Page 10 of Safe With Me
My head jerked back like she’d thrown a punch at me. “Hey, I–”
“You’re either here to buy something or you’re not.”
What the hell? I’d been an ass, but she’d never talked to me with that cold, snippy tone before. But fuck, I had gone way over the line with her. Didn’t blame her for being mad.
I slapped a hand against my thigh and gave her a sweet smile. “Need a new pair of gloves.”
“Inside.” She waved a hand toward the door. “Daddy can wait on you. Or Elizabeth.”
Her voice held a note of some weird, dark amusement. It was ugly, when she had the prettiest voice I’d ever heard, and that tone in her voice? Man, that made my chest hurt.
She turned away from me, back to the shelves. “Get what you’re going to get and leave me alone.”
I swallowed. Damn, my throat hurt. Maybe I was coming down with something. “Hannah, listen–”
The look she gave me stopped my voice dead in my sore throat. “Leave me alone.”
Her careful enunciation told me she wasn’t hearing me any more than Jase claimed Elizabeth did him. I’d try again later. Daddy hadn’t raised a quitter, but I knew when to cut bait.
I’d give her some space and time to cool off, and then she’d hear me out. Probably by Saturday night when we all went out. I’d buy her a beer. “See you this weekend.”
No response.
My stomach heavy, not from too many chips and tamales, but because I wasshit, I headed into the store.
Mr. Ted was nowhere in sight, but Elizabeth was deeply invested in destroying that little section she’d worked so hard to create. I kinda expected her to be a mess, crying and snot and all, but instead she lookedpissed. She still had Jase’s ring on her finger, the diamond he’d stressed over saving up for flashingunder the lights while she tossed clothes from pillar to porch post.
“Hey.” I approached with the same caution I’d walk through the woods after a wounded deer.
“Hey.” She gave a huge sniff, tearing up as she looked at me. Maybe she was upset after all. I got it – when I was sad, sometimes the sorrow came out as anger. When Mama died, I fucking destroyed the tool barn.
Then had to pick up every single tool.
“I guess you heard.” She twisted a fancy scarf around her hand and tossed it down. I glanced at the wrinkled silk. Weren’t those expensive? Shit was strung everywhere – scarves, blouses, sweaters, jeans, socks. She’d have a hell of a time cleaning this up.
“Yeah.” I scraped a hand over the back of my neck. “Just had lunch with Jase. I’m sorry.”
She spun to look at me. Eagerness vibrated off her whole body, her eyes gleaming. “Tell me you talked some sense into him.”
“Uh . . .” I swallowed. Aw, hell, this was awkward. I really hadn’t thought through walking on into the store, but I hadn’t wanted to make Hannah any madder at me by hanging around outside where I wasn’t wanted. “He’s pretty set on this.”
Her mouth wobbled, bottom lip quivering, and her tears spilled over. Fuck me, the tears made her eyes bluer. She cried like a movie star, unlike Hannah, who ended up with swollen eyes and a blotchy face after we watched some sappy romance movie at Sara and Trace’s on a Saturday night and she blubbered all the way through it. She was cute as hell, weeping over some city guy who found his soulmate in a small town. Red splotchy cheeks and all.
“Tate, please.” Elizabeth stepped closer, palms pressed to my chest. “I love him, and the wedding is only four months away. I need you to talk him out of this–”
Light floral perfume filled my nose, and she was touching my chest. I couldn’t really process that Elizabeth was touching me. How did I feel about that?
“Elizabeth, y’all need to work this out together–.”
She flexed her fingers, blinking, and more tears sparkled on her lashes. Were those things real or fake? Kinda hard to tell, but they were really long and really black. Hannah had long lashes, but without mascara, hers were a dark caramel to match the deeper tones in her hair.
Elizabeth circled her fingertips on my pecs. “Please.”
Uncomfortable. Having her hands on me made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like it at all. Her touching me was all wrong.
“Listen, I only came in here for some gloves.”
Mouth thinned to a tight line, she dug her pointed pink nails into my shirt. “Then talk to Hannah.”
