Page 93 of Hideaway Heart

“Still strictly professional?”

“Uh, it’s slightly less than professional.”

Devlin laughed. “That didn’t take long.”

“But she’s heading back to Nashville at the end of the week.” I hoped I sounded more neutral than I felt.

“Will you see her again?”

“I doubt it,” I said, again trying to come off like I didn’t really care while a pit opened up in my gut.

“Why not? It’s not like Nashville is that far. A couple hours on a plane.”

“She’s going on another tour soon, and I’ve got a business to open. We’re just too busy. Our lives are too separate.” The pit was starting to fill with an uncomfortable longing for something I didn’t want to think about. And I was good at locking uncomfortable feelings away into boxes. “Anyway, I hope you have a great day. Enjoy the last year of your twenties.”

“I’d enjoy it more if it ended with me getting that promotion. I can’t believe how bad I fucked this up without even knowing it. I mean, what are the chances? Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, you know?”

“I know. But hey, was it worth it?”

“You know what?” He was silent a moment, like he was into the memory. “It was.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, I pinned Kelly to the ground, knees on either side of her hips, hands locked around her wrists, pushing them into the ground. “What do you do if someone gets you like this?”

“Bridge high, throw low.”

“Do it.”

She bucked her hips up hard, causing me to pitch forward—a guy would face plant above her head if he didn’t release her wrists to catch himself. As soon as her arms were free, she swept them down to her sides along the grass snow-angel style, then immediately wrapped them around my torso, turning her face to the side to avoid my chest smashing her face.

“Tighter,” I commanded. “You can’t leave any space in between when you hug the tree, or he’ll get an arm back in between you.”

She squeezed harder, her cheek against my chest. “Like that?”

“Yes. Now what?”

“Climb the tree. Wrap the arm.” She scooted up, hooked her left arm around my right bicep, and rolled me onto my back. “And from here...” Her elbow came slicing toward my face from the right, and after I blocked it, she jabbed the same elbow straight down, stopping just short of my gut. Then she jumped up and ran.

“Good job,” I said, getting to my knees. “Now come back and let’s do it again.”

She hurried back to me and lay on the grass again, letting me pin her down. I didn’t love being outside like this—I imagined photos were being taken of us right this second, and without the context of self-defense lessons, they’d look like something else was going on—but Ididlike knowing that the asshole with the camera would see she could protect herself. And fuck what anyone else thought. As long as she was safe, I didn’t care.

“You sure you want me to escape this time?” she teased.

“Yes,” I said seriously. “I want you to escapeeverytime.”

“Okay, but kiss me first.”

“Kelly, I’m not playing. I want you to learn this stuff. I hope you never have to use it, but if you do, I want there to be no hesitation whatsoever.”

“I am learning! And if anyone but you was pinning me like this, I would not hesitate. I promise.” She smiled. “One kiss?”

“Earn it first. Go.”

She thrust up explosively, forcing me to break my fall. She repeated the tree climb and the arm wrap, successfully getting me beneath her before fake-delivering the elbow jabs. But she didn’t run this time.

“Now can I have my kiss?”