"Hey, you okay?" Concern once again deepened Rudy's voice. He leaned over her but remained tense. As though wary to get too close in case she decided to swing her pillow again.
"I'm fine. Just exhausted." Her eyelids suddenly felt too heavy to hold open.
He grinned at her, flashing perfect white teeth.
Nice smile.
Even her voice sounded dreamy in her head. Was she about to pass out on him again? That would be twice in one day. Okay, she wasn't going to pass out, but she felt like she could fall asleep any second, and it was a little disconcerting to have him leaning over her, watching her as she did so.
"Do you need me to help get your pillow under your head?"
Her eyes fluttered closed, but she forced them back open. "Yes, please." Her voice was little more than a whisper.
Her eyes drifted closed again as his strong arms wrapped around her. She caught a scent of his cologne—a perfect mix of woodsy, smoky, and spicy. Warm. His scent made her feel warm and comfortable. Or maybe that was because he adjusted her blankets too.
Smells nice.
A chuckle sounded near her ear. "Thank you."
Frack! I did it again.
She should be embarrassed, but she was just too tired to care. She couldn't even find the energy to vocalize the groan that wanted out.
"I'm glad you're okay." His husky words stirred the hair by her ear, sending a little tingle of awareness through her that quickly fizzled into exhaustion.
CHAPTER3
The young waitress who looked like she was still in high school laid the check on the table and smiled at Scott. "I'll be your cashier when you're ready."
Eden snatched up the check before Scott could reach for it, startling the girl. "It's my treat tonight." And because she reached for her purse right away, the waitress waited for her to hand over her credit card.
Across the table, Kennedy dropped her napkin on her plate. "Thanks for dinner, Eden."
Scott grunted something that could have been, "Thanks," or something else entirely.
"You're welcome. It's the least I can do for letting me crash at your place all week." She'd like to tell them she'd be leaving soon, but that wasn't the case. She wasn't ready to return to her empty apartment in Spokane yet. And she hadn't found a new job, so she didn't have plans to leave Providence anytime soon.
Now there's something I thought I'd never say.
Scott gave another indiscernible grunt, and Kennedy waved a hand in dismissal. "It's been fun. Kind of like old times, huh?"
It had been like old times. They'd stayed up late every night watching all their favorite romantic comedies and talking for hours. Kennedy cooked, and Eden pretended to help since she wasn't all that skilled in the kitchen, despite Helen's attempts to teach her how to cook when she was a teenager.
But things had changed too. Scott was always there, quiet and brooding. Kennedy kept calling him the strong silent type, but Eden couldn't see him as anything other than grumpy.
And having to walk through his and Kennedy's bedroom to get to the bathroom was awkward with a capital A. With no lock on the bathroom door, it had taken less than twenty-four hours for Scott to walk in on her. Fortunately, she was ready to walk out, but it still made things uncomfortable. Judging by Scott's surliness he thought so too.
The young waitress fiddled with the hem of her apron and chewed on her bottom lip as she returned to the table. She gave Eden an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but your card was declined."
Eden's eyes widened, and her head jerked back. "What? That's not possible."
Her credit card had never been declined, and she'd used it a lot! Had she maxed it out with her frequent shopping sprees over the last six months?
Scott leaned forward and reached into his back pocket, but she held up her hand. "No, I promised it was my treat, and I meant it."
Heat filled her face as she fished out her debit card and handed it to the waitress with a tight grin.
Half afraid her debit card might be declined as well, she fiddled with her napkin, unable to make eye contact with Scott and Kennedy. She'd never been so embarrassed and confused in her life. Why on earth had her card been declined?
