Page 30 of Trust

“And the news made you sit in your truck for ten minutes in deep meditation?” She eliminated the space that separated them and leaned against the truck door. “I save my angst for leaky pipes, but that’s just me.”

“Did you know that everyone in town is talking about us?”

“Not surprising.” She rubbed her finger over the edge of the open window. “But considering half the population spent a month discussing my sister’s window display, it’s par for the course.”

“I’m not the guy on the train, Liv.”

Not able to stop herself, she took one of his calloused hands. “Did your trip to the hardware store produce some epiphany?”

He slid his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not interested in taking our flirtation further. I can’t handle the complications you’d park at my door. I want a peaceful life, and being around you will not make it possible. And…”

“Okay, Zane. I get it. No need to give me the full list of excuses.” Surprise and irritation colored his face, and she stepped back. “We’ll just exchange the occasional pleasantry. No need for things to get awkward.”

“That’s it? You’re just going to give in and accept it without an argument?”

Not caring for the hard bite of his tone, she crossed her arms. “I’m civilized and don’t resort to fits when things don’t work out my way.” Hearing Bella approach, she turned toward her dog and did everything she could to snuff out the famous Bennett temper that was beginning to bloom. The last thing she needed to do was give in to her baser instincts and give Zane the show he was expecting. She may have a crush on the man, but that didn’t mean her self-respect had flown the coop. If there wasn’t a mutual “hell, yeah” between them, then she wasn’t interested.

And yes, she understood how that statement flew in the face of all her previous actions, but there it was. When a man said no thank you, it was best to take him at his word. She bent down, kissed her dog’s head, and then threw Zane her best I don’t give a flying fig smile. “Take care, neighbor.”

“You don’t want to know why?”

“Not particularly.”

Zane pushed himself back into the truck and slammed the door. “Considering you’re a person who isn’t satisfied until they know every last detail, I find that hard to believe.”

Frustration, sadness, and irritation crawled up her spine, and she did everything not to let it show. The last thing she’d give the irksome man was the satisfaction of knowing how deep her disappointment ran. “When a man tells you he’s not interested, what more does one need to know?” She narrowed her eyes. “A crush can disappear as quickly as it appears. I appreciate you not stringing me along. I’ll simply set my sights elsewhere and find another candidate to share my affection with.”

“So, your feelings toward me were never that big of a deal?”

“I don’t know, Zane; you ripped the opportunity to discover what might be from my hands.”

Not wanting to drag out the conversation further, she spun around with her dog at her side and stalked toward her home. Damn man. Undoubtedly, he could walk into the most horrific mission without missing a beat. But God forbid he should face his heart.

Silently thanking the wine gods, she was glad she had a cabinet full of therapy.

It was going to take more than a minute to get over the lost opportunity, and she was grateful that she had the means to make it a tad less tragic.

NINE

Zane watched Asher load his duffle into the car and didn’t know what to do with the toxic cocktail of emotions churning in his stomach. If his brother didn’t have to put out the flames surrounding his career, he’d ask him to hang around for a couple more weeks.

And not just because putting the family homestead to rights would take more than his efforts. He needed his big brother’s brutal honesty and sage advice because, as much as he hated to admit it, he’d been teetering a lot closer to the edge than normal.

The three days that had passed since terror and old memories bounced off the interior of his truck like a bomb had not been his best.

The demons he kept regular company with had been in overdrive from the moment he’d left the hardware store, and he wished they’d take a freaking break. Not only had they torn at the little confidence he’d cobbled together about him and Olivia, but they’d made too many old failures resurface and gnaw at his bones.

The song and dance was getting old, and he needed to put the past to rest once and for all. And not just because staying at his end of Lady Bug Lane wouldn’t last much longer. Though, that was certainly a big motivator since the muscle in his chest had been relentlessly campaigning for him to hightail it to Olivia’s and offer a hundred apologies.

“Are you done chewing over the biggest mistake of your life?” Asher called out.

“Working on it,” he responded before walking down the stairs.

“Despite facts on the ground suggesting otherwise?”

“Yes!” Hearing something knock through the trees, he held his breath, hoping Bella was about to visit. When the dog didn’t appear, he let out a gust of air and knew it was probably best.

Asher pushed his sunglasses down, peering over the top of them. “I kinda want to hand you your ass but know Olivia already did a bang-up job.” He thumped the top of his car and then shook his head. “Brother, you somehow managed to trip over a woman who is kind, sexy, and can make you laugh. The only appropriate response to something like that is to wife her up, plant your ass in this small town, and hide her fanny like it’s drug money. Not torpedo your only chance at happiness.

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