“I already know what I want. I want to start living my life and you’re a big part of that, Penny. I don’t want to scare you off. I know we’re supposed to be taking it slow, but I just want you to know this isn’t casual for me. I care about you. And I plan on being in your life for a long time.”
“Matt. I don’t know what to say.”
“I don’t want you to say anything. Just think about what you want and how you feel. We have a few weeks left, right?”
At her nod, he continued, “Well, I won’t be going back home until then. If you feel the same way, then tell me to stay. Don’t say anything now. Just promise me you’ll think about it?”
“Okay, I will.”
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. Then he opened the door of the truck and hopped down. They walked together back toward the center. “What are you about to do now?”
“I’m sure I have patients.” Penny passed a hand over her face. A pang of guilt made him take a closer look. She was exhausted, and he was sure it was partially because of him.
“Isn’t it time for you to eat lunch?” Matt glanced at his watch. He’d been keeping her up late at night and then she was working all day. He was overcome with the need to look after her and take care of her.
“It is. I mean, I will in a little bit,” she hedged. Her eyes dropped to her shoes.
When she wouldn’t look at him, Matt instantly knew something was up. “It was lunch time at noon, wasn’t it? That’s how you fit me into your schedule on such short notice. You gave up your lunch hour.” Matt cursed as his cell phone went off. “Yeah. … Oh hey, Kaylee. … Um, okay. Bye.”
Penny followed as he walked to the center. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. A friend is in the area, so she’s bringing me some important mail that I got. I wonder how Mara convinced her to go out of her way just to bring me a letter?”
“Your sister can be very persuasive. I know this from experience.”
Matt pinned her with a hard stare. “Oh, I know she can. Believe me, so can I.”
* * * * *
WHEN KAYLEE FINALLY stopped driving, Eli pulled up behind her blue sedan and hopped out. He wasn’t even sure if he turned the car off. He was that pissed.
Pissed.
“What the hell is going on?” Eli watched in disbelief as Kay held up a finger indicating he should wait. She dialed a number on her cell phone and, after a quick conversation, she pushed the door open and got out.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said I’ve been calling you for the past two hours. You said you had a gig. You didn’t say it was over a hundred miles away.”
“Does it matter?” Kay didn’t look at him as she closed her car door and started walking across the parking lot toward the building.
“Just a little,” Eli said through gritted teeth. “It’s my job to keep you safe. It would help considerably if I knew where the hell you were going before you decide to take a trip.”
“Well, sorry, but I didn’t think it would matter. You’re supposed to accompany me wherever I go, right?” She tipped up her chin and put her hands on her hips. The motion drew his attention to her breasts again. She was wearing another clingy sweater. Didn’t she own any baggy clothes? Or at least something that didn’t hug her every inch and make him wonder how her ample curves would feel beneath his hands.
Eli didn’t trust himself to speak just then. He was torn between wanting to yank her up on her toes and kiss her until her eyes crossed and wanting to put her over his knee. While he was wrestling with himself internally, Kaylee reached the front doors of the building.
When he read the name of the facility, his blood pressure rose again.
“You have a gig at a physical-therapy center? Really? Just days after I declined to investigate Matt’s new girlfriend?”
“This isn’t my gig. Relax. Matt got an urgent letter and I’m just here to drop it off since we’re in the area anyway. Mara asked me to do it and I didn’t mind.”
She pushed the door open and let go so quickly it almost slammed into Eli. He followed her, seething. By the time he caught up with her, she was already seated in the waiting room. He sat next to her and pinned her with an accusatory stare.
“You know, I wouldn’t have expected this of you. Mara, yes. Raina, definitely. But not you.”
She turned toward him, her brown eyes slightly wounded. “How would you know what to expect of me? You don’t know me at all. I’m not as innocent as you seem to think.”
Before he could respond to that ridiculous statement, she stood again.
“Matt! There you are.” Kaylee trotted across the room to where Matt stood next to the blonde she’d seen him with at the party. That must be his physical therapist.
The one Mara was trying to get you to investigate.
He’d refused out of loyalty to Matt. The dude was getting his life together and he needed privacy, not a bunch of nosy friends digging into his business. However, it looked like Mara was going to get her way after all.
He wondered if driving him up the wall was part of her plan or if that was just a side effect. Kaylee was hugging on Matt as if they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages. He liked Matt, but if the guy didn’t pull his hand a little higher from where it was currently resting on Kay’s lower back, he might have to forget they were friends.