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“Perfect.” Duck rises to his feet. “We’ll get outta your hair then.”
I hesitate, wanting to ask Kennedy out but not wanting to scare her. Not wanting to send her running for the hills wins out, and I get to my feet and follow my brothers outside.
“You’re seriously just gonna walk away?” Duck asks as he straddles his Harley.
“Leave it alone, Duck,” Snow snaps. “Now that they’ve agreed to work with us, Dip will have plenty of opportunities to talk to Kennedy again. If he wants to pussy out now, that’s on him.”
“I’m not being a pussy,” I protest. “I’m biding my time.”
“If telling yourself that makes you feel better…”
Duck fires up his bike, letting his words hang in the air like a dare. A triple dog dare, in fact. But I don’t take the bait, instead choosing to straddle my own bike.
Maybe a ride will clear my head.
And maybe pigs will start to fly.
While I’m stuck in my head, Snow and Duck pull away from the curb. I watch them ride down the street as I start my Harley. But before I can even get the kickstand up, the door to Barlow’s flies open, and Kennedy steps out onto the sidewalk.
We stare at each other for a moment, as if looking away will break whatever invisible thread tethers us together.
Kennedy breaks first and drops her chin.
“Don’t,” I order, my tone gruff. “Don’t hide yourself from me.”
Slowly, she raises her head and looks me in the eye. She twists her hands nervously but doesn’t avert her gaze again.
“You came out here for a reason, Kennedy,” I say. “What was it?”
“I, um…” She swallows, and my eyes are drawn to her slender throat. “I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“Jenny thinks… I mean, Jenny said…” Kennedy shakes her head as if to unjumble her thoughts. There’s a war going on behind her caramel irises, and I’m dying to know what’s causing it. “I’m trying to…” She groans. “This is a lot harder than I thought.”
“That’s okay. Take your time.”
“Right. My time,” she mutters bitterly, but then she squares her shoulders and hardens her expression. “Thatisright. It’smytime.”
Doubt starts to creep in because she’s not making any sense. Maybe my soul cried out for the wrong woman. MaybeIshould be the one running for the hills.
“I want you to teach me how to live,” she blurts.
And maybe my soul got it exactly fucking right.
Chapter10
Kennedy
“I’m gonna need you to repeat that.”
What was I thinking, blurting that out like that?
I rapidly shake my head and start backing up. “Forget I said that.”
Dip is off his motorcycle so fast, I don’t even have time to blink. I continue to retreat, and he advances, backing me against the wall.
“What did you mean, you want me to teach you how to live?” he asks softly, almost as if he’s afraid he’ll scare me if he talks too loudly.
