Page 108 of Hometown Girl

“I like you,” he said. “I’m not embarrassed by that.”

She looked away but couldn’t hide her smile. He pulled her to him and held her for a long moment, then kissed her again. “I’ve got some work to do outside.”

Her heart sank. Disappointed to leave him and, more importantly, disappointed that he didn’t want to tell her whatever he’d planned to say before Molly had barged in.

She wouldn’t push him. “See you tomorrow?”

“You know where to find me.”

As she drove home, mind spinning, lips tingling from his kisses, Beth replayed the entire day in her head. Her cheeks flushed with something she could only describe as passion—she was anxious to see him again.

She’d done her best to strengthen her resolve around Drew Barlow, but her resolve had failed her in every possible way.

That night, she fell asleep well after midnight, praying she could relive their first kiss over and over in her dreams.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

What had he done?

Drew closed the door behind Beth, wishing he could pull her back inside and tell her everything. Every moment he stayed quiet only put more distance between them. He knew it, so why hadn’t he just explained everything?

He had much more to lose than he’d thought he did.

Birdie had seen it—why hadn’t he?

“When are you going to tell her how you feel?” She’d dotted her paintbrush on the canvas in front of her.

“About what?”

She’d tossed the brush into the jar of paint water and glared at him over the top of those reading glasses she wore. “Don’t play dumb with me.”

“She’s my boss.”

“And?”

“I don’t have feelings for her. I respect her, but that’s all.”

“You’re either lying to yourself or lying to me or both.” Birdie had shaken her head, tsk-tsking him as she did. “I just hope you wake up before it’s too late. That girl won’t be around forever.”

Maybe he’d been chewing on the whole idea a little more than he should’ve been. As it was, Beth was just about the only good thing he had in his life. He watched her sometimes, amused by her stubbornness. The woman would try the same thing ten times and never ask for help. Usually, he’d wait for her to leave and then fix whatever it was she’d been trying to do without a word.

One of these days, maybe she’d get used to needing someone else, but so far that hadn’t happened. It was one of the things he liked about her.

One of many things.

Seeing her all fired up today—it set something off inside him. He’d gotten under her skin, and he loved that he had.

He more than liked her.

He spent the rest of the day working monotonous chores and trying to forget, but his mind wouldn’t let him.

Finally, after a full evening of not forgetting, he dropped onto the couch with a heavy sigh. Now that Molly knew there had been a witness to Jess’s kidnapping, it was only a matter of time until they found out it was Drew. Beth deserved to hear it from him, not from some retired detective who’d worked the case two decades ago. That knowledge, coupled with the memory of the way her body felt in his arms, kept him staring at the ceiling throughout the night.

He’d missed her as soon as she’d walked out the door, and he hated himself for it. Hated that, after everything, he was still a coward.

Morning came too early and he awoke, certain he’d been dreaming again. He lay still for a few long moments as his mind tried to recall the faintest detail—anything that might give him insight into what had happened in the barn that day. But, like a misty fog hugging the morning, it dissipated as soon as he realized he was awake.

His cell phone buzzed on the table beside him. The clock read seven, and the caller ID readBeth.

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