Page 32 of Kellan & Emmett
His head tipped, catching me watching him. And there it was—the smallest flicker of a smile, gone almost before I caught it.
“Wouldn’t be the worst spot,” he said. “Better view than some of the motels I’ve stayed in.”
I huffed, shaking my head. “Pretty sure Rick would run you off before the sprinklers did.”
Kellan’s grin widened, just enough to show he remembered. “Wouldn’t be the first time we got run off somewhere.”
My brow rose. “Oh yeah?”
“Don’t play innocent. Who climbed the fence with me at the old drive-in, swearing we’d just hang out for a while? And who nearly broke their neck trying to scramble back over when the manager came at us?”
A snort slipped out before I could stop it. “You’re the one who caught your jeans on the fence.”
“And you left me there,” he shot back, grin tugging wider. “Some best friend.”
Heat pricked my neck, half from the memory, half from the way his eyes lingered on me now. “You were the one who saidjust five more minutes—every damn time. You made it sound like the world would end if I didn’t give in.”
“And you always did.” His voice dipped, softer, not quite teasing anymore.
For a second, it felt too close to the bone. I broke eye contact, cleared my throat, aiming for lightness. “Guess some of us had a hard time saying no.”
That pulled a huff of laughter out of him—quiet, surprised. Against my will, the corner of my own mouth twitched too.
Not much. Barely there. But enough.
It was the first time in twenty years that we’d both smiled in the same breath.
My chest tightened, the ache too familiar.
Don’t fall for him again. Don’t.
But the warning in my head was already drowned out by the way his eyes held mine.
Gravity. That’s what it was. The same damn pull that had wrecked me once already.
I dragged in a breath, forced my arms tighter across my chest, like I could hold myself together with sheer will. This is temporary, I told myself. He’ll coach for the summer, then he’ll be gone again.
But another thought slid in anyway, traitorous and quiet.
Maybe not.
I hated how much that whisper lit something in me.
“So what now?” The words slipped out sharper than I meant. I loosened my jaw, tried again. “I mean… you planning to crash at the inn forever? It doesn’t exactly come cheap.”
His mouth twitched, not quite a smile. “Are you kicking me out already?”
“I’m saying…” My arms tightened, fingers biting into my own elbows. “You didn’t check out. And if you’re serious about hanging around here for the summer, you’ll need a plan that’s not bleeding your savings dry.”
He watched me, like he was trying to gauge if this was an opening or another wall. My pulse thudded too loud in my ears.
I forced the words past it. “You can help out at the inn, maybe pitch in with some chores around the place…” My throat worked. “I could… adjust the rate.”
It came out gruff, practical, like I was just running numbers. But the heat in my chest gave me away.
Because this wasn’t about rent. It was about wanting him close.
His brows lifted. “You’d really do that?”
