Page 57 of Rocky Mountain Desire
She turned her back, tossing the words over her shoulder. “I’m not continuing this discussion. I’m going to bed.”
“Well, fuck you too.”
Yup. Sweet, sisterly love was alive and well.
Hope used the bathroom then retreated into her bedroom, locking the door. She didn’t think Helen was crazy enough to do something stupid during the night, but the extra barrier between them was symbolic if nothing else.
She lay back and stared at the ceiling. How much of that conversation would she regret in the morning? She replayed it a few times, but actually couldn’t think of anything she’d change.
No name-calling, on her part. Nothing but the facts, if a little emotionally presented, but damn it, that should be expected. Hope grabbed her cell phone and stared for a second before punching Matt’s number.
“Hey. What’s up? You okay?” His deep gravelly voice was reassuring. Solid.
“Just needed to hear a friendly voice before I turn out the light.”
“That bad, eh?”
Hope sighed. “Not as bad as it could have been, but considering I had a totally different plan in mind for tonight—yeah, it was bad enough.”
Matt coughed lightly. “You had to go and remind me about our plans, didn’t you?”
“As if you’d forgotten.”
“Actually, I was sitting here worrying about you, darling, not thinking about how sexy you’d look laid out naked on my bed, but now that you’ve reminded me…”
He did this growly thing into the phone that would have knocked her knees out from under her if she’d been standing. “Thanks for worrying. It’s still not finished, the thing with Helen, but I told her she had until the morning to get out.”
Matt paused. “I meant it. If you need help, call. And if you’re worried about me being upset having to deal with her, don’t be. I’m over it. I’m over her. It’s you I care about.”
The tension of the evening was going to have her in tears if he kept that up. “Thanks. Really.”
“Now, can I offer to bring supper over tomorrow night, or are you gonna be teaching the monkeys more sewing skills?”
The smile stretching her face felt good after all the forced emotionlessness of the past half hour. “You’re never going to let me forget that comment are you? Please don’t say anything to Clay.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. Well, not true. I’ll dream about taunting him but I wouldn’t actually do that to you.”
And he wouldn’t. She knew it. “Supper sounds great. I’ll be ready to kick back and relax.”
“I can help with that relaxing bit.”
She bet he could. “Night, Matt.”
There was an ache inside from having to deal with Helen instead of spending the night romping with Matt, but maybe this was for the best. She’d known at some point Helen was bound to show up. Maybe getting her out of the way now instead of later would be a good thing.
By breakfast the next morning, though, it was clear that Helen wasn’t going to take the high road. The fact she’d come to the table in her nightgown was the first sign Hope’s request for her to leave immediately wasn’t about to be honoured.
Then the begging started. “Just let me stay for a few more days. I can’t afford a hotel right now.”
Hope shook her head. “You’ve got friends in the area. You can crash with one of them. Tawny still lives in town.”
“I can’t just drop in on her unannounced. That would be rude.”
My God. Can’t muck up a friend’s life, but you can do it to me?“You can’t stay here.”
“Why, because Matt is going to be over?”
Hope poured the last of the coffee into her cup before turning slowly to face her sister. “Partly. This is my place. I told you what I expected.”
