Page 71 of Wanting a Family Man

Cloe absently helped her, then held her in a loose cage of her arms, supporting her as she stood on her wobbly legs, clinging onto Cloe’s T-shirt.

“You think we should stop.” She read it in Trystan’s starkly hewn profile.

“Not because Glenda knows. I don’t think what we’re doing is right, Cloe.” His gaze met hers and an arrow shot straight through her, leaving a trail of fire.

She was astonished by how much it hurt to hear that. To feel it. To be rejected by someone she had only just began to believe she could trust with her heart.

It’s not right.Because she wasbad?

She looked to the water, holding herself still as she tried to deal with how much pain she was in.

“I’m sorr—”

“Don’t,” she cut in sharply. “We agreed it was no strings. It’s fine. I’m not upset.” She was deeply upset. “I’m only sorry she found out. I hate people speculating on my intimate behavior. It’s gross.”

“She won’t say a word.”

It didn’t matter what Glenda said or didn’t say. Cloe would know Glenda was watching and wondering about them. That she would now be a witness to the fact that Trystan had dumped her. ShelikedGlenda. Somehow that made it worse.

“Cloe.”

She refused to look at him, concentrating instead on emptying the sand from Storm’s shoes, while continuing to hug her.

“We knew it was a bad idea.” She forced herself to meet his penetrating gaze and offered him a flat smile. “We knew it would be awkward afterward, but I don’t want it to be. It’s fine. We’re fine.”

Heavy raindrops began to fall. She seized the excuse to pack up without saying anything more.

She must have released a sigh as she shouldered her pack, though, because Trystan glanced at her.

“Tired?”

“I’m fine,” she lied again. She shouldn’t be tired. She was on her feet all day, but hiking was a different demand, one that her body wasn’t entirely primed for. Her heel was getting a blister and her shoulder and thigh muscles were aching from the first leg of the hike. She was kind of dreading how long the walk back would be, especially now that this gloom had settled between them, but all she said was “I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Trystan gave a jerky nod. “You’ll tell me if you need to rest.”

“Yup.” Absolutely fucking not. She would grit her teeth and pound out every single step to get back to theStorm Ridgeas quickly as possible so she could sulk in private, thank you very much.

They left only their footprints on the beach and started the climb up to the trail.

Cloe should have been worried about the wolf. On another day, she would have been jumpy and turning her head at every little creak of a branch or plop of a raindrop.

Today, she trudged on in a misery of her own making. Why had she made any overtures toward him at all? They could still be friends if she hadn’t ruined it by begging him to make love to her.

She cringed at how needy she had been. No wonder he wanted to cut her off. She was like some kind of parasitic vine that was encroaching all over him and his life.

Ugh.And why was she letting her inner voice talk to her this way?

Her silent rage must have been keeping her warm because she didn’t realize how damp and cold it had become until Trystan stopped at the waterfall.

“Will you make sure her hands are covered?”

Storm was fast asleep. Her mouse hat covered her hair and the rain fly was keeping her dry, but Cloe gave her sleeves a light tug over her curled fists and made sure her track pants were pulled all the way down to her ankles.

“Good to go,” Cloe said, but Trystan didn’t go.

He turned and looked at her as though he wanted to say something.

All she could think was that he would make it worse, so she brushed past him and crossed the creek without any help, then started up the long zigzagging path on the other side.

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