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“Actually…” Delaney stood, then swayed herself. “I think I’m a little too tipsy myself. But here’s an idea! Bethy doesn’t drink. Maybe she should drive them both home.”

Now Beth stood, her mouth hanging open. “Hello? Anyone notice the super-fashionable cast on my leg?”

Delaney waved her off. “You drive with your right leg, sweetie. It’s a very short drive. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Eli watched a whole conversation pass between the two women with nothing more than a series of looks. He might have been too inebriated to drive, but he could still tell that Beth was not happy about her sister’s apparent schemes. Neither was Eli.

“It’s still not entirely safe,” he interjected. “I mean, yeah, Beth’s right leg is fine, but in case of emergency, her left probably shouldn’t be impaired. I could just leave the truck here and somehow get it back tomorrow.”

Delaney crossed her arms. “What about your early house call?”

Eli’s jaw clenched. Busted. “Right. My house call.”

“I’m on call at the ranch early too,” Sam told him. “You’re welcome to spend the night on the couch.”

Beth groaned. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll drive us home. I don’t want to be stuck here. I mean, I appreciate your hospitality, guys, but I want to sleep in my own bed, and I’m sure Eli does too. It’s a five-minute ride. I’m sure we’ll be okay. And if we’re not, I’d like it printed on my headstone that my sister sent me to my peril all in the name of her misguided schemes.”

Eli bit back a grin. At least he and Beth were both on to Delaney and neither of them were having it.

She likes you. And I like her.

Tess’s voice sounded in his head as Eli waited by the driver’s side door while Beth said good night to her niece.

Eli normally would have silently argued with the voice, but tonight he felt…buzzed. And buzzed seemed to be changing the blueprint of the evening in more ways than one.

I like her too, he thought, wondering if the voice could hear.

Of course I can, silly. I’m not really me. I’m you.

Eli knew that. Of course he knew. But his projection of Tess was all he had left. The pain of losing her had receded to a dull ache that would always be there, but he knew now he could live with it. It was how it all happened he couldn’t seem to shake.

If you’re me, tell me I’m not allowed to be happy then. Tell me I should have been able to save you and Fury, but instead I lost you both. That’s not a guy who gets to be happy again.

He imagined Tess’s sigh. So serious, she’d say. So ready to take on the burden of the world and make everything your responsibility. When are you going to cut yourself some slack?

Maybe he should crawl into the passenger seat and pretend to fall asleep before Beth returned. No. That would be extra-shitty. Especially since she’d never driven his truck before. She’d need help adjusting the seat and the steering wheel and likely navigating back to his property if she was still getting the lay of the land.

Eli was lost in his head, trying to get Tess to talk him out of how he felt, when someone poked his shoulder.

“Hey,” Beth said as he spun to face her.

“Hey,” he replied. “You snuck up on me.”

“I didn’t sneak. This is the driver’s side door. Why are you here? I thought I was driving,” she added, then crossed her arms over her chest.

She was so unassuming in her purple zip-up hoodie, a tank underneath, and matching leggings. Yet the questioning look in her eyes seemed to ask so much more than Why are you here? Eli wished like hell he had the answer.

For several seconds, he simply stared. What was he doing? And why did he feel so out of his depth whenever she was near?

“Are you okay?” Beth continued, brows pulled together.

Eli cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he lied. “I just wasn’t sure if you needed help getting into the truck.” He held his hands up. “I know. I know. You’re perfectly capable. But I wasn’t going to be a total dick and plop my ass down in the passenger seat to let you fend for yourself if you did, on the off chance, need a hand.”

The corner of her mouth twitched, and Eli’s own lips parted into a smile.

“Wait. Is that a smile? Did I just make you smile? That means I did good, doesn’t it?” he asked.

Beth groaned and rolled her eyes.