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“Oh don’t worry. He’s inserted himself quite well in my comings and goings,” I said, voice rising.
“Chill, Hollingsworth. You really think your sister would be interested in the likes of me?”
I frowned at Cal. He’d made the comment offhandedly to get Teague off our case. But something about it bothered me.Did he really believe that?Because in my gut, I felt he wasn’t referring to the ugly end we’d had all those years ago.Thatmost definitely was a reason to steer clear of him.
The idea that I thought I was better than him . . . on what basis? Had I behaved that way?
I hated him because of what he’d done, not who he was. Our difference in upbringing didn’t matter to me. Other than my brothers, I’d have traded places with him in a heartbeat. He was far wealthier in the ways that mattered than I was.
“We’re almost out of gas.”
He banged the steering wheel.
I reached in my purse and fished out a twenty. “Stop at the next station.”
He glared at the bill I’d stuffed in the ashtray. “I don’t need your money.”
“You always pay. It’s my turn,” I said, trying to make light. It was twenty bucks. No big deal.
“You don’t have a turn when it comes to that,” he said through his teeth as he wheeled up to a gas pump.
“It’s not all on you—”
He slammed the door and shut down that thought. With long, powerful strides, he strode into the convenience store.
We’d been having a good time just cruising around the city. At least I had been. One mention of money and he’d turned into a hothead. Who happened to look unbelievably handsome when he was mad.
I didn’t want to ruin our day over something stupid.
He stalked back to the truck and started the gas pump.
I opened my door and swung so I was facing out. “I have two favorite places.”
He stared at the numbers on the pump, jaw tight . . . ignoring me.
“Since you asked,” I continued, my heart beating a little faster. “The roof. And your truck.”
He swung his eyes toward me.
“You don’t have to be so thrilled.” I pinched his cheek.
The pump clicked off. Five dollars. That was all he’d gotten.Was that even enough to take me back to Manhattan?
Why did he have to be so stubborn? I could fix this. A tank of gas wasn’t a million dollars.
I stuffed my rising irritation down. Teague and Lincoln had taught me awareness of how people reacted to money by their example. Neither of them treated anyone any differently, no matter where they came from. They never flaunted our trusts.
Teague hid the fact he had one from most of his friends.
I wouldn’t let something so unimportant be a wedge between Garrett and me.
“Just because you ignore me doesn’t mean I’m not here.” I caught his hand and tugged.
Eventually he stepped between my legs. He hadn’t let go of my hand. That had to be a good sign, didn’t it?
“You think I can forget about you?” His breath was warm with a hint of wintergreen. He inched closer until his lips were a whisper away from mine. “There’s not a second of the day you’re not on my mind. And there never will be.”
My lungs seized. They were just words. Buthe’dsaid them. And I believed him.
