Page 27 of Forbidden Love

Deb didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. She stood there and owned it—her past, her mistakes, all of it. And somehow, that honesty made her look even stronger.

“I burned a lot down,” she said quietly, her voice steady. “But I’ve been learning how to rebuild.”

Brock looked at her, something soft flickering behind the steel in his gaze. “Yeah,” he said. “I can see that.”

“And who was I the hardest on?” Deb tossed in, still looking at him as if daring him to disagree with what Clare was saying.

“Emily,” Clare said after a minute of hesitation.

“My own sister, so when it comes to Linda, I know exactly how she works,” Deb said, then turned to walk back into the kitchen.“Next time you want to know anything about me, instead of asking Hunter, just come to the source.”

“She’s changed,” Clare informed him. “She’s not the same person she used to be. I wish she realized that.”

Brock gave Clare a nod, his eyes still on the door where Deb had disappeared. “Do you mind boxing me up some brownies for Ben?” Brock asked Clare, pulling out his money and placing it on the counter. “I’ll be right back.”

He stepped through the door his gaze finding her instantly. The air smelled like vanilla and sugar, but all he noticed was the woman standing at the sink, sleeves pushed up, hands in the water, shoulders tense beneath the soft fabric of her shirt.

“Clare, why don’t you go ahead and clock out,” Deb called over the gentle hum of running water, not turning around. “I’ve got the closing since I was late. I owe you one.”

Her voice was calm, maybe even casual—but Brock heard the exhaustion laced in it.

“Have dinner with me,” Brock said, his deep voice filling the kitchen. He had every intention of talking to her about his questions to Hunter but instead asked her out. What the fuck was happening.

Deb froze, her hands still submerged in the water. Slowly, she turned to face him, water dripping from her fingers, confusion flickering across her face.

He hadn’t meant to say it—not now, not like that. He’d walked back there with every intention of explaining his questioning about her, but when he saw her...Have dinner with me...popped out of his damn mouth.

But as she stared at him, brows slightly raised, lips parted between surprise and disbelief, he realized he didn’t want to take it back. Not even a little.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She finally answered and then shook her head. “Yeah, definitely not a good idea.”

“Why?” Brock asked, stepping closer to her, arms crossed as he waited for an answer.

He bit back a grin when confusion flickered across Deb’s face before it morphed into full-blown exasperation.

“I think that’s obvious,” she said, flipping her suds-covered hand toward the door. “Did you not hear what was said? Linda’s got her claws out and ready. If you and I have dinner, hellfire is going to rain down, not just on us, but on your entire family.”

“Never took you for a coward.” He intentionally threw it out there, knowing exactly how she’d react. He wanted her fired up, not shutting down and running like she’d been doing.

“Excuse me?” Deb snapped, planting a soapy hand on her hip.

Brock struggled to keep his expression neutral, but damn, that was the reaction he was looking for.

“You heard me,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Is the evil Linda the only reason you won’t have dinner with me?”

“Absolutely not,” she shot back with a snort—but said nothing more.

“I’m waiting.” He was enjoying this, maybe a little too much.

She sighed. “Why in the world would you want to have dinner with me?” she deflected, folding her arms. “You don’t even know me... not really.”

“Well,” Brock said with a slow grin, “if you won’t have dinner with me, I guess I’ll just keep asking Hunter my questions.”

That did it. He watched the flicker of panic, then frustration, then resolve shift across her face. He almost felt bad...almost.

“Okay, how about lunch tomorrow?” he offered, backing off just enough. “With me, Tammy, and Ben at the farmhouse.”

She hesitated, clearly weighing her options. Finally, she gave a reluctant nod. “And if I say yes, you’ll stop bugging Hunter?”

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