“Thanks for all your help,” Vance said and clapped me on the back.
“Anytime.” We wished each other Merry Christmas, and Delilah pulled me in for a hug. I opened the door and stepped onto the porch only to have a blur of red wool slam into my chest. I let out a grunt as dark tendrils of hair flew about, slapping me in the face. Delicate hands gripped my biceps, and that familiar zing of electricity raced up my arm. Her breath whooshed out of her, and she stumbled.
“Emily? What’s wrong?” I reached out and gripped her waist to steady her.
“My car won’t start,” she explained breathlessly. We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us willing to let go of each other.
“Do you think it could be the battery?” Vance asked from behind me. Emily jumped and dropped her hands from my arms. I begrudgingly released her, wishing I could pull her in closer instead, and turned to find Vance shrugging on his coat.
“Maybe,” Emily replied, wringing her hands together. Her nervous gaze bounced between me and her brother-in-law.
“Got your jumper cables?” Vance asked, and I nodded. We set to work trying to jump start Emily’s car.
“Why isn’t it working?” Emily asked as I stepped out of my truck after several unsuccessful attempts to get her car running. Vance glanced at me above her head, looking for an answer.
“Alternator’s probably bad,” I answered, sidling up to them. She was visibly defeated, her shoulders slumping like they bared the weight of the world on them.
“Is that expensive to fix?” she asked, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
“Not if you know someone who can fix it,” I replied a little smugly. I wasn’t only good with computers and could fix just about anything mechanical. I even dabbled in some automotive work here and there. A bad alternator was child’s play.
“Great,” Emily replied with a tight smile. Vance shot her a quizzical look, but didn’t comment. “In the meantime, I better call Mom and see if her and Dad can turn around and come get me.”
“Don’t bother Darla and Jim. I’ll run you home,” Vance said, turning to retrieve his keys from the house.
“I can take her home,” I offered, and Emily snapped her gaze to me. “It’s Christmas,” I explained, “you should be home with your family. I’ve got nowhere else to be.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Vance asked hopefully.
“Not at all.” I shifted my focus to Emily. Ultimately it was up to her whether she allowed me to take her home or not, but I hoped she’d agree. We needed to talk. “That okay with you?”
Her mouth pinched in irritation for the briefest moment before she straightened her shoulders. “Fine with me,” she said, feigning nonchalance. Vance watched the exchange curiously as though there was something he was missing.
He had no idea.
17
EMILY
Isat next to Donovan in his truck, fuming as I stared out the window. I didn’t want to speak to him, but he’d given me no choice when he volunteered to take me home. He already knew where I lived since he and Vance had helped me move a couple years ago, and to my brother-in-law, it just looked like someone helping out a friend. I couldn’t decline his offer without raising suspicions, and he used that fact to his advantage.
We drove in silence for several long minutes, and I started to think he wasn’t going to bring it up. Then he cleared his throat, and the peace was broken when he spoke.
“Are you warm enough?” he asked, his voice gentle and comforting. I wouldn’t fall for it.
“Yep.” My answer was short and clipped.
“Want to listen to some music?” he asked, reaching for his radio.
“Nope,” I replied, just to be obstinate. He dropped his hand and rubbed it over his jeans clad thigh. A thigh I knew was corded with thick muscles and dusted with dark hair. Ugh, I couldn’t think about that right now.
“Okay,” he said calmly, and anger lit beneath my skin. Here I was seething, and he was completely unbothered. Maybe hewas used to sleeping with women then acting like they didn’t exist. Maybe that was his M.O. But I wasn’t just any woman. I’d known him for over a decade, yet he’d discarded me like I meant nothing to him.
“Look, now that we’re alone and I have your full attention, we need to talk,” Donovan began, and I gritted my teeth together. The time for talking had passed. I didn’t want to have this conversation right now. It was Christmas. I wanted to eat my weight in sugar cookies and drink hot cocoa while watching Kevin McCallister fuck up some would-be criminals. “I owe you an apology.”
“Damn straight you do,” I snapped, my gaze shooting to him.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you with my silence.” I swallowed down the emotions rising in my throat at the sincerity in his voice. “I couldn’t give you more than just that one night, and I didn’t want to lead you on.”
