Page 24 of V is for Valentine
“Afterit escalates.” She gave him an arch look. “The phase I’m sure we’re about to enter.”
“This leaves me in a tough spot. Either way, I lose.”
“Exactly.”
“So,” he said briskly. “The only option is to change your behavior.”
“How do you propose to do that?”
“By laying one of the neat traps that you always fall into.”
“I do not fall into traps.” Which was why she hadn’t trusted his invitation to go out.
He cleared his throat. “You’re falling into one just now.”
“I am not.”
“You aren’t ignoring my behavior.”
Felicity made a low growling noise, then set three screws in a row, enjoying ten seconds of blessed silence before Danny said, “What does Mr. Klein have against your dad?”
Safe topic. Finally. “Dad’s been best friends with Bud Pratt since they were kids, so he buys from Pratt’s Building Supply instead of Klein’s Lumber.”
“That seems petty.”
“It’s all I can come up with. They all grew up together. Maybe they hated each other as kids, and it carried over.” She shot him a look. “What would that be like?”
He lowered his drill and there was something in his expression that made her heart do an odd double beat. “Did we hate each other?”
“There may have been moments,” she replied slowly, all traces of snark gone from her voice. “You drove me absolutely nuts.”
He gave a low laugh, the sound rolling over her, warming her from the inside out. “I have no idea what that feels like.”
“Do you remember an inciting incident?”
“I do,” he said, keeping his profile to her. “You moved in next door.”
“I was four.” As was he.
“A frightening four. When I came into your yard, I think you threatened me with the three-headed dog that your dad kept in the garage.”
“I was a little territorial,” she said. “Dad said that after Stevie was born, I acted up. I guess, since she was the second little sister I’d gotten in two years, I thought the babies would keep coming, and my part of the parental pie would keep getting smaller.” She laughed a little. “Three-headed dog?”
“I remember the threat very well. Although I think you called it a fee-headed dog. Nevertheless, I got the drift. Battle lines were drawn, I was afraid of your garage for years, and here we are today.”
“The dog was in an old movie we watched.”
“Which movie? It was too early for Harry Potter and Fluffy.”
“Clash of the Titans. I watched it to see Pegasus mostly but found the dog very impressive.” She finished her last screw, then turned to Danny. “Are you sure I started this?”
“Positive.” He carted another sheet of wallboard across the room. “You don’t remember?”
“No. But I do remember you rising to the challenge.”
“Four-year-old me wasn’t going to tolerate lines drawn in the sand. Or in the sandbox, as it were.” He set the screws that held the board in place. “Every time I ran into you, you were mean.”
“And vice versa. The first day of kindergarten you and your friends teased me about…” She tipped her chin toward the ceiling as she fought to remember. “My hair. Yes.”
