“Exactly.”
A few more pieces fell in place, but something about our most recent conversations still felt...off.
“There’s more to it, though,” I said, frustration creeping into my voice. I grabbed a mug, snuck in a quick pour of coffee before letting it continue to brew, then dumped too much cream and sugar into it. “I swear, at the housewarming he almost acted...”
I let my words trail off, absolutely certain I had misread it.
Emery stood shoulder to shoulder with me. “He almost acted like what?”
I slid a glance in his direction, and he lightly elbowed me.
“Like he was afraid,” I finally answered. “I know he’s got a shitty background, but why would he be afraid of me?”
Emery rolled his eyes. “He’s never been afraid of you, Kess. From the first time you met each other, y’all’ve had this energy between you. More than just the back-and-forth, it’s like...” He imitated thunder and lightning sounds.
I opened my mouth to bag on him about being a dork but then I experienced my own personal bolt of lightning:I met Rowdy two years ago.
Two years.
There was no way I’d let an obvious mutual attraction go so long without making a move, but when it came to Rowdy, I’dalwayspushed the thought away and kept myself busy with work. Until I’d downed enough of Mama Bash’s sangria to disable my prefrontal cortex, I’d known I could never handle just one night with Rowdy. One night would never be enough.
I just knew—assumed, really—that Rowdy didn’t want the life I was trying to build for myself, based on his many, many sexual encounters. Hell, I moved out to the country and hired amatchmakerso that I could become a husband and a father.
Because I was serious. And Rowdy was not.
I’d been fully convinced of that fact until I hit on him the way I thought I should, and he rejected my advance. Until I hurt his feelings by saying he didn’t seem like the sort of man who’d ever want kids. Now there wasn’t even my business or the distance to provide cover.
And I still didn’t know a damned thing.
Worse, all these reasons I’d built up to, what, protect myself from falling for an unserious man? They’d all crumbled to a fine powder within a couple of weeks of living out here.
“What just happened?” Emery asked, gesturing a circle at my face. “You glitched for a second.”
I rubbed my forehead. “I’ve been operating on all these theories about Rowdy, and none of them are real. So now I’m racking my brain because God knows what else I’m missing about that man.”
Emery snuck his own pour of coffee, then took the cream and sugar from me, frowning as he added them to his mug. “True. I’d have never taken him for the rejecting type.”
“Before the housewarming, I’d have agreed with you. But I can tell you right now, if you said that—the thing about Rowdy not being the rejecting type—to his face?”
“What?”
I bit my lip. “He wouldn’t like it. He might try to cover it, but...”
“He’s got a pretty shit poker face,” Emery said, nodding along as he sipped the rich brew. “You do, too, by the way.”
I shot him the finger, then grabbed my mug. “Let’s head out to the pool.”
He followed me through the house to the hallway, and I slid open the wall of glass that led to the pool and deck.
We stepped out onto the deck, sipping our coffees as we looked out over the beautifully tiled pool. The contractor had to build out the pool before the house because it required jackhammering into several feet of limestone. I wasn’t sure if I’d choose to do it all over again, but I was happy for the peacefulness.
Emery finally broke the silence as we made our way over to the table. “Tell me, do you ever see anyone coming or going from the cabin?”
I slumped into one of the chairs, grateful for its solid build. “Never once.”
“Damn. Really?” he asked, sitting across from me.
“You seem disappointed.”
