Page 45 of Deadly Attraction
Her grin was mocking. The tone of her voice as well.
The trail was already cold. Another day wouldn’t matter. “No, I couldn’t.”
She sobered, folded her glasses and stuck them in her top drawer. “We’ll head out at first light. Will and the dogs will come with us. I’ll be perfectly safe with the two of you, and it’s not like anyone could follow us without us knowing it.”
She stood and shoved her chair in. “I’m going to turn in. I’ve made up the bed in the spare room. You’re welcome to it.”
He didn’t want her to go, but he didn’t want to argue with her either. No way he was letting her take him to the park tomorrow, but right now, he just wanted her to sit back down and keep talking. “Who does this shirt belong to, Emma?”
She turned back at the door, a weird look on her face. “Does it matter?”
Yeah, it did. For no good reason, he was jealous. “I’m a curious guy.”
“Last Christmas, a friend stayed with me to help me through the holidays. He left a few clothes here in case he found time to return. This place is kind of a refuge, I guess you could say, for people as well as animals.”
His gut bombed. A man had stayed with her. Probably held her and let her grieve in his arms.
Mitch wanted to hit something. Then he wanted to shred the shirt. “I see.”
“He’s a good man, one who’s been there for me when things were rough. It was only a few days, but it meant a lot to me.”
He closed his laptop and shoved it away. Stood. “Are my clothes dry yet?”
“Yes, I’ll get them for you.”
“Don’t bother,” he said, walking past her. “I’ll get them myself.”
