Page 69 of Wilder Love
My GPS led me to an address in Escondido that Jimmy had given me after I begged him to tell me where Shane was working. Unfortunately, he hadn’t warned me what to expect. This wasn’t a construction job. Quite the opposite.
I parked across the street from the demolition site, a lump forming in my throat as I stared out the window. I spotted Shane immediately, tossing debris and cinder blocks into the back of a dump truck. This wasn’t where he belonged.
A hardhat covered his golden-brown hair, the ends curling a little at the nape of his neck. The muscles in his arms and shoulders flexed and bunched under a sweat-stained gray T-shirt and his tanned, muscular calves were cloaked in dust like his work boots. There was no smile on his lips. No expression whatsoever. He was on autopilot, just doing his job. It was the saddest thing I’d ever seen. If he was at least building something instead of hauling away the debris from a demolished building, it would have given me a glimmer of hope. But no. That wasn’t the case.
I was tempted to drive away and pretend I had never seen him. Instead, I took a deep breath and got out of my car. I knew it was a mistake even before I crossed the street, but I put on my brave face and strode across the street to the tune of a few catcalls.
“Hey baby, you looking for a good time?”
“Look at that ass. Shake it, Mama.”
Shane turned his head and his eyes met mine. Hands balled into fists, he glared at the guys—that had been a big part of the problem. He’d always been so protective of me and it looked as if that hadn’t changed. He strode over to where I was standing and hopped over the chain-linked fence, landing in front of me. Grabbing my arm, he walked me back across the street to my Range Rover and around to the side, so we were hidden from the guys’ view. He took off his hardhat and speared his hand through his sweaty hair, his hazel eyes narrowed on me. Today they looked more brown than green. Probably because he was so far from the sea. I used to think that’s what made his eyes greener. That and being happy. Which he clearly wasn’t.
I could smell his sweat and his laundry detergent and him. God, I missed his scent. Even when he was sweaty and covered in a layer of dust and grime, he still smelled delicious.
“What are you doing here, Remy?”
I held out the paper sack from the fancy deli, feeling ridiculous. “I brought you lunch.”
He planted his hands on his hips and looked up at the sky as if it held all the answers. Maybe he was counting to ten, so he didn’t lose his shit. He looked like he was trying to lock it down and the effort was costing him a lot.
Why did I always have to be the thorn in his side?
I took a step closer. He crossed his arms, warding me off, the muscles in his arms flexing, his jaw clenched. So, this was how it was going to be. I sighed.
“It’s just lunch, Shane.”
“I packed a lunch, Remy. I don’t need yours.”
Ignoring the sting in his words, I dangled the bag in front of him. “Mine’s better. Knowing you, you’ve got a PBJ and a gnarly brown banana in your lunch.”
Obviously, that was a joke. I didn’t think he had changed that much.
He chuckled. It was so good to hear. It reminded me of the guy he used to be. Standing in front of Shane Wilder still made me feel like a sixteen-year-old girl with a hopeless crush.
Please take the lunch I’m offering. Please love me.
Pathetic, I know, but true nonetheless.
I was still holding the bag in front of him, but he made no move to take it from me. I snatched it back. “Fine. If you don’t want it, it’s going in the trash.” I sauntered over to a trash can and pushed the bag against the lid.
His hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist, pulling my arm back before the bag ended up in the trash. He took the bag out of my hand and I turned to face him. His eyes raked over me from head to toe, from the off-the-shoulder short cotton dress down my legs to the strappy, flat suede sandals on my feet and back to my face. I wondered if he liked what he saw.
He moved closer, shielding me with his body so the other guys on the crew couldn’t see me. The air around us crackled with electricity, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I was holding my breath, my eyes drinking him in. His throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed, and I raised my eyes to his, watching his eyes darken. I knew that look—the wanting, the longing. We were trapped in this silent battle, neither of us moving or breathing a word, the sounds of the demolition site and the traffic on the street silenced by the thrumming of my pulse. My heart was beating so hard and so loudly, I was sure that he could hear it.
His gaze dipped to the compass necklace he had given me all those years ago. “You still have it,” he said, his voice rough.
I nodded without speaking, not wanting to break the spell. Scared that anything I might say would come out all wrong. I ran my tongue over my lower lip. He watched the movement, his breathing ragged. The years melted away under the hot summer sun and for a moment we were right back where we used to be. Back to that place so many years ago, when he still loved me.
But he averted his gaze and took a few steps back, taking my hopes with him. “I need to get back to work.”
I forced a smile and opted for a playful tone, trying to lighten the mood. “I’d stay and have lunch with you, but I’ve got a hot date with Jimmy Wilder.”
A shadow passed over his face. “You’re having lunch with my dad?” His voice sounded strained and I didn’t understand it.
“Jealous?” I teased.
“Yeah. I am, actually.” His answer surprised me and so did the softness of his voice. I didn’t know how to interpret it. I looked over at the demolition site. At his dusty work boots. His bronzed skin covered in a layer of grime and dust. It was baking hot out here and he was working in the unforgiving sun, miles away from the cool ocean breeze. Miles away from the place he used to call his home. The ocean. A wave of sadness engulfed me. It felt like the sun had disappeared from the sky. I wanted to put it back, set the universe right again, but I didn’t know how to do that. All the money in the world couldn’t replace the magic.
