“The finder app. I snuck it onto that phone I told you not to take out of the house. You know, the one you’re not supposed to be using?”
He blushed. “I was hanging with a friend. I took it for emergency only. Didn’t even use it.”
“Uh-huh.” She held out her hand and waited for him to give it back. Then she turned to Evan, stared, and said nothing.
He stared back, waiting.
“What the hell is this?” Smith boomed and took in the scene. He gave the woman what passed for a smile on his grim face. “Well, hi there.”
“H-hello.” She cleared her throat and focused on Evan once more. “Evan? That’s your name, right?”
Evan nodded.
“I just wanted to apologize for that scene the other day. My brother can be a little much sometimes.” She smacked Daniel in the back of the head.
“Ow.”
“Apologize,” she ordered between gritted teeth.
“I did already—ow,” he said again when she smacked him once more. “Okay, okay. Sorry, Evan. My bad.”
“No problem.” He bit back a grin, having himself been smacked in the back of the head once or twice by his mom. “So is Rachel all moved out, then?”
Kenzie nodded. “Yeah. It’s weird. She’s lived next to us for the past seven years. We miss her.”
He felt an irresistible pull to comfort her. A woman he didn’t know, whose brother had actively asked him to stay away from. “Oh, well, that happens.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, nervous and not sure what else to say. A first for him.
“So…yeah.” Kenzie shuffled her feet. “I guess we should get going. I just wanted to… Can I buy you coffee or something? To apologize, I mean?”
As soon as she said it, her cheeks blazed with color.
Her brother stared at her, looking horrified.
“Forget him. You can buy me a beer,” Smith offered with a laugh.
Evan ignored him. “No apologies needed. Don’t worry about Daniel. Younger brothers are like that.” He glanced at Smith, the epitome of all younger brothers. “Or so I’ve heard.”
Smith shot him a wary glance.
Kenzie tugged on her brother’s arm. “Well then. We’ll be on our way. I wish he hadn’t bothered you before. But he’s very sorry.”
“I’m right here, Kenzie.” Daniel tried to tug his arm free.
She wouldn’t let him.
Evan didn’t want her to go, but he had no reason to keep her near. Well, not that didn’t sound strange.No, stay. Let me stare into your beautiful eyes for the rest of my life. Yeah, because that’s not creepy at all.
Hell, where were these thoughts coming from? He hadn’t wanted to do anything more with a woman than take in a movie or enjoy dinner for months. In a dry slump, as Reid had called it. But Evan didn’t want superficial dating and meaningless sex. Then again, had he ever?
Rita’s image sat hazy in his mind’s eye, her loss growing more distant with each passing day. Guilt rode him for not remembering the way he used to, but he pushed it aside. Rita would want him to be happy. Maybe heshouldtry again, start fresh with a woman looking for a meaningful relationship. Not Sheila though. Maybe…Kenzie.
But she was halfway to her car, Daniel in tow.
Evan had missed his opportunity. “Not meant to be.”
“You know what else isn’t meant to be? You and me as partners,” Smith said, his hands tucked into his pockets.
“You got that right,” Evan agreed, out of sorts. Tired of dealing with Smith’s attitude, he let go of the filters normally guarding his mouth. “You’re a huge pain to work with. I’m stuck with you because no one else wants to work with you.”
