He straightened and ran the back of his hand across his forehead. “Now I need a shower.”
His hair was a little longer than when I moved out, but he’d gotten it trimmed recently. I clenched my hands together so I wouldn’t walk right over and run my fingers through his damp strands.
“I’ll put the pasta on. Relax and warm up.” I had to retreat to the kitchen. Seeing him in my living room flipped my heart all the way around. Couldn’t I even make it through a month? I was no longer dependent on his help to keep a roof over my head, and I should be euphoric about that. But all that resonated inside me was loss.
After I got the pasta going, he wandered to the kitchen table. “Did everything come from Jasper?”
“Most of it. I thrifted the table, and I have my eye on a nice living room set at Haven Furnishings, but I’m going to wait until after the holidays.”
He tapped the surface of the table. “It’s nice.”
The kitchen was so much smaller when he was in it, and I didn’t mind.
“Where’s your office?” he asked.
“Right where you’re standing, but I put it away.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Then it’s a real day off.” One full of winter eye candy. “Sit. You’ve been working. How’s your back? Your knee?”
“As long as I don’t slip and fall, they’ll be okay. I messaged Linda and asked if she wanted me to clear out the driveway at the house.”
At our house. A weight plopped right on my chest. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. How nice would it have been to ride out a snowstorm with Van?
I flashed back to the Vegas hotel room, getting told my fiancé ran off with another woman he’d just met. The hurt. The embarrassment.
How easy it was to forget that Van witnessed it.
I might’ve told Elijah off, but it was in a your brother took care of me when you wouldn’t way. Wasn’t exactly empowering—unless I was Van.
I had given up everything when Elijah asked me to. I couldn’t do it again.
“Something wrong?” His deep voice cleared the cloud of my thoughts, and I blinked.
I was watching water boil. “Oh, no. Just thinking about the weather and if I should park on the street next time.”
“It’s a toss-up.”
“How’s work going?”
“I just keep writing and rewriting my pitch.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’ve fucked it up once, and they already know the deal. I know meeting them in person is more about proving I’m serious and making sure I’m not a mess.”
“You’re the least messy person I’ve ever met.”
“Only because you met me when you did.”
He’d changed himself. So hot. “I still think you’re hard on yourself.”
“Nope. The breakup was messy.” He took the lid off the meatballs and groaned. “You’re only getting better at making these.”
I straightened my shoulders, and my boobs pushed out. “Thank you.”
When I glanced over, his gaze was on my chest. He jerked away to inspect the rest of the kitchen.
Did we really have to stop messing around?
Yes. I’d fall for him, he’d launch his business, then he’d meet someone else. Someone who was having his baby, not his brother’s.
