The thing is, I’m not the only person Brynn is getting close to. Walt is attached to her. She turned his human equivalent of a growl into a whisper. Before Brynn’s arrival, I would’ve filed the chances of that ever happening underNo Fucking Way.
Julia likes her too. Brynn has a natural ability to make people happy. She’s likable, she relates to people on their level. She’s not the ice queen I thought she was. She’s still hot, but she’s definitely not a robot.
Brynn’s with Julia now, helping her execute the plan to make the Fourth of July parade a big deal. This afternoon I have my meeting with Candace, the person in charge of taking the empty space on Main and making it into an art gallery. She’s coming to my house to see my work, and I’ve been trying to set up everything the way I want her to see it. When Brynn left this morning, she suggested the big windows in my detached garage might make for good lighting, and when I looked out there, I saw what she meant. Big windows run down both sides of the walls, making for a bright space. I spent most of the morning cleaning up the room, and I’ve just finished moving in all the paintings.
It’s warm today, despite the heat wave breaking, and my sweat has soaked through my shirt. The garage door is open while I arrange everything. Old country music filters through my work area. My mom has a thing for Patsy Cline, and although I refuse to admit it out loud, so do I. “Crazy” plays loudly from my open laptop as I stand back and survey the painting I hung a moment ago.
Hands snake around my waist, startling me, but the feeling goes away quickly. “That was fast,” I say, turning around to kiss Brynn.
But it’s not Brynn.
“What the hell?” I shout into Desiree’s face. Everything in her expression looks smug. The set of her mouth, the shine in her eyes, the rise of her cheekbones.
“Surprise,” she says, her voice seductive. There was a time when that voice could melt me, but that time is long gone. And dead.
Her arms tighten, as though she’s going to pull me closer. I put my hands around hers and push them off my hips, taking a step back. “What do you want?”
She pouts. “You’re not happy to see me?”
I say nothing. There is no part of me that wants this person to be here.
“Aw, come on, Connor.” She steps closer and traces her fingertips over my stomach. “Do you like my hair? I grew it out, just like you wanted me to.”
“I think you need to find a dictionary and look up what the termbroken upmeans.” I swat her hand away. I’m curious to know why she’s back, but I don’t want to ask. More than anything, I’d like to know when she’s leaving again. Maybe I can buy her a one-way ticket.
“Don’t be mad at me, Connor. I’ve missed you.” She blinks up at me, trying her best to look innocent. “Maybe I can make it up to you?”
Behind Desiree, a car pulls into my driveway.Shit.
Julia and Brynn peer through the windshield, the same confused look on their faces. Julia knows Candace, so she knows this isn’t her. She says something to Brynn, and Brynn nods slowly. Desiree turns around, glaring at the car, and then the worst thing happens. Julia starts to back out.
Hurrying around Desiree, I jog out to where the car was parked and wave my arms. “Stop,” I say, but Julia ignores me, and Brynn? She smiles.She fucking smiles. It’s a disappointed, reluctant grin, and I hear the words hidden underneath.Be open to Desiree. It’s okay. This was temporary, right?
The car moves farther down the street, then turns and disappears.
“Fuck,” I yell, my hands fisted at my sides. “You.” I point at the she-devil still standing in my garage. “Leave. Now.”
Desiree stalks out in her tall heels and tight skirt. Her dumb clothes only make me want Brynn’s snarky T-shirts more. She stops when she gets close to me. “If she wanted you, she would’ve stayed to fight for you. Keep that in mind.”
“Fuck off, Desiree. Don’t come back here.”
She strides down the driveway and to her car, pausing at her open car door. “Ball’s in your court. You know where to find me.”
Hurrying inside, I grab my phone and call Brynn. It goes to voicemail. No surprise there. Candace will be here soon, so I can’t go after her, but the second Candace is gone, I’m out of here like my ass is on fire. Brynn doesn’t need any more nudging in the direction of that beach in South America, and Desiree may have just given her the shove she needed to skip town.
* * *
There aren’t toomany places she could be. She doesn’t have a car. I’ve already tried her house. Wherever she is has to be within walking distance, unless Julia took her somewhere. Anthony could help me figure that out, but I’d rather not bring him into my drama.
“Come on, Brynn,” I mutter, circling the same route for what feels like the hundredth time. She’s not downtown, that I can tell. I parked and walked all through the busiest areas, looking for her. I went into the places I know she likes to eat, I walked through the grocery store, I checked the library. Nothing. That leaves me with one more choice.
I slow to a stop and get out. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t my last option.
I climb the steps and knock on the door, remembering what Brynn said about how he watches everything from his front window. If that’s true, it means he has noticed each passing of my truck, and he knows I’m here right now.
Finally, he answers the door. “What do you want?” he growls. Any progress I made with him last weekend is gone, but that tells me Brynn is here now, or was here at some point.
“Is Brynn here?”
