Page 28 of Make Me Trust Again
It’s not your place to do anything, a little voice reminds me.You can’t even help yourself.
Before I can decide what to do, Shadow sneaks past me and into the café, her body brushing against Rose’s leg. She jumps slightly in surprise as Shadow nudges her palm with her snout. Rose extends her hand tentatively and scratches between her ears.
The corner of her mouth tips upward, if only slightly. “You’re one big softy, aren’t you?”
Shadow licks her palm, making Rose giggle, the soft sound ringing in my eardrums. I suck in a sharp breath at the sound and just stare at her.
She must have heard me because she looks up, her gaze meeting mine, and that smile falls. Rose tucks one of the runaway strands behind her ear. “All done? The kitchen was empty when I came to grab some more cookies.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s good.” Rose nods. “Rebecca was not happy when she saw the kitchen was flooded this morning.”
Her comment makes me scoff. No, my sister was not happy, and she made sure to let it be known.
Rose’s teeth sink into her lower lip, nibbling at the soft flesh as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other, as the silence grows. For once, there isn’t anybody in the café, just the two of us.
Is that why her ex decided to use this opportunity to come? Because he could corner her without anybody knowing? Or was that just a freaking coincidence?
And what is it with this sudden rush to move? Is he the reason behind it? She sure as hell doesn’t like the idea that he’ll be stopping at her parents’ for dinner. Do they want them to stay together? I wouldn’t be surprised. Most of the folks around here are old-fashioned. They don’t believe in divorce.
Rose lowers her gaze and shakes her head. “Anyway, I guess I should use this opportunity to clean the back up a little bit before I close…”
“Fine.”
Her head shoots up, and she blinks, her brows pulling together in confusion, not that I could blame her. I don’t know where the words came from, but there is no taking them back. My heart starts beating faster, my throat going dry as that frown between her brows deepens.
“Fine? I didn’t realize I needed your approval about how to do my job.”
And that snarky attitude is back.
“Fine, you can take the cottage,” I grind out. That familiar ringing is back in my ears, the sound echoing inside my eardrums.
“The cottage—” Another blink. Her tongue peeks out, sliding over her lower lip. I’m so transfixed by the movement, I almost miss her next words. “But you don’t want me there.”
No, I didn’t want her there. Having Rose Hathaway and her son living on my ranch spelled trouble, but dammit, I didn’t like seeing her defeated like she was just moments ago. And I didn’tlike the way her asshole ex talked to her. Or that he tried to manipulate his way back into her life. I didn’t like it one bit.
As if she can read my mind, she scowls. “It’s fine. I’ll just take that other house. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really need?—”
She tries to walk past me, but I’m taking up most of the doorway and make no attempt to move. Rose tilts her head back, those blue eyes blazing at me. “I need to get to work.”
“Not until you agree to take the cottage.”
“Why?” She crosses her arms over her chest. “You don’t want me there, and I don’t need your pity, Williams.”
Seriously, this woman.
“It’s not pity,” I grit through my clenched teeth. “Just stay there until you find something better. Somethingsafer. That fucking gutter almost fell on your head. What if your son was playing out in the yard?”
Her mouth opens, but no words come out.
I have her, and she knows it.
“You’re not playing fair.”
No, I’m not, but I’m fine with that.
I don’t know a lot about her, but from that one time I saw her with her kid, I know that she is a good mother, and there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her son.
