like to meet some new Kyles here, too. I get it.”
“So…why not with Kyle, then?”
Laney sighed. “God, Mom, you’re giving me whiplash. There’s too much history. We live in different cities—different countries! We have divergent life goals. Why on earth would you want me to be with him?”
“Because he obviously makes you happy.”
And damned if that wasn’t the wildcard of truth. Laney shook her head. “That’s the worst reason I could think of.” She squeezed her mother’s hand and stood up, wanting to avoid the concern she would find on Claire’s face. “I let my happiness be wrapped up in Kyle once before. Never again. Not him, or anyone else.”
Kyle’s house smelled like oranges and wood fire. She stepped inside, shrugging off her winter coat, and made an appreciative sound that was rewarded with a quick hug and a kiss on the top of her head.
“Your place is pretty cozy for a construction site.” Laney kicked her boots to the black plastic tray next to the door and wandered into the living room. On the ottoman, a large three-wick candle flickered, bouncing waves of light off the shiny glass tray underneath it. Another tray had been placed on the rug in front of the wood stove, this one holding a bottle of red wine and two glasses. “Why, Kyle Nixon, are you looking to get lucky tonight?”
She turned and gave him an appraising look, which only lasted a few seconds before they both burst into laughter. Lips still twitching, Kyle waved her toward the couch and poured two glasses of wine. “I’m not looking for anything other than to be a good host, Laney Calhoun.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” she murmured, lifting the glass to her lips. After taking a sip, she tucked her feet under her bum and leaned back against the couch. “Where’s Buddy?”
“I took him to my parents’ farm for the night. He’s not exactly conducive to romance.”
“You didn’t need to—”
He shook his head. “I did it for me. I wanted you all to myself tonight.”
Oh. “I like Buddy.”
“I know.” Kyle stood a few feet away, arms crossed, an inscrutable look on his face.
Under his gaze, her skin felt hot and hypersensitive. “Stop staring at me. Do you need any help with dinner? It smells great.”
He smirked, then moved to the other end of the couch, sitting far enough away to give her personal space. His eyes, on the other hand, never left her face, and she blushed.
“So…this is really good wine.”
“I’m glad you like it. Do you remember Tyler West? He bought a defunct winery a few years ago and turned the business around with his brother’s help. This is their first widely distributed vintage.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you mean Go West Winery? That’s your friend Ty? Wow. Good for him. I read an article about the company a few months ago, but didn’t connect the name. It mentioned someone else, I thought.”
He nodded. “Probably Evan. He’s more the face of the company. Ty’s all about the grapes and the production process.”
