Page 72 of Duke
“Haines was actually about to take off.” I cut my brother a look.
He looks back. “I was?”
“Yes.”
“But the gifts—”
“I’ll take those.” I grab the bag, surprised by how heavy it is, and open the door a little wider. “Duke, why don’t you come in?”
Haines puts his hands on hips. “I really feel like I should stay—”
“I’ll call you later, okay?” I blink twice in his direction.Scram.
His shoulders fall. “Fine.” He looks at Duke. “You be nice to my sister, you hear?”
“Always.” Duke’s eyes lock on mine. The sincerity in them makes me short of breath.
“And y’all best invite me to brunch tomorrow,” my brother continues as he grabs his keys from the tray on the nearby hall table. “If I have to be Mom’s entertainment committee for another day, I’m gonna lose my damn mind.”
Heat floods my face. “We’re not getting brunch. Duke is here to talk.”
“Right.” Duke’s eyes are still on me, I feel it. “We have a lot of that to do.”
Haines grins. “Y’all got a lot of somethin’ to do, that’s for sure. Good luck.” He pecks my cheek and walks out the door, twirling his key ring as he disappears into the growing darkness. “Love you, sis.”
Then it’s just me and Duke and the elephant in the room.
CHAPTER 17
The Good Kind of Blizzard
Duke
“I hope Haines didn’t offend you,” Wheeler says after closing the door behind him. “He’s got a good heart but absolutely no filter.”
Putting my hands on my hips, I chuckle. “Wheeler, I have four brothers. I work on a ranch. I think I’m beyond offending at this point.”
Her lips twitch. For a second, the haunted look in her brown eyes disappears, replaced by a mischievous gleam I remember well from our weekend in Aspen.
My center aches all of a sudden.
“Just give him time. He’ll get you. Here, come on in.”
I follow her down a short hallway. There’s a set of carpeted stairs to my left, a mirror on the wall to my right. It smells like a new house: fresh paint, new lumber.
It also smells like her. The juicy, summery scent of her perfume. I like how bold it is. How unique. I’ve never smelled anything like it.
I also like the way she looks in the little getup she’s wearing. It’s just a pair of baggy sweats, but she’s paired them with a crop top that shows enough skin to make my own skin feel two sizes too tight.
My hands itch to reach out. Touch her again. She let me touch her face, didn’t she?
I’m leery to go any further, though. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. Yeah, we made a baby together, but that doesn’t mean she feels any differently about me. Us.
The hall opens onto one big, open living and kitchen area. The space is tidy, save for the pile of pillows and blankets on the couch and the open box of saltines on the coffee table.
Wheeler sets the grocery bag on the white kitchen countertop and peers inside it.
“Mollie gave me a little list of things you might find useful.” I shove my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. “Epsom salts for a bath—”
