In the hallway, Tate was gone. Teller was in his place, reclining against the wall. He propped a cowboy hat against his leg with one hand. My brain took a snapshot in case I needed to know what kind of guy was out of my reach. I was about to spin in the other direction, but after the money I’d spent, I needed what I’d paid for.
“When can you be at the bar?” I asked.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a tease. “You didn’t bid so high for a date?”
“Disappointed?”
“Depends on what dating you is like.”
His answer caught me off guard. “Not exciting.” I inwardly winced. I didn’t mean to say that, but it wasn’t like my history made guys line up to ask me out.
“Hmm, I feel like that’s not true.”
Is he joking again? “Well, you’re not finding out.”
He held up his hands like he gave up, and a small part of me withered. “The bar? That’s the project? That shithole?”
I bristled.That shitholewould be everything I had once my parents’ property sold. “Yes. Hope you’re up for it.”
I breezed past him just as he said, “Being up is never a problem.”
His wall of heat stayed at my back, wreaking havoc with the interest my libido had with his comment. The church was empty as I marched through the sanctuary to get to the exit on the other side.
“What’s your issue?” he demanded from behind me. “We’re going to be working together.”
I kept walking. As if I hadn’t heard that question so many times before.
“Jesus, Maddy.”
“You should watch your mouth in church.” The glass doors were in front of me. I pushed out of them, but Teller was so close they didn’t shut in his face. “Even us poor people have some manners.”
“Are you that upset I helped with the donation? I could tell fifty was your stopping point.”
This time, I spun. He pulled up short but not nearly far enough away. “You didn’t think that if I came up with fifty grand, I couldn’t cover five more?”
“Could you?”
I clamped my mouth shut. “I would’ve, yes.”
“Life insurance?”
I stiffened. Guilt fed into my anger, diminishing it. “None of your business.”
“A lot isn’t my business, but it sounds like that bar is now. Wendi fought you for it, didn’t she?”
I scoffed, but I hated hearing his ex’s name come out of his mouth. “She fights for everything that isn’t hers.”
He huffed and nodded. “Ain’t that the truth. Best decision Scooter ever made was divorcing her.”
A lump formed in my throat. My brother hadn’t had a choice, but I didn’t want to get into it. I opened my door and scrambled in. Teller wedged himself in the opening. His torso was within touching distance.
Seriously? That was where my mind went?
“Move,” I said through gritted teeth.
He clasped the top of the pickup. He’d also stuffed his hat on his head and the brim shadowed his eyes. I had a stubborn cowboy facing off with me, but my pulse didn’t spike with fear. Heat wound through my veins, curling down farther, whispering steamy suggestions into my ear. Ideas that Teller was probably good at. Excellent even.
“It was a thank-you,” he said.
