“Why?” He cranes his head to look over at me, and now I feel vulnerable. That everything has to come out now because there’s no room to leave anything out.
“I had to see who I was going to be competing with.”
“Competing with,” he repeats. “Well, thankfully, I’m not that redneck.”
“Thankfully.”
Silence fills the space between us, and it’s unnerving as well as freeing. This is the first conversation we’ve had where I wasn’t pushing him away, and he was pushing me to forget everything that happened.
“You got jealous?” he mumbles, staring at the back of his seat. “I’d say that’s shocking, Miss Vesper.”
“Just like it was for you, Tad and Jonah, Mr. Wolfe.”
“Exactly like that. I was just waiting for the next asshole.”
“I thought you said you were backing off.”
“Physically,” he replies. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to keep tabs on you.”
“Sounds borderline stalker.”
“Never said I was perfect.”
“No, just crazy.”
He lifts his shoulders. “I’m in love with you, Miss Vesper. I’m not going to stand by and watch someone else break your heart.”
My own clenches at his words, and it almost sounds like he was waiting to live through it. It’s a mutual feeling I shared when I thought Lucy was an ex.
And, he still loves me.
I don’t know how or why, but this man will not give up.
“I wanted you to know there is…this one guy.” I see his jaw clench before he lifts his chin to give me his full focus. “He’s different.”
“Like he sniffs glue and wears his pants too tight, kind of different?”
“No, like he’s kind and attractive,” I vouch. “And really good?—”
“Stop,” he grinds out. “I don’t need to know this. And I definitely don’t like him already. Not that you care or that it matters, but I’m really hoping that’s not why you’re in the backseat of my truck right now.”
“Kinda.” He glowers at me. “I thought it was important to let you know.”
“I could’ve gone without it, to be honest.”
“Wouldn’t you want to hear it from the source?”
“Not really,” he replies honestly. “I would’ve gotten my information from someone in town.”
“Micah,” I mutter. “You know damn well that not everything in town is true.”
“No, but I’d figure it out. His social security number, blood type, what he’s allergic to, so I can have it planted in his food.”
“Micah—”
“I’m never going to be okay with you dating someone, okay?” His glower hardens before softening a bit. “I’m not built like that.”
“I don’t expect you to be.”
