Page 29

The solid cabinet door dug into my upper back as I sipped the crisp wine and eyed him while he moved about the kitchen. “How'd you know where to find me?” I asked around a mouthful of Mr. Goodbar.

“Asked your neighbors, who I have to say seemed shady as fuck. Did you have to pass a background check to get into this place?”

The thin foil of the miniature Hershey's bar crinkled between my fingers. “I guess? Who knows. All I knew was I could move in immediately, and it fit within my budget.”

His knees cracked, and he let out a grunt as he sank to the floor beside me, tea glass in hand.

“Hi,” I said, then took a sip of liquid courage. “Sorry for getting so pissed.”

“And for leaving my ass.”

“Well, technically you deserved that.”

“The fuck?”

“Just agree and move on. Where's your stuff?” Leaning forward, I craned my neck around the small wall dividing the two rooms to the front door, searching for his bags.

He coughed and spat the sip he'd taken back into the glass in his hand. “What the hell is that?”

“Tea?”

“It's molasses.”

“Oh yeah, it's a little sweet. I buy it from this place down the street. My one splurge. Where's your stuff?”

With a grimace, he took another tentative sip. “They're delivering it to the ranch.”

I didn't stop my eyes from rolling toward the ceiling. “Right. Of course they are. Do you always get your way?”

Those green eyes slid to me. “Except when it comes to you.”

“Do you like it? Being a pilot?”

Long, muscular legs stretched out before him, filling most of the small kitchen floor. “Yeah, I love it. I love serving my country and what the military gave me.”

Warmth bloomed in my belly from the wine, strengthening my confidence and lowering inhibitions. Swiveling around, I leaned back, resting my head on his firm thigh. “What's that?”

“A family. A dependable family. One who pushes you to be better than you were yesterday.”

“That must be nice.” I focused on a dark smudge across the white fridge. “I'm guessing the blackouts you described are an issue for someone in your role.”

An incredulous huff resounded through the small room. “You could say that. But I've never had an issue while flying. I came here to get help before that could ever happen. I won't risk my brothers’ lives like that. If I can't get better, I'll file for a medical discharge, but that's the last resort. I want to go back. I need to go back.”

The muscle beneath my head flexed when I shifted for a better angle to look up to him. “Why?”

His head was leaned back against the cabinet as he stared ahead. “With Caleb gone, I don't have anything good here. I can't tolerate five minutes around Dad, and I'm certain the feeling is mutual. In Kentucky I'm needed, wanted. Here... here I'm just reminded of how alone I am.”

“You've never been alone,” I whispered. “You know, I had a crush on you way before you ever noticed me.” The sadness in his gaze disappeared when he looked down with a small smile. “Sometimes I'd follow you when you'd sneak out of the main house at night. I'd watch you watch the stars.” Shutting my eyes, I focused on those memories. “One night I couldn't stop from going to you. Even though you were the boss’s grandson, the prick everyone said you were, I walked out onto the dock and lay beside you.”

The hard floor dug into my elbows as I leaned up to take a deep swallow of wine. “You were so angry, sad, upset—hell, everything. That day had been bad. Your dad was in town visiting, and as much as he and your grandfather tried to cover it up, I knew how your dad treated you and Caleb when no one was watching.” Summoning some courage, I leaned back against his chest. The strong arm that snaked around my waist held me tighter against him, sending a wonderful sense of protection to sweep over me.

“How in the hell could you have known that?”

“I told you. I watched, and I listened. I saw things no one else did. And what I saw was something I related with. So I went out, lay beside you, and wrapped my hand around yours. Maybe it was a weak moment for you, but you didn't pull away. That night, we gazed into the night sky for hours, not saying a word to each other. When you got up to leave, you held your hand out to help me up, and it just happened. That moment... from that moment, we were us.”

The neighbor's music blared through the thin walls, and the elephant man who lived above stomped like he was about to come through the ceiling. We just sat there, content, me in his arms on my dirty kitchen floor.

I smiled down at the empty glass in my hand. “Is this happening? You here?” Angling my face, I nuzzled his neck and took in a deep breath. “Sorry, I get snuggly with white wine. I'm not responsible for my actions after one glass.”