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“I suppose you’d need more after what Kerry told you.”
“I was talking about when you inevitably piss me off. What areyoutalking about?”
“What Kerry said after you left. You have to have feelings on it.”
“She just told me to come to the diner more so we could chat. Was there something else she could say?”
The relief was evident on his face. His shoulders lowered, and he let out a breath.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Try again. I didn’t see you this worked up when I fell off the roof. Explain.”
“Okay,fine.I don’t have a great reputation around here.”
“Oh, really? Is it your sparkling personality?”
“Yes, honestly.” His voice was short, but then he looked away. “And ... other things I did a long time ago.”
I nodded. “I see.”
“It was?—”
I held up a hand. I could relate to your past making thepresent hard. I still lay awake at night and thought about how I had let Trevor walk all over me. I was terrified that if Cain knew it, he would demand that I act like that here too.
“You don’t have to tell me that part. You look like you might throw up just thinking about it.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face. “You’re gonna hear about it eventually. And I know it’ll change things.”
“It can’t be worse than when you let Hennifer attack me.”
“Yeah, it can be,” he muttered as he started working on lunch. I watched him for far too long, seeing how tight his shoulders were and how every inch of his body screamed his tension.
But then I started to notice other things. The way his hair curled onto his neck. The way his ass looked in tight work jeans. I turned away before he could call me out on it.
A few minutes later, he summoned me to the dining-room table where food was sitting and waiting.
“So ... what are you buttering me up for?” I asked.
“How did you know I was buttering you up?”
“You’re being oddly nice.” I took a bite of bread, but narrowed my eyes at him. “So, spill.”
“I’ll say this before I call Eric to the table.” He sighed. “I need help.”
I slowed my chewing. That was the last thing I’d expected, but I could tell he was miserable asking for it. Instead of letting my shock show on my face, I took pity.
“What do you need?”
He blinked as if that wasn’t a response he’d expected. “The lawyer said I need character references from everyone I know saying that Eric is happy here.”
Slowly, I nodded. “So you need me to write one.”
“No—I mean, yes. But it’s more than that. I need as many as I can get. Even if you and Jackie do it, I’d need more. From ... the town.”
“Is that why you were at the farmers market today?”
“Yes. Jackie thought it would help. But it was basically hopeless. Until you showed up.”