Page 80 of The Candlemaker

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Drinks. Family. Dessert. Countless times, I forgot why I was there—and why I wasn’t staying. And that was why, by the time I held the door for Frankie and followed her out to the car, I’d already made my decision.

“Is everything okay?” she asked as soon as we were alone.

“Yeah.” I started the engine and pulled out my phone. “Just worried about Mom.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the reason I was texting Tom.

We’re taking the Kinkade offer. Please have Judy send everything over in the morning.

It would soften the blow of leaving Frankie tonight.

Chapter Nineteen

Frankie

“What did she say to you?”

“Who?” His hand flexed on the wheel as he started to park the car. This late, there was a spot right out front of the inn.

“Lou.” Something was wrong with him, and it happened right after he talked to my sister.

Chandler got out of the car without responding, and I followed him to the entrance of the inn. I braced myself to argue—to demand answers—but the fight went out of me with a whoosh when he spoke.

“She’s worried about you,” he said low, unlocking the front door.

My throat tightened. Her and Kit and Nox. I saw the way the three of them looked at me tonight. Instinct told me they knew…something, but when it was only Lou who spoke to Chandler, I thought maybe I was being paranoid. Out of the three of them, Lou would be the last to be confrontational.Or so I thought.

“She’s always worried about everyone.” I waved off the concern and stepped through the open door. After a few steps, I stopped, realizing Chandler wasn’t behind me. I turned and found him with his arms braced on the doorframe like he had to hold himself back from coming inside.

“What are you doing?”

His eyes flickered. “What are we doing?”

I walked back to him and said, “Staying one last night at the inn.”

His body tensed. “I don’t think we should.”

A pit opened up in my chest. An impossible ache for a man I’d only known for a few weeks, most of which he’d spent being my adversary.

“What did she say?” I demanded, with an edge to my voice. I couldn’t imagine what power Lou had wielded over Chandler when he wouldn’t even sell his property to her.

“It wasn’t what she said, Frankie, it was the reminder of why we’re here.”

My throat worked to try and swallow. “We had an agreement.”

For someone who always had a plan, I sure was fighting hard for something that would be unknown come morning.

His eyes flicked up, their depths smoldering.

“No business. No relationship. No strings. Just a few nights of pleasure,” I reminded him, the twinge in my chest matching the tic of his jaw.

I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted one last night. Truthfully, I wanted more than one final night, but I was going to fight for the night I was promised.

I stepped closer, my hands finding purchase on the hard planes of his chest.

“Frankie…”

“What are you afraid of?” I murmured.

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