Thinking over the questions, she took another drink. “Honestly, I’ve never really thought about doing anything else. I grew up in Tilly’s. I loved watching my parents feed the town. They built relationships and provided more than just meals. I can’t imagine not carrying on the traditions they put so much love into.”
“Like the line dancing.”
She grinned. “Exactly. Those nights create magic.”
He linked his fingers with hers. “They sure do.”
Warmth spread down to her bare toes. “I love knowing I play a part in working that magic in the lives of others. That I’m feeding a community of hardworking people and maybe giving them something to look forward to. So no, I don’t want something different. I guess what I want is something more.”
“More than owning Tilly’s?” he asked. “I don’t think there’s enough hours in the day.”
“Not that.” She scrunched her nose, preparing to unload the burden she’d trapped inside her heart for so many years. Becca was the only one she’d ever discussed her dreams with, but no man had ever cared enough to ask. “I wish I had more outside of work.”
He frowned. “And you don’t think you can?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t been able to so far. I go in early. I get home late. The men I’ve come across don’t like playing second fiddle to my job.”
“Maybe you just haven’t met the right man. As far as I’m concerned, a hardworking woman is worth her weight in gold.”
As much as she appreciated the sentiment, sweet words were easy to say at the beginning of a relationship. When things were shiny and new. It didn’t take long for the shine to fade and long hours to get old.
A familiar sadness crushed her lungs. “Maybe it’s not finding the right man. Maybe it’s my fault. Either way, as the years tick by, so do my hopes of getting everything I want.”
Reid leaned forward, as if enraptured by her voice. “And what exactly is it you want, besides the house and the land you can’t maintain?”
She may have lived in fear for her life the last few days, but it was a different kind of terror that seized her vocal cords. But if she wanted Reid to open up to her, she had to do the same. “A husband. Children. A family. Someone to pass down my legacyto like my parents did to me. I mean, isn’t that what everyone wants?”
Chapter 21
Sweat dotted the space between Reid’s shoulder blades, and he rubbed the back of his neck. Eve’s wide, earnest eyes bored into his, waiting for a response. He’d gotten so caught up in the fantasy of being with Eve, he hadn’t stopped to think about what she’d expect from a future together.
Continue a legacy?
Hell no, he didn’t want to pass on his family’s legacy to children. He’d run as fast and as far as he could to make sure that legacy didn’t stick with him—drown him in a sea of addiction and bad choices.
He needed some space. Some distance. Some air to breathe that wasn’t clouded with his intense feelings for Eve. Standing, he grabbed his plate and cup then forced a tight smile. “That sounds nice, and I’m sure if it’s what you really want, you’ll find a way to get it.”
Her face fell, but he couldn’t let her disappointment stop him from escaping this conversation faster than a striking rattlesnake. He rushed into the kitchen, tossed his paper plate in the trash can and shot back the rest of his wine in one big gulp. The bitter liquid burned his throat and he winced.
He shoved the empty cup aside and gripped the edge of the counter. Inhaling deep breaths through his nose, he struggled to center himself. To smooth the rough edges of his life that had plagued him for years.
“Everything all right?” Eve asked.
Working his jaw back and forth, he spun around to face her. “Yeah. Fine. Just cleaning up.”
“That’s not what it looks like.”
“And what does it look like?” He regretted the harsh snap of his words the moment he spoke.
Eve stood her ground. “Like you’re running away. Did what I said scare you?”
“Yes,” he said, tunneling his hand through his hair. “Just not in the way you think.”
She snorted. “You mean not in the ‘oh, shit, I’m scared of commitment and need out of here’ kind of way?”
Her smart-ass remark coaxed a smile. “Exactly.”
“Then what? If it’s not a fear of commitment, is it me? I mean, maybe I’ve misread what’s been happening between us, and if I did, I’m sorry. But I thought after last night…after this morning…” Her voice cracked, and she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth as if to keep her emotions from leaking out.
