Chapter 6
Duke hated the slight tremor of his hand as he unlocked his front door then held it open for Heather and Suzy to step inside. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t imagined bringing Suzy back to his house for a cozy night in. But he’d never pictured it playing out like this.
With his little sister tagging along and his mind still buzzing from his run-in with his ex.
Not like it mattered. She was here because Heather invited her, not to fulfill some ridiculous fantasy he played on repeat in his mind most nights while he drifted off to sleep.
Heat crept up the back of his neck as he pictured her in his bed with her long hair trailing down her back, wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and a smile.
“What’s that look for?” Suzy asked as she walked by him and into the entryway.
The subtle dip in Suzy’s voice told him she had an idea of the types of thoughts causing fire to engulf his entire face.
He cleared his throat then closed and locked the door after his sister was inside. “Nothing. Just my game face.”
Laughing, Heather carried a box of pizza down the hall then stopped when she reached the open space that connected the kitchen to the living room. “Where are we eating?”
“Living room,” he said, slipping out of his cowboy boots. “What’s the point of all this food if we don’t shove it in our faces while playing? Put the pizza in the kitchen though. I’ll at least grab us some plates.”
Suzy lingered in the hallway, her arms wrapped around her waist.
“You okay?” he asked.
Grinning, she nodded. “I’ve never been here. Just taking it all in.”
“It’ll be easier to take in once you’re all the way inside.” He shot her a wink then tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen. “I’ll give you a tour after we eat if ya want, but there’s not much to see.”
“Seriously?” She stepped further into the living room and stared out the large wall of windows. “This is beautiful. Much better than the view out my little one-bedroom apartment downtown.”
“I bet you can do some pretty good people watching from there.” He’d never been in her apartment but knew she rented a space right on the square.
Scrunching her nose, she grinned. “True. And with the winter rodeo starting, there will be plenty of hoopla happening to keep me busy from my perch.”
“Winter Rodeo? What the hell is that?”
She dropped her jaw in mock surprise. “What? Lane hasn’t filled you in on this?”
“If you haven’t noticed, your brother isn’t one for small talk. Now tell me what you’re talking about.”
Heather popped her head into the hallway. “Are you two coming or what? I’m starving.”
Duke cringed. “When she gets hungry, she gets angry. We better get in the kitchen.”
He led the way into the galley style-kitchen. The pizza box sat open on the marble counter. He placed the bags he carried with the junk food beside it then searched for plates, napkins, and cups.
“What were you two discussing out there?” Heather asked.
“Suzy was just about to tell me about some winter rodeo that’s coming to town.”
Heather’s mouth formed a large O, and she swiveled around to face Suzy. “That sounds fun. What is it?”
“The whole square gets shut down for days. People compete in all kinds of crazy events. Skiers get pulled by horses down the street, an ice rink is set up in the middle of the square for skating and a competitive hockey tournament that brings out the best and worst in everybody, there’s sledding down by the Baptist church, and even a moonlight ski near Lake Silver.
Lots of vendors with food and games. Kind of like a state fair, only much colder, and no bull-riding. ”
A pinch of regret tightened Duke’s throat. He loved his life in Hillmore, but he missed the thrill of the ride.
“Looks like I picked the perfect time for a visit.” Heather picked a pepperoni off a slice of pizza and tossed it in her mouth.
Duke set plates on the counter and frowned. “Sounds like something that could bring in a large crowd. Maybe someone who came to town a day early is the person responsible for busting the Gurly’s front window.”
“Maybe. I can’t think of anyone in town who’d do that. Everyone loves them, and their candy.”
“That reminds me.” He dipped into one of the bags and found the peanuts Mr. Gurly had given him. He tossed them to Suzy. “Mr. Gurly sent these with me as a thank you.”
Suzy snatched the sack from the air and peered inside. Her smile bloomed, melting him faster than the chocolate covering those damn peanuts. “These are my favorite.”
“I know,” he said.
Two sets of wide eyes stared at him.
“I mean, Mr. Gurly told me. He clearly knows his clientele.”
“Whatever you say, big brother.”
He hated the sing-song way Heather taunted him, but he refused to take the bait. Instead, he passed out the plates then took drink orders before leading the way into the living room.
A caramel-colored sofa separated the kitchen from the living room with two matching chairs flanking the stone fireplace, the television mounted above the hearth.
He wanted a view of the mountains at every seat, choosing to leave the wall clear of clutter to let the view shine through.
A coffee table sat in front of the couch, and he covered it with bags of goodies waiting to be eaten.
“Sit wherever you’d like. I’ll grab the gaming console. It’s in a box somewhere in the spare room.”
Heather settled onto one end of the couch and took a bite of pizza.
“Do you need help?” Suzy asked. “I’d hate for you to be stuck looking into boxes and the food to get cold.”
He hesitated. Being in such close proximity with Suzy while his brain already refused to see her only as a friend was a bad idea. But there were a shit ton of boxes to glance through—none of them labeled.
“Sure,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “The quicker we find it the better.”
Suzy set down her plate then followed him down the hall and into one of two guest rooms. She stood in the doorway with her fists anchored to her hips. “I don’t see any boxes. From here, it looks like everything is neat and in its proper place. Never figured you for such a tidy guy.”
“No? You thought I’d be the type who came home and kicked his shit everywhere? Dirty clothes on the floor and dust on the nightstand?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Besides, it could still be true. It’s easy to keep a guest room that’s never used clean. Harder when it’s your own room.”
“If you don’t believe me, I can show you my bedroom.” He pressed his lips together so he wouldn’t crack a smile. A pretty blush stained her cheeks and sparked fire in his veins.
What he wouldn’t give to pick her up, carry her across the hall, and toss her beautiful little ass on his bed. Then he could really show her what kind of guy he was.
Dropping her gaze to the warm wood on the floor, she snorted and pushed her way past him. “Down boy. I might be here to play games, but there are certain ones I refuse to play. Besides, your sister’s waiting.”
If Suzy were home, she’d lean back against the couch and unfasten the top button of her jeans. Between the pizza, chips, and chocolate, she’d probably put on five pounds.
But at least she kept kicking Duke’s butt in video games. It didn’t matter what they tried. She was the fastest on the racetrack, had the best aim at the duck hunting, and her cute little princess character currently had the most stars with one turn left.
Duke mashed the buttons on his controller and muttered under his breath. His character fell off a cliff and disappeared from the screen. “Come on,” he said. “You rigged the game. I don’t know how you did it, but there’s no way you’re this good at everything we play.”
Grinning, she lifted her shoulder and kept her focus on her character sweeping into a bow on the screen. “What can I say? I’m just that good.”
Heather yawned. “As entertaining as it’s been to witness Duke get his ass handed to him over and over, I need to go to bed. It’s been a long day after a long drive. Do you guys mind if I head to my room?”
“Go for it,” Duke said. “I’ll clean up. You have everything you need?”
“Sure do.” Heather stood and stretched her arms above her head. “Hope to see you tomorrow, Suzy.”
“No doubt you will. I hope it’s a little less chaotic.”
“Me and you both. Goodnight.” She gave her brother a quick hug, waved at Suzy, then disappeared down the hall.
The screen announced Suzy’s character as the winner then flashed to black. She set her controller on the coffee table. “Maybe I should get going too. You must be tired from all that losing.”
He snorted and set his controller next to hers before leaning back into the sofa cushion. “It’s still pretty early. You don’t have to run off just because Heather went to bed.”
Suzy noted the time on the clock under the television. She should head home. The day had taken a toll on her as well, but she couldn’t tear herself away from the comfy spot on the sofa beside Duke.
“You have another game you want me to beat you in?” she asked, enjoying the easy banter that always existed between them.
He rolled his eyes and hooked an arm over the top of the couch. “You’re too funny.”
Tingles of awareness rippled through her body. She wished she could lean back and let his fingertips brush the top of her shoulders.
Sighing, Duke pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut for a beat.
Her insides twisted into knots. He’d been his normal jovial self for most of the night but there’d been an undercurrent of tension. As though the three of them had made some silent agreement not to speak about the horrors of the day.
But with Heather gone, that imaginary agreement seemed to have dissolved. “Are you okay?”
He opened his eyes. “Because of all the butt kicking?”
She shook her head but held back any more questions. He knew what she meant, and if he wanted to talk about what was going on in his head he would.
He sighed again and pressed his lips in a tight line. “Chaos is exactly what I’m worried about and I don’t know how to stop it.”
“Is this about your ex-girlfriend?” She held her breath as she waited for him to answer.
Moving his jaw back and forth, she could practically see the wheels churning in his head. “I’ve been running from Chrissy a long time. It’s what brought me here. I figured if I put enough distance between us, she’d finally let things go.”
“But that’s not how it’s worked out, huh?”
He shook his head. “Apparently not.”
Unable to resist temptation any longer, she leaned back and relished the warmth of him so close to her body. He smelled of garlic and a hint of orange peel.
“You’ll figure out how to deal with her.”
His eyes narrowed. “How can you be so sure?”
“Problems always get solved one way or the other. Most the time it’s the sitting around, figuring out how to solve it that’s the hardest…that takes the most time. But no one likes that icky feeling. And now that she’s forced your hand, you’ll find a way to end the problem.”
Amusement lifted his eyes brows. “Icky?”
“Yeah, you know that feeling in the pit of your stomach.” She pressed a fist to her gut to emphasize her point.
“It’s like the craziness of kamikaze butterflies who won’t stop bombing your stomach lining, but without any of the warm fuzzy feelings.
But you’re too scared to make a move because you aren’t sure which is the right one and which is the wrong one. You’re stuck in the ick.”
His warm chuckle skimmed the side of her neck. “Doesn’t sound pleasant.”
“It isn’t, which is why you’ll eventually find a way out of it. And when you do, the problem will get resolved.”
He let out a long breath. “As absurd as it sounds, you do make sense. I got to get out of the ick.”
“Exactly,” she said, grinning. “And now that I’ve shown you the light, I should head home.”
“Are you sure? You can crash in my room if you don’t want to be home alone tonight.”
Butterflies of her own swarmed to life at the invitation, but if she spent the night at Duke’s bed, she’d want him in it with her. Any other arrangement would just be disappointing.
“No thanks,” she said, jumping to her feet. “I’m not the one with a crazy ex running around town.”
“Not sure I believe that. There’s got to be a cowboy or two you’ve left brokenhearted.”
Oh boy, he had no idea about the shitshow that was her past dating life, but it was always her heart that seemed to be broken. The cowboys she fell for leaving her far behind while they searched for their next big ride.
She forced a smile to her lips. “A story for another time, my friend.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” He stood and brushed a few stray crumbs from the thighs of his jeans. “I’ll walk you out. And not to sound like too much of a worrywart but will you let me know when you get home?”
Warmth spread from her chest and morphed her smile into one a lot more genuine. “I will.”
She walked to the front door and slid on her shoes before shrugging into her jacket. “Thanks for tonight. It was fun.” She lingered for a beat, not wanting to leave.
Duke shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and nodded. “It was—well, except for the constant losing.”
“Nah, that was the fun part.” She let her eyes lock with his moment longer than she should then forced herself to open the door.
Where a giant fireball engulfed the mailbox at the end of the driveway without a soul in sight.