Chapter 11 Everett #2
“What about my car?” she asks.
“He said the part’s on back order,” I tell her. “Be about two weeks until he gets it in, but he’ll have it delivered to the ranch when it’s fixed.”
Her brows raise in annoyed surprise, and I see the muscles in her jaw tick as she grinds her teeth.
“Two weeks?” she huffs. “I’m just supposed to leave my car in the middle of nowhere for two weeks?”
I shrug, wishing I had something better to offer her. I’m pretty good with engines most days, but a stalled out computer isn’t something that can be fixed without a replacement part. The only option is to wait.
“Sorry,” I say quietly.
I don’t look at her as I say it, too scared for her to see my whirling thoughts in my eyes. She doesn’t answer me for a long moment, and I don’t raise my eyes from the concrete between my feet until she sighs roughly.
“Fine,” she bites out. “Let’s go meet Tony, then.”
She marches right past me, and I scramble to follow her. I don’t watch the way her hips sway in her skirt even though I trail a few steps behind her. Part of me still feels guilty for thinking about her like that, and part of me is terrified to accept that I really do want her.
I’ll have to do something to make this better, but now isn’t the time.
The walk back toward the diner is silent, and we thankfully only have to wait a few minutes before Tony’s ancient truck rumbles up to the curb in front of us. I pull the passenger door open for Mary, but she ignores me completely and opens the door for the back so she can slide into the bench seat.
“Tony,” she says, her usual smile plastered across her cheeks. “God, am I glad to see you.”
“Happy I could come to the rescue,” he says with a laugh.
I try to tamp down my frown as I climb into the passenger seat. Tony’s seen me in many stages of my usual grouchiness, and he won’t be surprised at my bad mood. I just don’t want to invite any questions. Let him assume that I’m tired and annoyed, like usual.
“Just get us back to the ranch,” I grumble, leaning back in my seat. “Been a long damn night.”
Mary scoffs from behind me, and I sigh at the noise. She’s sitting right behind me, and I can see her glaring at me in the side mirror. Her mouth is curled into a pout, brows furrowed, and the sight both annoys me and makes me want to laugh fondly.
She shifts to stare out the window as Tony heads toward the highway.
The ride is silent save for the rumble of the motor and the little whistle of the wind coming in where the weather strips on Tony’s windows are starting to decay.
I pretend to look out my own window, but I’m just watching the way Mary’s face goes from frustrated to resigned to flat out exhausted in the mirror.
Her eyes are starting to slip closed by the time we turn onto the dirt road that leads to the ranch.
20 minutes of total silence, something I wouldn’t have thought Mary capable of just a day ago.
It’s the longest damn car ride of my life.
As soon as Tony parks, she climbs out of the cab. Her boots are on the ground before I can even get my seatbelt unbuckled and pat Tony on the shoulder in thanks. He shoots me a puzzled look as I rush to get out of the truck.
“Ms. Bryce!” I call out.
She’s already making her way toward the house, and I really have no clue what I want to say.
When she turns to look at me, though, I figure that’s probably fine.
I’d have forgotten anything I wanted to say the second she met my eyes.
There’s no excitement on her face, none of the bright joy I’ve become so accustomed to.
All she gives me is a tight-lipped, perfectly professional smile.
It makes my stomach flip.
“I wanted to—”
“If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Riggs,” she cuts me off casually. “I really need to get back to work. I didn’t bring my laptop with me yesterday, and I haven’t had a chance to check my emails. I’ll find you if anything comes up that needs your attention.”
She turns on her heel, and all I can do is watch her trudge up to the house and disappear through the door.
I almost want to run after her, to apologize and blurt out every single thought that’s been bouncing around in my head since last night, but I’m frozen in place.
Maybe it’s for the best, in the end. She’s here to do a job, after all.
And last night may not have meant anything to her. A moment of passion, nothing else.
It might be best to let sleeping dogs lie in this situation. What happened last night can stay in the past, where it’s safe. It can be a memory.
Part of me, though, wants more, wants to know if there is more.
Was that kiss just a kiss? A brief flare of physical attraction and opportunity combining at just the right moment, or is there something else here?
It could just as easily be my mind searching for things to fit my own desires, but if I walk away from this when it could be something real…
I don’t know what’s more terrifying.
Would it be harder to be wanted and to have to actually try again, or to let go of the first thing I’ve wanted for myself in so long?