“You, my darling girl, need to mind your own business.And let me clean my bathroom!”
“Steve said he was coming back,” she said, her expression so earnest and lovely that I wanted to hold her, to keep her safe from the disappointments I’d suffered.“He said that he needed to work through some things, but that he’d come back.Mama, Steve’s always kept his promises to us.Believe in that.”
No, he hadn’t.He’d told me that he wanted more than one night when we slept together over a year ago.I wasn’t falling for any more lies.In fact, I might well eschew men—outside my darling sons and grandsons—and spend more time with my horses.They never broke their word, and they were always there for me.
Kate stared at me, her face expectant.I sighed.
“Well, he’s not here and my shower will mildew if I don’t give that a good cleaning along with the toilet.”
Kate clucked.“Mama.I know you’re hurting.”
I was.My arm ached something fierce, but it was my heart that was too battered to recover.I was so, so done with romance.
A knock sounded on the door before I made another attempt to get to my dirty bathroom.
“Are you expecting anyone?”I asked Kate, hating the trill of worry that sizzled over my nerve endings.
I inhaled sharply and blew out a breath, trying to push the fear aside.I was safe.I was fine, and I would remain so.
Kate shook her head, then headed toward the kitchen where there was a screen with the camera feed of my front door.
“Have fun, Mama,” Kate yelled.My mouth fell open when I heard her leave out the back.
“What on earth…”
Another knock.Clearly, the person there was someone Kate knew well.There was no other way she would have left me.I slunk toward the door.When I opened it, I gasped.My heart thundered against my ribs.
“Steve?”
He scowled so hard, the skin around the furrows in his brows turned white.“How’s your arm?”
“Healing.”My mind spun out as I tried to process him, being here, now.I’djustconvinced myself he would not visit me again.Yet, there he stood.I blinked, unsure if I should believe my eyes.Steve remained.He was broad, solid…nervously tapping something that crinkled behind his back.
“I’ve worried about you,” he said, his deep voice vibrating inside my chest and making my nipples stand at attention.I was well past the time of crazy hormones and lovesickness.But damn if this man didn’t return me to school-girl sighs and giddiness—as well as achy lady bits.
The last revelation ticked me off, and I scowled back.“Then why did it take you almost afull weekto stop back by?”
His long-suffering sigh fluttered my hair.“Because I had to lay my demons to rest.”He studied me for a long moment, cataloguing my features and, no doubt, the stubborn twist to my lips.“You didn’t read my note.I told you in there that I needed to accept my past if I was going to give my full focus to my future.”
Oh, well.That I could understand.A trickle of hope slipped through my bloodstream, causing tiny bursts of fireworks throughout my body.“Did you?”
“I think so.”Then, he said, his tone firm, “Yes.”
I smiled, relaxing a little now that we’d worked that out.Kate was right; I should have read that note.Instead, I’d cried once I’d realized Steve was goneagain.
“Well, good.I’m glad to hear that.”
Steve swallowed, and I watched the firm line of his throat, noting the broadness of his shoulders, the firm jut of his chin.He was such a good-looking man.I wished…
“Jasmine?”
He’d leaned in toward me, and I’d mirrored his action so that we were mere inches from the other.“Yes?”
“I’d like to take you out, please.”He shuffled his feet, which brought him close enough to feel the body heat emanating from him.“That is, if you’d let me.”
I straightened my spine so hard that something popped between my shoulder blades.“I’ve given up datingandmen.”
“I don’t blame you after the experiences you’ve had.But I’d still like to take you out.”
