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“Lee’s disappearance,” Boone answered.
Marge slid the omelet onto a plate. “Priscilla was so worried about her brother, she asked me to look in on you last night.” A sly smile grew on her face. “But you must have been out somewhere.”
I blushed. “We were talking.”
Marge nodded and poured more eggs into the pan. “Uh-huh.”
We weren’t going to be able to keep a secret in this town, but before I could say anything, Boone announced, “We’re going to make another try at being a couple.”
He’d saidcouple,which sounded ominously more permanent thanflingorhookup, or whatever else I thought this would be for the next three weeks.
Hell, we’d let our libidos and body parts do all the talking. Lucky for me, the table hid my need to squeeze my legs together as I thought back to last night. The throb between my thighs didn’t slow.
“Uh-huh,” Marge intoned again as she moved the skillet around. “That’s what Priscilla thought when I told her I couldn’t find you.”
Marge turned the eggs and looked over to me, followed by Boone, who stayed mum.
I lifted a shoulder, unwilling to add anything more. The more casual I made this appear the better, if I was a flashpoint between the two families.
Boone put his juice down and stood. “I’ve got to get an early start.”
“What about your eggs?” Marge asked.
He checked his watch. “Sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was.” He nodded to me before he left, and mouthed the wordlater.
I hid my smile behind the rim of my glass. The wordcouplereverberated in my head. It didn’t fit—not my plan, not the girls’ view of things…
“You all right, dear?” Marge’s words woke me up as she set the plate down.
“Sure.” What else was I supposed to say? Did staying quiet make me the weak partner once again? Should I have chased after him to settle things on the way to the car? I would never allow myself to fall back into that trap of weakness—not ever.
“I’m around if you want to talk,” she added.
“Thanks. I could use a favor.”
“Anything, dear.”
“I need a ride to pick up my car.”
* * *
Boone
Without any ideawho’d started the nonsense that I’d somehow ratcheted up the temperature of the feud, I didn’t have anyone to confront. I would find a way to tamp down that narrative, but spending an hour debating it with my aunt wasn’t it, so I’d skipped out as soon as I could.
I started the truck and made a bet with myself that I’d get an hour of work done before Dad called.
Last night had been an incredible whirlwind. Having Angela in my arms brought back memories and desires I thought I’d moved past, forgotten. But obviously not.
I’d fended off my aunt’s attempts to get me to talk as best I could, but she and everybody else needed to know Angela and I were a couple again. She was mine to protect—I knew that much—and keeping Devlin away from her had been step one.
When I’d mentioned the doggie door idea this morning, she’d thrown the wordtemporaryat me, like a shield. But after a night like we’d had together,temporarywas not part of the agenda. We were clearly meant for each other. I’d been the idiot who’d allowed us to fall apart before, and it wasn’t an error I planned on repeating.Temporarywould soon be erased from her vocabulary.
My phone rang before I made it to the hotel, so I lost that bet with myself about Dad calling.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he roared.
I had to hold the phone away from my ear. “Good morning to you too.”
