Page 54 of The Long Game

"Duane-the-doodle?"

"Yeah, why not. You said I can have anything I want."

"You can."

The memory has me rattled. My mind is completely eclipsed with every thought about how this happened and why he’s done it. How close he will now live to my parents…but also to me.

He stole my dream house. That won’t go unnoticed.

I need to get my mind clear. I need space to breathe and try to adjust to this new reality. He won’t be moving in tomorrow. There are still a couple of months left in the season, if they make it to the playoffs. I have time to wrap my head around Tucker Evans closing the distance between us. Where are his feelings for me now? How do I feel about him? I am a bundle of nerves.

As soon as everyone has finished eating, I wait the adequate amount of time to say my goodbyes. I am on a tight deadline and with all the distractions of today, I need to close the blinds in every window of my office, use some breathing methods to get Tucker and the McKinny house out of my head for a while, and get back to work. Or better yet, maybe it is a good day to work from home.

I stand and excuse myself, giving the technically accurate reason for departing before everyone is done visiting, opposed to the real reason I need to leave the cafe. I start in on my goodbyes and explanation for leaving when Tucker pulls out his wallet andhands Sabrina his Black Card to pay for everyone’s meal. He whispers something in her ear, and she nods.

I’m about to make my exit from the table when Tucker quickly makes his way behind me and pulls back my chair. I catch my mom smiling sweetly at Tucker and his chivalrous act. If only she’d seen how chivalrous he was with the woman at the bar in New Orleans. Or for that matter, the way he is with any woman for the last fifteen years of his life.

I can feel the bitterness about the house purchase raging in me. I know that thinking that way about Tucker isn’t fair. No, I haven’t seen him go above and beyond for a girl, mostly because none of them ever held him to it. He could have tripped them into a puddle so he could walk over top of them to avoid getting his shoes dirty, and they would have thanked him for it.

I’ve never seen him attentive to a woman. Not like how my father is with my mother, or my brother is with Brielle. Or…how he was with me at the lake house all those years ago.

And earlier, when he thought I might be pregnant…with someone else’s baby. He jumps at the chance to make sure I am taken care of. To put me first. Always.

My mother’s grin has a warm feeling spreading through my heart right now and I want to run away from it as fast as possible.

Why is he doing this to me?

"I’m going to walk Lexi out. I’ll be right back," he informs everyone as I step past him toward the exit.

He catches up to me in two large footsteps and his huge hand covers my entire lower back as he leads me out. This time, his hand is lower than it was when he led me into the café. His fingertips just slightly gliding over my butt.

I can’t keep letting my body make the calls when I’m close to Tucker. I have to keep my thoughts straight and right now, I have a house-sized bone to pick with him.

I can’t help myself. Now that we’re out of earshot, I let my frustration vent.

"What the hell was that, Tucker?"

"I bought a house in Chicago. What’s wrong with that? I always told you I planned on coming back here. The opportunity just fell in my lap."

"Oh really?! It just magically fell in your lap. Real estate isn’t like horny woman, Tuck. Their faces don’t just magically fall into your crotch."

"Whoa, Lex…" he says, grabbing my arm gently to stop me.

I turn to face him, crossing my arms over my chest, glaring back at him since he thinks he can pass this off buying a home like that on a whim as normal. None of this is normal.

"That four-million dollar home hasn’t been owned by anyone other than a McKinny for over a century. You’re trying to tell me that the opportunity just presented itself to you?"

"Really, four million is your guess? That’s damn close."

He’s attempting to use flattery as a way to tear down my defenses, but I won’t be distracted.

"I don’t assess many residential properties in my line of work, but yeah, that would be my first guess without seeing comps in the area. It would be a hell of a lot more if it was updated. Please tell me you didn’t pay more than that? If you did, it was highway robbery and I’ll be sending my mom over to have some words with Mr. McKinny."

"Then I’m not telling you what I paid."

"Oh my God. You did," I say, shaking my head and glancing away from him.

"Can you just let me explain?" he asks, taking a small step forward. "Tomorrow night?"

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