“There’s a contract.” Her voice wobbled. “That’s true.” She wrung her hands together. “Things changed when we got here. When I met everyone. When we talked.”
“You never thought to tell me, in all of that, there was an agreement that involved me?” Tucker kept his tone neutral. No emotion.
Emotion could come later.
“I didn’t think you’d agree otherwise…” Kenzie glanced around to everyone in the room.
They were all stoic. The Christmas cheer drained from the air.
His family had his back. He knew this. They might’ve been digging Kenzie, but they had his back. Trust meant everything to a McKay.
His dad said nothing, rolled out of his recliner, headed for the door and grabbed his hat.
The door clicked closed behind him.
Jenny stood. “C’mon, kids. Let’s go find the snowmobiles.”
She herded her kids to the back door. Her husband, Brian, in tow.
None of them looked at Kenzie.
And Kenzie only looked at Tucker.
“Tucker, c’mon. Things changed. You know things changed.”
“I told you no. Twice.” Still neutral, he wasn’t giving her anything else. He’d already given her everything.
“I just figured once we got some time together you’d see that I need this. That it’s important—”
“So you inserted yourself here. With my family.”
“Tucker,youinvitedme. Coming here was your idea.”
Sierra and Cassidy, Brody and Cord all moved toward the back door. None of them said anything. They didn’t have to. They knew what was going down. How it was wrecking him.
His mother, however, didn’t move. She just stared at Kenzie like Kenzie had kicked her in the stomach.
Tucker could relate.
“We got here and you’re singing again,” Kenzie continued. “And things between us are good. I figured we could talk about it again later.”
“You figured that you’d get under my skin and then I’d say yes.”
Fight or flight. And he couldn’t fight with her. Not when he felt so much for her.
No, he reminded himself, not her. The woman he’d started to fall for wasn’t real. She was a persona Kenzie employed to get her way.
“Tucker…” She started to talk, but he was already heading to the door.
She kept on, “Please don’t do thi—”
He closed the door behind him. Headed for his truck.
He’d call Jessica. Have an extraction prepared for Kenzie, so he’d never have to see her again.
13
Chapter Thirteen
