Page 111 of Five Alarm Love
Stepping to the side, she gestured him inside and shut the door, shooing Frost away.
He spun and faced her.“What did you do?”
Rocking back on her heels, she bumped the door as she lifted a hand.“About what?”
He held up his glowing phone.“This.What is this?”
Suddenly, she couldn’t speak in front of him.Her shyness swamped her.“I-I… yeah, maybe that was a bad idea.Making assumptions.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up.“I want to know what you mean by it.”
Wasn’t it obvious?She took a big breath.“I jumped to conclusions earlier.”She shook her head.“When that… picture… showed up online, all my past baggage showed up.Memories of my last relationship and how Ryan had publicized my personal information.”
“I’m sorry that happened.I swear that I didn’t—”
“I get it.Truly.I know that it wasn’t you.There’s nothing to forgive.”She heaved in a deep breath.
“For real?”
“Yes.You’re all over social media, but you’re true blue when it comes to the people you care about.You protect the privacy of folks who don’t want their info out there.I get it.I appreciate that you care about my privacy.”
His brows drew together as he stood in front of her.“But just now you… put up a post?”
“I wanted to meet you where you were.”
“Online?”
“You know what I mean.”
He opened his mouth, paused, and asked, “Can we sit for a minute?”
When they walked to the loveseat, she noted his more pronounced limp.He really might have run here from the reception.What had that cost him?Was he injured?His leg okay?
She wanted to ask, but at his core, Tuli was a proud man who had weathered enough from life and from Lou’s treatment.She had no right to ask him anything.He’d share about himself when he was ready.
He sat and faced her.“You didn’t have to do that.”
“The post?I did need to do it.”
He frowned.“Why?”
“Partly to prove to myself that a little social exposure isn’t going to kill me.Also, to prove to myself that you’re not that guy.”She took a shuddering breath.Took the leap.“I wanted to show you how I feel in a way that was meaningful to you.”Was it too late?Could she still salvage what they had?He might not even want to try.
He gave her a sideways grin and rested his arm on the back of the loveseat.“I mean, your picture you just now linked to my page got fifty thousand likes and shares in ten minutes and that’s pretty impressive.It might be a record for The Real Alaska.”
Oh.She took a deep breath and shoved down the raw, exposed feeling.That was a lot of people who had opinions about her.“Well, apparently I’m an influencer.”She laughed.
He barked out a laugh.“Well, you certainly influence me, Lou.”
“Hopefully, it’s a thumbs-up?”
“Way up.”
She rubbed her face and sobered.“I’m still not sure if this is fair to you, Tuli.In grade school, when we used to rope other kids into playing house with us, I always wanted to be a mother.You wanted to be a father.”
“Yeah.”
“I still want that.But I can’t have it.”
