“I guess I did.”
His gaze caught hers and held, making her insides do an uncomfortable flip. Though they’d shared a similar conversation in his office two days before, she hadn’t defended him then. What had changed, causing her to take his side?
“I don’t need your pity,” he said.
“Good because I’m not offering any.”
She needed to stop interrogating him, but her last question slipped out before she could stop it. “Now that the competition is…well…gone, do you think you’ll get back together?”
“The divorce was final last month. It’s over.”
The certainty in his words provided no room for doubt. His regrets were harder to gauge. She knew his answer shouldn’t have mattered to her, either, but for some reason, it did.
“I’m glad you have a chance for a new start here in town.”
Aware that her words sounded as empty as the condolences mourners offered at her father’s funeral, she pushed back her chair and stood. The sooner she sent him home, the sooner she could reset her thoughts about him and reclaim a more acceptable distance.
“Your turn.”
“What do you mean?” Since she already knew the answer to that, she shot a look at the front door, wishing for escape.
“I showed you mine, so…you know. Fair is fair.” He smiled for the first time since she’d asked him to stay for tea.
“I never agreed to spill my guts.”
“But you did say you have lousy taste in men. That begs for examples. Thought you were all about tearing off bandages. Just one quick rip…”
What he didn’t know was that the tear would probably come with a chunk of hair and probably some skin. He waved her back to her seat.
“Come on. It doesn’t hurt.”
“Speak for yourself.” She settled into the chair, reopening the laptop to have something to do with her hands. “My relationship history was an even bigger cliché than your divorce.”
“I wouldn’t think there was anything unoriginal about you.”
“I was the rebellious daughter of an overprotective dad, so I claimed my independence by trying to destroy my life.”
“Wait. I might have heard this one.”
She crossed her arms. “Do you want me to tell it or not?”
“Sorry.” He moved his hand in a circular motion for her to continue.
“Tyler Lawton was just one photo in my slideshow of losers, but he was a standout.”
“It’s always good to go for the best.”
As much as she wanted to be annoyed with him, her lips betrayed her by curving. He was trying to make this easier on her, and she couldn’t help but be grateful.
“We took off on an adventure to Indiana, planning to build a life on fairy tales and convenience-store hot dogs. And then I got pregnant.”
Instead of speaking, he crossed his arms, his jaw clenched, as though already furious over what she was about to tell him. She wasn’t sure what to make of that.
“At first, Tyler was almost on board with the kid idea. But when we received the news at the women’s clinic that we were having twins, it must have been too much for him. When I woke up the next morning in the crappy little motor lodge where we’d been living, he was gone.”
“What an asshole,” he said through clenched teeth.
“He left a note that said he had someone else. More than one, in fact.”
