Page 21 of Whispers and Wildfire
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“I’m not. I just want my seat.”
“And I want to catch up with Theo. It’s been a long time.”
“Oh look, something over there.” Theo shuffled his papers into a pile, grabbed his beer, and stood. “Why don’t you sit here, and I’ll go… anywhere else.”
“Way to make it awkward,” I said to Luke as Theo went to the bar and slid onto a stool.
“Me?” He dropped into the chair Theo had vacated. “You’re the one too stubborn to move.”
“Says the man who just took his brother’s seat.”
“Because you won’t leave.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What is this all about? Are you still mad about the other day?”
“What, when you pulled out into traffic and would have caused an accident if I didn’t have lightning-fast reflexes?”
“No, when you were driving too fast—as usual—and almost hit me.”
“How would you know how fast I drive?”
“I know you.”
It was his turn to narrow his eyes. “No, you don’t.”
“I beg to differ.”
“What could you possibly know about me? You left a long time ago to live your fancy life with your fancy husband. You don’t know the first thing about me or my life. Or this town.”
“Ex-husband.”
“What?”
“He’s my ex-husband.” I held up my hand, palm facing me, to demonstrate my lack of wedding ring.
A flicker of emotion crossed his features, but despite my claim to still know him, I couldn’t read it. Was it anger? Satisfaction? Triumph? It irritated me that I didn’t know.
“Is that why you’re back?” he asked.
“Yes, and that obviously bothers you.”
“It doesn’t bother me.”
My lips turned up. “You’re such a liar. You just called dibs on the entire town.”
“It is my town.”
“And you don’t want me in it?”
Glancing away, he blew out a breath. His crossed arms accentuated his broad shoulders and toned biceps.
Not that I noticed.
Fine, yes, I did.
“I’m not that much of a jerk.”
