Mitzi bit her lip and looked guiltily at him. What was that about?
A truck door slammed, and then the big garage door lifted—there was no automatic garage door opener on this old house. The garage flooded with frigid air, and his muscles tightened in response.
The man from the street, the one who’d said he had a thing going with Billy’s mom, stood there. “What’s going on?”
Forest’s stomach sank. He’d forgotten about this guy. Mitzi hadn’t said a word about her boyfriend and … shoot. Here he was making dinner for another man’s girlfriend. Or almost girlfriend. Maybe they weren’t completely serious, but that didn’t mean he could step in and act like he belonged. He had more respect for Mitzi than to mess things up for her.
“I hired Mitzi to fix my sleigh,” he offered by way of explanation. Then he lifted his broken arm as further explanation. He had a feeling that explaining any more would make him look guilty.
Man, did he feel guilty. He’d told Mitzi she was beautiful today.
“I think that’ll do for tonight.” He backed up, heading to his truck. “If you don’t mind starting on that side panel, I’ll ask my brother what else he recommends.”
Mitzi held up a hand, like she wanted to stop him from leaving. Before he could change his mind, Forest turned around and marched off. It wasn’t until he was halfway to the B&B that he realized he’d left dinner on the stove. Oh well, Mitzi could feed it to her man.
His mood soured as he pictured the three of them sitting around the table, laughing and enjoying chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes. A sense that it should be him in that place had him shaking his head at himself. “I’m going home. To North Dakota! She liveshere. In Idaho!” He spoke to the steering wheel. “It doesn’t make sense to picture us together. We live states apart.”
He shoved away his jealousy and turned in to the Belly-Up Café, needing something to fill the hole inside of him. Might as well be greasy fries and a burger. He should just feel good that he was able to help Mitzi without offending her.
He should. But he still wished he was the one sitting at the table tonight.
Chapter Fourteen
“What are you doing here, Ely?” Mitzi put her hand on her hip and glared. She’d already turned him down for lunch today. How many times did she have to tell himnobefore he understood that the answer would always beno?
“I had a feeling I should come out and check on you. Looks like it was a good thing too. That guy is trouble.” He jerked his head to where Forest’s taillights were slowly disappearing down the lane.
Mitzi sighed the sigh of a woman who had had enough but was calling upon the good Lord to fill her with patience. “Forest is an old friend. We knew each other when we were kids. He’s a good man.”
Ely blanched. “No kidding?”
“No kidding,” she parroted. Hopefully, that would dispel any rumors Ely thought to start. The man was worse than the monthly book club who made it their business to know all the business in town.
“Does he know we—you know?” He lowered his chin as if they shared a secret.
“We don’t, Ely.”
His lip lifted in a sneer. “We don’t?”
Why did she feel like they were talking in circles? She was out of patience and apparently God wasn’t going to give her anymore tonight. “Listen, Ely. I appreciate your help when we were moving in. It was really nice of you to move boxes and things. But that doesn’t mean that you and I are together.”
“We have an understanding—”
She threw up her hands. “Not from my side.”
His mouth went slack.
“Listen, you’re a nice guy. Really. And one day, you’re going to make a woman very happy. But I’m not that woman. Okay?”
He continued to stare at her as if she were speaking Japanese.
“I need you to understand this, Ely. We are not a couple. We aren’t going to be a couple. There is nothing linking the two of us together.” She drew a breath, hating how harsh she sounded. She wasn’t a mean person, but he’d pushed her too far for too long. It wasn’t healthy for him to entertain thoughts of them together when there was no chance of it happening. Not to mention he could be missing out on someone better suited for him. She should say that. “Ely, you need to look for someone else. I’m not interested in you.”
He grunted. “Way to kick a guy when he’s down.”
She cringed. She really wasn’t a mean person. “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings. I truly believe there’s someone out there for you.”
He jerked so he wasn’t looking directly at her. “Yeah, sure. Like someone who isn’t as high-stepping as you?”
