“Why won’t you tell her where you’re from?”
“It’s a part of my life I’d rather forget about,” I whispered before I could stop myself.
His brow furrowed and his mouth opened, but it snapped shut and he leaned away as his eyes got a faraway look. After a few seconds he grabbed the radio on his shoulder. “Unit four-eighteen, go ahead—unit four-eighteen, ten-four en route. I have to go,” he stated, but he didn’t move away, in fact he moved closer, his gray eyes pinning me to my seat.
My heart began racing impossibly faster as I once again felt something I’d never experienced with any other man but the one standing less than two feet from me. It felt like I was being pulled to him, and I wanted to give in so bad.
“Have a good night, KC,” he said in a low voice, and I shivered from the warmth and roughness of it. “I enjoyed seeing you again.”
“Be safe tonight.”
One corner of his mouth pulled up, and he knocked his knuckles against the table twice before backing away with his eyes on me. When he got a few more feet away, he turned, called out a good-bye to Kinlee—who was tapping rapidly on her phone as she waited for her coffee—and walked out the door.
I tried not to, but I followed his movements as he jogged out to his patrol Tahoe and pulled open the driver’s door. At the last second, he turned to look at the window where I was sitting, and I swear I could feel the heat from his gaze even from that distance.
“Okay!” Kinlee exclaimed, and I jumped. “I’m here. Sheesh, I really need to start driving with you so I won’t be late anymore.”
“That would just make both of us late.”
“Exactly, but then technically we’re both on time because we get here at the same time.”
I shook my head and took a sip of my latte. “I don’t understand how your mom trusts you to get the boutique open on time.”
“Easy, she told me a long time ago that we open an hour before we really do. I know now that we don’t actually open at eight. But I still get ready like we open at eight, so I usually make it there in time to open by nine.”
“Huh, makes sense.”
She pointed at the cup that was pressed to my lips again. “What I still don’t understand is how you can drink something that’s sweet and not be affected by it.”
“Espresso and coffee have the perfect amount of bitterness. Putting something sweet in it is the only way it’s drinkable, and the bitterness overrides my enjoyment of the sweetness.”
“Uh-huh. Whatever.” Her phone chimed, and she replied before looking back at me. “Did Brody say anything to you about last weekend?”
Just hearing his name had my heart rate increasing and my body warming. “No, he actually kinda changed the subject when I brought up him leaving so soon.”
Kinlee groaned and sat back in her seat. One hand rubbed at her temple, and she grimaced. “Poor Brody. Jace was such a dick to him when he came over. I want Brody to leave his wife just as much as the rest of his family, but really, Jace crossed a line this weekend.”
I waited to see if she’d add anything, but she just sat there worrying her bottom lip in between sips of coffee. “You really love Brody, don’t you?”
Her eyes darted over to mine, and she smiled. “I grew up next door to those boys. Brody’s like my older brother.”
“Lee, I didn’t know that.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sat back. “So you married the boy next door, huh?”
She laughed. “I did. He told me when I was five years old that he was going to marry me, and he kissed me on the playground.”
“What? How have I never heard about any of this? That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!”
“Not at the time it wasn’t! He was gross, and my older brothers told me all boys had cooties or something. I don’t remember, but I punched him in the nose and got sent to the principal’s office.”
I forced down the sip I’d just taken and burst out laughing. “Oh, God. That’s amazing, I’m bringing that up next time I’m over.”
Kinlee’s phone went off again, and I watched her smile grow even wider. “Aiden is asking if he can have your number.”
“What? No.”
“KC!”
“Kinlee.” I mimicked her whiny three-year-old tone.
“Why not? What was wrong with Aiden?”
“Nothing, he just—” Isn’t Brody. Brody is married . . . married, Kamryn! I thought about the way Aiden made me feel. It’d been more of a response than I’d ever had for even Charles. More than any guy, really. Why did I have to meet him on the same day I met Brody? Why did I have to meet Brody at all? Barbara’s words from our call came back to me, and I uncrossed my legs and sat straight up. “You know what? Give it to him.”
Kinlee’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“Have Jace give him my number.”
I’ve never seen Kinlee move that fast. She dropped her phone twice because she tried to pick up her phone and begin texting simultaneously. “Oh, my God, Kace! I’m so excited right now! I can’t believe you’re actually letting us give a guy your number. Does this mean you liked him? You looked like you were having a good time, but I didn’t think—” She cut off and started cracking up before showing me her phone. “Jace doesn’t believe me.”
I glanced over the screen.