“I’m not asking for…anything else.” He blew out a breath and chuckled, wiping a hand over the back of his neck.
“Smooth moves, Champ,” I said.
“It’s like I’ve never spoken to a woman before,” he muttered. “What I’m saying is, this is purely business despite the fact that I enjoy your company, Jo.”
She had that focus in her gaze. She liked the look of him, liked his thoughtfulness, liked his awkwardness.
“You’re looking for a new start,” I reminded her as I leaned my ass against the car and rubbed a finger over a rusty spot. “What’s a pit stop town like McLean got that makes you think you can build here?”
But from the softening of her body language, from the strong beat of her heart as she silently considered Sunshine and his offer, I knew exactly what this town had that was looking like a new start to her.
One handsome, sincere, slightly awkward mechanic, who could put his foot in his mouth, and be man enough to take it out again.
“Up to you,” Sunshine said. “You can start off in the morning, be back here early afternoon. You’ll have the rest of the day to fix it before you… go.”
He swallowed, and I could see the desire in him, too, the need to be near her, the need for her to stay. But he didn’t make another move, didn’t crowd her up, just stood there, giving her time to think it over.
I grunted, grudgingly admitting he had boundaries.
Lu stepped out of the restaurant, and Lorde abandoned the bone to run over to her, wagging her tail for all she was worth.
I watched Lu stroll this way, facing the two of them like she knew what they were talking about (which she did) and happy they were working things out (which she was).
I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. My wife, looking smug and maybe a little high-handed, but also happier than I’d seen her in a long, long time.
“Maybe it’s time,” I said to her. “Let the road go. Settle down in a place. Maybe it’s time…” I almost said to stop looking. To give up on finding something that would fix us, change us, give us back a life once and for all.
But Lu’s eyes narrowed. From the lift of her chin, I knew she was feeling the gist of what I was saying, and she was having none of it.
I sighed. “I know,” I said. “We don’t give up until we’re both alive or the bastards are dead.”
Lu’s gaze skated the area and finally landed pretty close to where I sat, still leaning on the car.
I pushed off and stepped over to her, running my hands down her arms. “I hear you. I know. I know.”
She blinked, then tipped her palm up. I took it, just as I always did. Just as I always would.
“So that room,” Jo said, when Lu moved a little closer to them. “It still open?”
Lorde stopped next to Sunshine, who bent and gave her a good scratching behind her ears. When he raised his head toward Lu, there was nothing but hope blazing in his eyes.
Lu smiled at Jo. “Let’s find out.”
Chapter Nine
Lu and Jo strolled up the B&B steps, but before they reached the door, Lorde pushed past them to stand right in front of Lu, her nose almost touching the door, her ears flicked back.
That was all the warning I needed.
I dipped my shoulders so I didn’t hit either woman and slid through the door sideways.
For just a moment, I caught old voices of women, a man’s laugh, and the giggling of children long grown and gone, but I didn’t pause to sort out the house’s memories.
Something was wrong. Wrong enough, Lorde was in protection mode.
As soon as I stepped into the living room-turned-lobby, I knew what it was.
Or rather, who.
