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"I'll see you before dinner at Rita's then?"
"Yeah, I'll see you tonight."
I continue to dish up, watching in my peripheral as Brynn walks out of the kitchen with her mug still in hand.
Ten hours later, I walk back into the house feeling spent from completing all the repairs and moving brush off the beaches.
I head for the bathroom first for a shower. I still have thirty minutes before dinner and I can make it fast.
As I enter the hallway, Brynn's bedroom door opens, and I watch her step out of the guest bedroom.
"You're back," she says, jumping a little in surprise.
She looks beautiful, her hair down in loose waves cascading over her shoulders. It's the first time I've seen her in makeup, and whatever she did to her eyes made the blue shine even brighter.
She's wearing a tight-fitting white dress with a blue flower pattern that fits like it was made for her. If I thought she looked good last night, then I should call off dinner because staring at Brynn all night is going to be hard to resist.
"I didn't mean to startle you. I'm just headed to the shower and then I'll be ready for us to head over to dinner."
"Oh, did you want me to wait for you? I just figured you'd come over whenever you're ready, but I can stay—"
Shit, that was stupid of me to think that we would walk over together. She doesn't need to wait for me. We're not one unit. And Rita's place is less than a hundred feet away.
"No, that's fine. You don't need to stick around. I'll see you both when I'm done."
Her eyebrows downturn a little like she's torn.
"Are you sure because I can—"
I cut her off again. The last thing I need is for her to think that I have any attachment to the idea of us walking over together.
"No, you should head over now. She's probably popped that bottle of wine already and is looking for someone to pour a glass for. I won't be long."
"Okay, see you over there."
I nod and then turn into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
I took a longer shower than I originally planned and used the time to gather my thoughts. Tonight, I'll ask Rita if she can take Brynn for a night or two until I get her a hotel room or a flight back to Seattle.
Once we both get back home and forget that the other person exists, life can return to normal, and I won't think about the woman who showed up on my porch one night in Mexico and narrowly had me debating whether I was ready to date again after all these years.
Chapter Seventeen
Brynn
I knock on Rita's door, after leaving Seven to take his shower and get ready in peace.
She must have seen me walking over because she opens the door within seconds of my knuckles touching the bright yellow painted entry.
I smile at the thought that Rita has a front door that's as loud and inviting as she is.
"You're here! Good," she beams, pulling the door open wider to let me in. My mouth waters at the smell of dinner wafting towards me from her kitchen.
I step through the door of Rita's house and the place looks almost identical to Seven's, except that everything is updated with new furnishings and decorated beautifully.
"Wine?" she asks.
"Yes, please. I'd love some."
