Page 56 of Bad For Me (Rock Canyon, Idaho 5)

“Well, I guess I’ll take off then.” Dalton looked like he wanted to do something more, but his gaze was latched onto Everett. “You’ll make sure she gets home safely?”

“Yeah,” Everett said.

Dalton said a soft good-bye and loped toward his truck.

“He likes you.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Callie said. “Besides, he’s just a kid.”

Everett gazed down at her intently, and she squirmed under his scrutiny.

“What? He is.”

“He looks grown up to me,” Everett said.

“Are you jealous?”

“No, because I know he doesn’t mean anything to you.”

“Why? Because you can read me?” Callie asked.

“Yep. Can’t you read me?”

She couldn’t. His expression seemed mild, but his gaze was filled with heat. But was that anger or . . .

She blushed. Had he been thi

nking about last night too?

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For taking off this morning without even a howdy-do.”

“Oh, that,” he said. “Yeah, I went back to check on you, and you were gone. I figured I’d scared you off.”

“No!” she cried. “I mean, I just needed to get home. Really, you were super-sweet.”

“Sweet?” He looked horrified. “Sweet is the kiss of death for a man.”

“Not to me.”

The hand on her elbow moved up to her chin, tilting her face up until their eyes met. “I am sorry, Callie.”

He sounded so earnest, his eyes so pained, that she didn’t want him hurting. Not for something that wasn’t his fault.

How can you readily forgive Everett, who you hardly know, and not yourself?

Because Everett had sought help and was working on his PTSD. Tristan had ignored his symptoms, lied to her, and cost her everything because of it.

“You didn’t really hurt me, just startled me,” Callie said. She realized that his hand had slid up to cup her cheek, and she was actually leaning into his touch. When had that happened?

“I was just going to head home and watch some TV. Do you want to join me?”

Her invitation seemed to surprise him, but it surprised her too. She really liked him. Callie had a feeling that if she was ever going to trust any man again, it would be Everett.

“I can’t,” he groaned.

---