Page 82 of The Route to You

“No, no,” Sloan said, putting her hands up. “I didn’t track you down to get you to rescue me again.”

“I’m offering.”

“Don’t you have any plans for the afternoon?”

He checked his watch. “Well, I do have a date at six, but I’m free until then.”

A date? Her heart fell before she could stop it.

Please don’t let him read my face.

“Oh yeah?” Sloan managed.

“Yeah. I’ve been seeing this girl about once a week. We reconnected after my accident, and she spent a lot of time taking care of me.”

Was it possible for him to see her pounding heartbeat?

Still. You didn’t move back here for Kyle.

But if that was entirely true, if somewhere in that deep place inside her she refused anyone admission—including herself—why was she feeling suddenly unwell?

They were friends, nothing more. He deserved a nice woman in his life—someone who had been there for him . . . especially when he’d needed someone.

“That’s really great, Kyle,” she said. God. Tears. Yup, those were tears burning her eyes. “What’s her name?”

“Tara.” He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “She’s about three foot six.”

What? She stared at him in confusion.

“Really likes McDonald’s Happy Meals,” he went on. “Sometimes, if I’m feeling ambitious, I bring her sister on our dates. She’s kind of a pain, though. Likes to throw food.”

A bubble of repressed emotion came out in a noise that sounded half laugh, half gasp. “Your niece?”

He smiled slyly, then closed the slider and headed back toward the living room.

Sloan remained in place, hand settling over her heart while she blinked the tears away.

That jackass.

He knew he’d gotten to her, too.

But she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

She turned and followed him through the house. He’d wandered down the hall and was in the process of opening up the linen closet. “Aren’t you injured? You can’t be moving and lifting heavy things.”

“Yeah, but one of me—injured—is still a hell of a lot stronger than one of you. With you helping, it’ll make up for that twenty percent strength I’m missing on my left arm.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching him. “Oh, thanks a lot.”

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” He closed the closet door and looked back at her.

“All right, you win. I accept your offer of help.” Mostly because she really hadn’t planned further than getting to Nashville today.

In fact, it wasn’t really about getting to Nashville in the end. Once she’d found out that Kyle had been injured, it had been her driving force to get to him. Even if he hated her and even if she still harbored anger toward him, Sloan had felt agonized for what he must have gone through. She had just been desperate to see if he was okay.

Now that she was here, the reality of not having an actual place to sleep tonight was sinking in. And because she needed some groceries and basics anyway. “Just gonna let the dogs out real quick.”

“Well, look at that. One hour back in the South and you’re remembering how we speak again.” He stalked past her again, toward the living room, and she took a moment to admire his receding figure.