Page 18 of Oops, I Fell For The Town Bad Boy!

“Maybe it would have been better if he had. At least then you and I wouldn’t have had to go through all this, trying to sort it out.”

Taylor sipped her coffee. “You know what?” she said. “For someone who doesn’t like me commenting on the fact that you haven’t changed, you really have not changed very much.”

“I’m trying to keep this friendly,” Kane told her. “Would it kill you to do the same?”

“This is you trying to keep it friendly?”

“It’s not exactly easy for me, you know, being back here in Miller Creek after everything that happened,” Kane said.

“No,” Taylor agreed. “I guess it wouldn’t be.”

“Maybe we should just try to stay out of each other’s way until I can go back to Detroit.”

“In which case, I probably shouldn’t go see Thomas Greely with you.”

“No, I think I can handle that on my own,” Kane said. “I’ll let you know what he says about the idea of you buying the house.”

“Thanks,” Taylor said. “I appreciate that.”

“Is it all right if I take a cup?” he asked her. “Or are the dishes here yours too?”

She rolled her eyes. “They were Jason’s,” she said. “You’re welcome to them. And I’ll look the other way on a cup of coffee to go, if you’d like to take one with you.”

“Thanks.” He poured some coffee into a travel thermos and screwed on the lid. “I’ll be back right after my meeting,” he said. “I’m not going to spend any time in town, because I don’t want to risk running into anyone I know.”

“I’ll be around,” Taylor said. “I don’t have work today.”

“Great. See you later, then.”

He walked out before she could say anything else.

This was going to be difficult. He had gone into the kitchen this morning intending to keep things pleasant between the two of them, and that hadn’t lasted more than a minute. He still wanted to maintain good energy, but it was starting to seem more and more impossible.

Maybe having a few hours out of the house today would help. It would give them both some time to think, to adjust to their new reality. At least, he hoped that was what they would do with their time apart.

Being back in Miller Creek had seemed dreadful from the moment he had realized he would have to come. But now, sharing a house with Taylor Levine for weeks on end… it was hard to imagine anything more difficult. Kane wished there was some way around it, but he could think of no better solution. He would just have to get through it.

CHAPTER 10

TAYLOR

The dog nosed at Taylor’s hand. She looked down at it, frowning. She hadn’t seen Kane give it breakfast, and she realized now that she had no idea what, if anything, it needed.

“Do you want to go outside?” she guessed.

The dog perked up at the word.

So she had guessed right. “Okay,” Taylor said. “Come on.”

The dog was remarkably well-behaved. It followed her out into the yard and then trotted off to take care of its business. Taylor watched it go, feeling thankful for Jason McCormick’s fenced-in backyard. At least she didn’t have to take the dog for a walk — she would have felt funny about doing that without speaking to Kane about it first.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket. He had said that he didn’t want anyone to know he was back, but she had to talk to someone. She hesitated before making the call — was she betraying him by doing this?

But then again, how could she possibly betray him when she didn’t owe him anything?

“What’s up?” Maddie’s voice was brisk when she answered. “I’m out for a walk. Did you want to join? I could swing by your place and pick you up.”

“No, I… I don’t think I can go out.” It occurred to Taylor that she didn’t know whether or not the dog could be left alone at the house. Kane hadn’t said. “I’m sort of dog sitting.”

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