Page 40 of Give & Take

“I can shift our operating hours so I’d be available to come up to the cabin every weekend.”

“That’s not necessary,” I say, my desire to be unbitchy rapidly diminishing. Especially since I realize I’m holding my work keys. “Dammit,” I curse under my breath, digging into my purse for the right set.

Then, because Daniel still hasn’t moved, I say, “You don’t need to wait for me to go inside, Daniel. I’m fine.”

Another scuffle comes from the darkness, one that has me furrowing my brow. Raccoons don’t attack, as far as I know. Though that could be a small mercy at this point.

Finally I find the other set of keys. “Daniel,” I say, now ready to unceremoniously tell him to get the hell off my porch.

He’s staring into the darkness, looking concerned. But at his name, he smiles, completely fucking oblivious. “Lana. You know what I’ve been thinking all night?” He doesn’t wait for me to say anything, which is good, because it would be ‘No, and I don’t care.’

“I’ve been thinking that”—he lowers his voice—“you’re a very attractive woman.” His eyes are half-lidded in the dark I’ve now adjusted to. “In fact, you lookspectacular, for your age.”

But before I can issue a much-earnedFuck off,a voice booms from the darkness.

“Okay that’s it.”

Both Daniel and I jump. I’m so startled I make a kind of goose-like squawk, stumbling back against my front door.

My heart thuds as a tall, shadowy figure appears between us, even though I know exactly who it is. My heart rushes with heat knowing who it is. It’s Raphael. And he lookslivid.

“For her age?” Raphael asks, his voice a hard line of barely restrained anger.

Daniel rears back, looking ready to bolt.

For a moment, I’m so stunned, I can’t speak. Then my shock flips to irritation. Or maybe the irritation’s bleeding over from Daniel to Raphael. “Were you…waiting up for me?” I ask Raphael. I squash down the bubble of pleasure that tries to rise up knowing he was.

“Yes,” Raphael says. “And I’m glad I did. Who the fucksaysthat?”

That last part’s directed to Daniel. I can tell because Raphael’s up in his space.

I grit my teeth. I’ve got the right key in my hand now, but drop it back into my bag, because of course the unlocked door opens easily. I reach inside to flick the porch light on.

That’s why it was off. Raphael had planned this ambush.

Angry heat flares inside of me that he felt the need to interfere like this. It grows hotter because I know that like everything when it comes to Raphael, a part of me thrills over his anger at Daniel.

In the light, Daniel looks completely bewildered. And slightly terrified. “Lana? Whois this?”

“You said she looks good for herage,”Raphael says, before I can answer. “I’m curious. How old are you?”

I place my palms on my forehead, gathering strength. “Raphael, please.”

“No, seriously. He’s what, fifty? Sixty? I honestly can’t tell.” He leans down into Daniel’s face. “You look like shitfor your age.”

My hands come down over my mouth. “Raphael!” I exclaim through my fingers.

Daniel’s expression turns stormy. “Listen, pal, I?—”

“No, you listen,” Raphael says. “Pal.” He takes a step forward so they’re toe to toe. Daniel’s thicker than Raphael. But Raphael is so tall he towers over him.

Daniel backs up. He better be careful or he’s going to go down the stairs. Theoretically, I know that would be a bad thing.

Raphael steps forward. “Lana looks goodperiod,” Raphael says. “She looks good now, just like she looked good ten years ago. Like she will decades from now. She looks good because she’s a decent human being who values other humans for more than how they present themselves to you.”

“I—I know that.”

“Do you? Because in one sentence, you showed yourself to be a shallow man with no appreciation of real beauty. It’s sick, frankly.”

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