Limping around the island, she pulled up one of her new stools and rested her elbows on the countertop. He refilled her coffee before setting a frying pan on the stovetop. She sipped her coffee and grinned. “I like the view.”
Flicking off the towel without ceremony, her riotous laughter exactly the response he was going for, he cracked a few eggs in the pan, going about making breakfast.
16
Red Zone
“Readyforthis?”Finnshifted into park, turning to Haley as she stared ahead at the house. Grady and Claire’s house suited them. High ceilings, tall windows, but a cozy cabin vibe. An expansive field overlooked the valley beyond.
Haley sighed, then linked her hand with his over the center console. “A little weird, not having to hide anything. I guess there’s no reason to pretend we’re not having sex, now that they all know we’re having a thing.”
“I suppose I could have waited on top of that cliff for someone else to saunter down to you, maybe throw you a few bandaids and let you climb up on your own,” he teased.
Haley rolled her eyes, landing her gaze on his. “Even if we weren’t having a thing, I suspect you would have been down just as fast.”
“Almost as fast. The others were moving that direction. I may have knocked some of them out of the way to get to you.”
“Either way, with the gossip mill around here, I guess it was inevitable.” She released his hand and climbed out. Grinning over the roof of his car, she asked, “Your family probably knew from day one, didn’t they? From what I hear, it was Zoe’s suggestion?”
“Pretty much. They’re still ragging me about that bulk box of condoms.”
“Aw, that’s nice.” She met him at the front of the car. “I guess I could say I wish my family was that honest, but I don’t want to give Patricia any encouragement.”
“No useful tips? I mean, it sounded like she was about to reveal the big secret to keeping a man happy.”
Plugging her ears, Haley chantedLa, la la la la.
Spinning her around, he gripped her hips. “Okay, I give. Actually, please don’t share any of her tips. Bad enough she scarredyoufor life.”
“I’m sure if you let her know you’re out of a relationship, too, she’ll be happy to impart some wisdom on you.”
“Please no.”
“Actually, I know things ended amicably, but, I just realized, Foothills is a small town. Who is your ex? It might get weird if, well, you know, if I bump into her sometime. We did jump in pretty quick.”
Shit. Now’s as good a time as any. Chest rising and falling with lead caked heavy over his ribs, he opened his mouth to answer.
Saved by the bell. Asher and Sophie pulled down the driveway. From the front door, Grady hollered, “Stop making out with my sister and get in here. Appetizers are ready.”
Finn backed up a step and linked hands with Haley. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that, actually. Later.” He cringed, hating putting it off again.
She was going to be pissed. Especially when she found out he’d been officially single for a matter of hours before hitting on his ex’s oldest friend. Not that he’d known who she was. And things had been over with Trace, long before she ended it.
Haley dropped his hand and dashed toward the house. Hanging back, he watched as she headed up the front steps, her cotton slip dress clinging to her hips as she moved, the draped back tied together with a simple knot. Not once in his life would he have commented on a woman’s style, or even noticed, but Haley wore clothes like a summer breeze brushing through a field of daisies.
A slap on his shoulder woke him from his daydream, well-timed before his imagination ran wild. Asher pushed him forward with his momentum. “Just picture it. A few weeks from now when you’ve moved on, she’s moved on, and you don’t get to gawk like that anymore.”
What was that supposed to mean? He accepted the push toward the door and walked with him. “Hey. Rebound. Living in the moment here. And whatever happens, when I’m old and bald and can’t get it up anymore, I will have plenty of memories to keep me entertained.”
Sophie snuck up behind him and slapped his opposite shoulder. Leaning across to Asher, she said, “Give him a break. He’s not about to risk ruining Claire’s birthday.”
Asher whined, “But I haven’t gotten to mess with him since I kicked his ass in physics class. My hurricane totally crushed his bridge.”
Swinging open the door before Grady could open it, Finn rolled his eyes. “You know, I thought I’d be bummed when you graduated early, and we couldn’t carpool to our running start classes anymore, turns out, it wasn’t so bad.”
Sophie ran ahead to join the others, ignoring their infantile banter. Nearly matched in height, Asher rubbed his hand over Finn’s hair like the obnoxious big brother he never had. “Aw, poor Finn. Didn’t get to ride to school with his cool upperclassman friend anymore. Didn’t know how to charm your way into straight A’s all by yourself. All adorable with his steady girlfriend instead of playing the field like me.”
Jamming his elbow into Asher’s middle, Finn leaned back and whispered, “I haven’t told her about Trace yet.”
