Page 7 of Undone

“Erin,” he greeted after prying apart his clenched teeth.

She ran her gaze up and down him, making him tense even more. “You look good.”

If she expected a return compliment, she would be waiting a while. But she did look good. Too good.

Of course, that pissed him off, too.

Her long dark brown hair hung loosely around her bare shoulders. She wore a yellow sundress that showed off her tan, with a wide leather belt cinched around her narrow waist. Of course, she wore cowboy boots with her skirt.

Her looks and her “all-American” girl style hadn’t changed a damn bit.

She was the same as he remembered but also different. She clearly embraced her thirties. Her maturity fit her even better than her youth. Not that—he did some quick figuring in his head—thirty-three was close to being old.

But thirty-three was a long way from when they dated back in high school.

“I ran into your mother at the grocery store the other day. She mentioned you were back in town. How long are you here for? We should grab a coffee or something.”

Coffee? Was she kidding? Like they were long-lost friends who needed to catch up? “I’m here for good.”

She hid her surprise at that news well. “I thought she said you were only here to sell your family farm?”

“That was the original plan. But…”

“Plans change,” she finished softly. “We know that only too well, don’t we?”

“Yeah, Erin, we do. Dayne and I decided to keep the farm.” She didn’t need to know why.

“Well… I’m sure your mom is thrilled that you and Dayne have come home.”

“Danica, too, since we’ll be running it as a family. We’re doing this for Mom. Dad, too. He wanted us to take care of her and that was a huge factor in our decision to come home. How about you?”

“How about me, what? I never left,” she murmured. “You know that.”

“I meant, are you thrilled I’m home?” he asked more sharply than he should. But the long-buried bitterness was bubbling to the surface.

She pinned her lips together. “I have to go. It was good seeing you, Dylan.” She turned and strode away.

“Talk about whiplash, Erin,” he called out. “You’re all open and welcoming when you think I’m only home for a minute, thenas soon as you find out I’m here to stay, your reaction changes. Are you no longer up for coffee and small talk?”

She stopped abruptly and spun on her boot heel. “Do you want the truth, Dylan?”

No.“Always.”

“Because it’s easy to fake it for a short bit of time. It’s too much work to do it forever.”

Damn.“Then don’t. I’ll be busy out at the farm turning it into a resort. I don’t have time to play those types of games, either.”

She nodded. “Welcome home, Dylan.” She turned and began walking again.

“Good to see you, too, Erin. Tell your husband I said hello,” he yelled, no longer bothering to hide the jealousy in his tone. He was done pretending.

She stopped dead in her tracks, then stood there for far too long.

She didn’t bother to face him when she finally responded, “Next time I visit his grave, I’ll pass along the message.” With that, she strode away.

He was so focused on her and what she said, he jumped when Dayne came out of nowhere and bumped a shoulder into his. “Who’s the hot piece of ass?”

Dylan pulled in a sharp breath through his nostrils. When he finally managed to loosen his jaw, he muttered, “Erin.”

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