Page 47 of Christmas with the Cowboy
“Night.” Reed waited until Jay was back in his truck before he headed into the store.
What in the hell was he going to do about Jay?
And what if Jay took it upon himself to stop by Trenna’s place and ask for help directly? Reed wasn’t going to leave town without letting Trenna know what had just gone down, so he stopped in the produce department and pulled out his phone, then remembered that she’d lost hers and he had no idea if she’d had a chance to replace it.
The call going directly to voice mail answered the question. Either she wasn’t taking his calls, or they were still going to her old phone, which had to be dead by now.
Fine. He had a rough idea of where she lived, so he would drive by her place, make sure all was well. He’d promised himself he’d keep his distance, and keep his nose out of her business, but sometimes that simply wasn’t possible.
All roads, it seemed, led to Trenna.
Chapter Ten
Trenna put thefinal bauble on the small potted Christmas tree, then stood back to admire her work. She wasn’t going to be in her apartment for Christmas, but she figured that Jill’s mother and sister might enjoy some holiday cheer. Not that they’d spend a lot of time in the place either, what with the slate of activities Jill had planned, but Trenna enjoyed decorating. More than that, she needed something to keep her occupied. She kept thinking about Reed’s dad telling her that his son wasn’t over her, and her suspecting that she was in the same boat. But that was just memory talking, not their current circumstances.
They only knew the people they used to be, not the people they were now. And she was not going to risk another fling with Reed. Logic decreed that it would not end well. They were still different people, going in different directions, even if they were in the same place now, which made things more difficult.
But she was up to the task of staying out of emotional trouble.
Are you?
A roar from Bruno in the yard below interrupted her thoughts and made her heart jump.
Crap. Jay.And she didn’t have a phone to call anyone.
She ran to her second-floor window and looked down, but Bruno already had his prey cornered out of sight on the Victorian’s wide porch. Was Jay stupid enough to ignore the BEWAREOFDOGsign on the gate?
Yes. Apparently.
Trenna scrambled down the stairs. She wasn’t going to let Jay in, but she could call Bruno off through the mail slot so the man could leave. She’d done exactly that once before when a salesman had ignored the sign.
But when she reached the foyer, it wasn’t Jay’s back pressed against the multipaned door—it was Reed’s.
And she didn’t want to let him in any more than she wanted to let Jay in—granted, for vastly different reasons—but she unlatched the deadlock and pulled the door open. Reed fell backward into the foyer, landing at Trenna’s feet, and Bruno instantly sat, giving Trenna a lolling dog smile.
“Close the door,” Reed said, as he scooted backward toward the staircase.
Trenna pulled a treat from the container near the door and gave it to Bruno, told him he was a good boy, then closed the door.
“Good boy?”
Trenna put her hands on her hips as she looked down at Reed. “The best.”
She let out a breath as Reed climbed to his feet. “I guess the reason I came may not be as important as I first thought.”
“Why did you come?”
“Jay and I had a conversation in the parking lot of the grocery store.”
“You what?” Trenna’s head came up as she caught a movement through the multipaned door. Bruno’s owner, her landlord, was on his way up the walk. Trenna jerked her head toward the stairs. “We can talk in my studio.”
He hesitated, as if having the same reservations she was. Indeed, there was a palpable tension vibrating between them, but that seemed to be their new norm. Something she would have to live with until she was done with Audrey’s project.
She led the way up the stairs, figuring he could follow or not. He followed, his boots echoing loudly on each worn wooden step. The front door opened and closed below them as they passed the landing, and then Trenna stood back to usher Reed through the door she’d left hanging open.
He stepped inside her studio, glancing around before pulling his hat off. Her bed was hidden behind a woven screen, and due to her landlord’s love of cooking, the kitchen took up a disproportionate amount of the remaining space.
“Nice,” he said, holding his hat in both hands between them, as if it were a barrier.
