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“Different? Different how?”
Ella snorted. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. We’ve had this conversation before. Taven. You.” She crossed two fingers. “You guys were like this in high school. I gave you the benefit of the doubt… buthim? Anyone with a pair of eyes can see that—”
“Hey, now, that’s not fair. What if he’s changed too? Just as much time has passed for him as it has for us. He’s back here to spend time with his mother and help her move out. Does that sound like a Taven thing to do?”
Her confidence faltered. “I guess not.”
“Exactly. He might still think of you as the same girl you were in high school, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed a little for the better.” Lucas was lying through his teeth. Truth be told, he couldn’t tell much of a difference from the Taven he knew in high school and the one who had put all this doubt into his head only moments ago.
There was just something about being around Ella that made him want to look good in front of her. He wanted her respect. He needed it, if for no other reason than to know that he was a decent human being.
Lucas nodded toward the building. A change in conversation was in order. “How about we forget that he was here, and we get back to enjoying our evening together like we planned. I would much rather be holding you in my arms than talking about Taven, wouldn’t you?”
She stared at him for a few seconds, then looked away. He could practically see the fury melting from her eyes in real time. Ella’s hands dropped to her sides, and she glanced toward the building. “I guess you’re right. Tonight isn’t about Taven. It’s about us.”
“Exactly.” Lucas reached for her hand and pulled her close. “And I don’t want to waste even a millisecond of it.”
20
Ella
Ella was still shaken by the arrival of the one person she knew she could die happy never seeing again. Taven was the ringleader of his little gang of hoodlums when they were kids. The more she reminisced about her past, the more she had to admit that he was the perfect leader for someone like Lucas.
He was a people pleaser.
There was nothing wrong with that as far as she was concerned—well, except for the whole wanting to please a bully aspect. People pleasers were the ones who had the best manners. They were the ones who set the best examples. They could anticipate someone’s need before that person even realized they had one.
It was one of the qualities she’d started to notice coming out since he’d begun working on the barn with her. He wanted to please her, gain her respect, and be the sort of personwho earned every bit of her affection—which was why Ella was currently so concerned.
A couple days had passed since their date at the country club. At first, she hadn’t noticed a difference in his demeanor. He still came in on time and still worked hard with the crew he’d put together.
But when it came to the way he treated her, he’d chosen a more hands-off approach. He still brought her lunch. They continued to spend their evenings together after their work was done.
She couldn’t figure out what it was, but something had changed with Lucas. It was more than just the way he was acting around her—more than the fact that he wasn’t reaching for her hand or brushing her hair from her face.
There was even a change in the way he looked at her. What she wouldn’t give to be able to read his thoughts when she caught him staring. It wasn’t even the sweet, romantic way he used to stare. It resembled something she couldn’t quite place.
The worst part was that the more she noticed these little nuances, the more on edge she became.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” She’d probably asked this exact question half a dozen times by now—mumbling it so only he could hear as they put the finishing touches on the loft framing.
Lucas glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, hammering another nail into place. “Sure, why wouldn’t it be?”
She wanted to point out how things had changed. If she wasn’t a coward, she would have cited every single change she could think of.
But she didn’t want to sound completely nuts.
Lucas could very well just be going through something. Or the shift could be explained away simply by stating this was the next level of their relationship.
Ella shook her head and offered him a smile. “No reason. I just wanted to double-check that you and I… that we’re good.”
He paused what he was doing and put his hammer into his tool belt before crossing the three feet to where she stood. Placing both of his hands on her shoulders, Lucas ducked his head and peered right into her eyes. “Everything is good. I promise.”
Funny, he didn’t sound confident at all. She could hear it in the slight tremor of his voice. People always tried to hide things from her, but they never succeeded. Her abilities were both a blessing and a curse.
Right now, they were the latter.
Not for the first time, Ella shoved aside all her concerns on the matter. She wasn’t going to be one of those women who didn’t know how to handle small changes in a relationship. She absolutely refused to be the high-maintenance and clingy type. If Lucas was struggling with something, he’d have to come to her. She’d done her due diligence.
