Page 41 of Found By You
She grunted and then rolled her eyes again.
Her eyes narrowed.
Behind her, I could see Kayla watching our exchange with undisguised interest.
“You know what? I have to go talk to someone, but we’ll catch up later.” Rose stalked away.
I was glad that my burst of meanness had scared her off, because I wouldnotlisten to her talking about how she was McCrae's girlfriend. No way.
It wasn’t long before McCrae was at my side. He grabbed a piece of celery for himself, and then he picked up the tray that I had finished. “I’ll go put these back on the table if you want.” He gave me the kind of look that said,Are you okay? You just talked to my ex.
I nodded. “That’d be great.”
The rest of the party was pretty uneventful. I was grateful that Isla, Ella, Kayla, and McCrae’s mom always made sure I had someone with me. They would point out people, telling me factoids and bits of gossip.
The house grew warmer as the night progressed, the windows fogging slightly from the heat of so many bodies. The living room had transformed into an impromptu dance floor, with couples swaying to slower songs. Outside on the deck,groups gathered in conversation, their laughter carrying on the night breeze.
I watched McCrae moving around the room, shaking hands and smiling, and I was happy to see him having a good time.
I noticed that Rose left, and that made me happy too. Even though I didn’t know about my past, I knew that if I had a say in anything, I definitely wanted McCrae in my future.
Chapter 19
McCrae
By the time we pulled up to the lake house and walked to the door, it was past midnight. The night air was cool and crisp, carrying the scents of pine and water, but it didn’t take the edge off my exhaustion.
Sky yawned. “Did you have a good party?”
I smiled at her. “I did have a good party.”
I punched in the code, and then we walked inside. The familiar atmosphere of home welcomed us, a stark contrast to the crowded, perfume-filled air of the party we’d just left.
“Did you have a good time?” I asked, turning to her.
I thought about the fact that I’d had a mini breakdown at the party. About Rose. To her.
She smiled. “I had a great time. It was fun to get to know your mom and sisters-in-law and sister. Plus, random people from the town would introduce themselves. Of course, all of them knew I have amnesia and that I’m staying with you.”
I tossed my keys on the counter and then glanced at her, remembering how I’d kissed her. I hated letting things just go without saying anything.
I rubbed the back of my head. “Look, I—I was out of line back there. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I was just, I don’t know … I was thinking about it at the party, and I don’t—I don’t want to be that guy. I mean, you don’t even know who you are. You don’t know if you’re in a relationship.”
The soft glow from the small lamp in the corner caught the red highlights in her hair. Her eyes, tired but bright, watched me carefully, reading every expression that crossed my face. “It’s fine.”
I shook my head, suddenly feeling all keyed up. “No, it’s not fine. I—I’m a police officer, and you’ve trusted me. I’m not going to betray that trust.”
“McCrae, it’s fine.” She turned away and walked down the hallway. “Let’s talk more in the morning, okay?”
I watched her disappear into the guest bedroom, and I felt like I was going insane.
After I locked up the front door, I went back to her room and lightly knocked on the door. “Listen, I’m going to go row on the lake, so I won’t go too far. I just wanted to let you know.”
Suddenly, the door opened, and I saw that she had already changed into shorts and a T-shirt. She grinned. “Can I come?”
I had not been expecting that. “What do you mean?”
“I want to go out on the lake,” she insisted, reaching back and grabbing tennis shoes. “I can row, or I can just sit there, but don’t leave me. Let me come.”
