“It’s fine. It just sucks. I need that job.” She shrugs before turning away.
“Wait, should I call a towing service for you?” I offer, already reaching out to grab her wrist to keep her from walking away. But then I remember her reaction when Nash did the same at the restaurant, so I let my hand fall back to my side.
“What?” She freezes, eyes wide with fear, when her gaze finds mine again. “Please don’t do that. I live in there. I’m going to ask Tally if it’s okay to stay in her parking lot for a while.”
I lean over to investigate the side windows of the van, but some curtains obscure my view inside. “You live in a van?”
“That’s so cool,” Lio whispers, looking up at her with stars in his eyes, and I stroke his hair affectionately.
I hope my infatuation isn’t as obvious as his.
“Not as cool as you think, buddy.” She smiles sadly. “It’s falling apart under my a… under me, and I don’t have the parts or the money to fix it.” She looks even more defeated if this is possible. “Whatever. I guess my plans for today just changed, so I’ll go talk to Tally about staying here. See you around.”
“What were your plans? Can we drive you anywhere?” I ask, hopeful to have her spend more time with us. “My truck is on the other side of the road.”
“No thanks, I was just about to look around in the next town for a job. But I couldn’t drive over there every day to work with the van like that anyway. There’s not enough coolant, and the hose could burst again at any time. I’ll just have to find something here or stay for longer. We’ll see. But thank you.” She gives me a forced smile before turning and leaving in the direction of Tally’s café.
I’m left with an inexplicable tug in my chest.
How she’s handling her tough situation?
Her resilience captivates me.
I feel a pull, a curiosity that’s more than just a passing interest. I can’t quite shake it off. And dammit, I’m not sure I want to.
Turning back to Lio, who’s still looking in the direction Sloan left with stars in his eyes, I can’t help but chuckle. “She’s something, isn’t she?” I say more to myself than to him.
The thought of confronting North about her job interview settles heavily in my mind. The idea that my own brother would dismiss someone so capable—out of what? Prejudice? It doesn’t sit right. It stirs a protective feeling in me, not just for Sloan but for the principle of the matter. I’ll have words with North later, all right. No one gets to decide who is worthy based on outdated ideals, especially not in my family’s business.
If she’s looking for work, I find myself hoping she’ll stick around so I can... what? Get to know her? Offer her a job? Or maybe just to see that determined spark in her eyes again.
I don’t know what it is about her, but she’s gotten under my skin.
SEVENTEEN
The doorto my office swings open, and I let out an agitated sigh.
Really?
I just shooed Stephanie out of here a few minutes ago. Lately, she uses every opportunity to bother me, and it seems like I can’t get anything done anymore.
Isn’t a secretary supposed to make my life easier, not harder?
“I told you, I don’t have the time—” I start before looking up.
“We need to talk,” Hunter nearly growls out, and my eyes snap up to his. He’s standing in the office’s entrance, already closing the door behind him, while Lio comes in and climbs up on the brown leather couch that stands against the wall opposite me. He coughs a few times and pants a little before pushing some of his golden hair away from his face.
The color that haunts my dreams.
His hair is the same color as his mom’s long strands.
Her hair was so beautiful and soft.
Just like all of her.
Every time I see him, I’m reminded of her. Every time I look at him, I see her, smiling, so full of life. I picture her hair flyingin the wind as she runs barefoot in a summer dress along the beach at low tide. I remember how I used to let my fingers glide through her hair while she lay on my chest, the morning light filtering through the curtains.
But these happy memories always lead me down a path I don’t want to take. I think about how everything changed. How the day my life changed, I changed hers as well. How her smile turned into a frown, replaced by tears whenever we spoke—tears of anger and sadness. And how there was no smile left on her face but disappointment and hurt, and they were always directed at me. Until even that slips from her face when the vision morphs into her relaxed features underwater, like in sleep, a sleep she’d never have to wake up from, never open her eyes again to look at me, in hurt or with love.
