Page 41 of A Kiss for Carter (The Laws of Love 3)

“I feel soawful.”

Carts had slowed his step to prolong the walk to their cars when Judith’s words made him glance at her.A tight little frown knitted her brow.“How could I not know?She’s mysister.”

“Sometimes things hide in plain sight,” he said.“Even more so, I reckon, when we’re close to someone.”

“That’s so true.”Her lips quirked ruefully.“They look so perfect together.And so happy.I can’t believe I didn’t twig, Pippa always talked about this girl in the netball team, how amazing a player she is.I thought that was just Pip, she’s so enthusiastic.I missed the signs.I’ve missed them for years.”

“Like what?”

“Like how she’d change the subject whenever I asked about boyfriends.And she always refers to guys as knuckleheads and douchebags.”

“She’s right.We are.”Carts thought about the countless nights wiping himself out at the pub with Aaron and Dan.Yep.Utter douchebags.

“I just assumed she hadn’t met the right guy… like, how one-eyed can you get?”She groaned and tapped her forehead with the heel of her hand.“Here I am thinking I’m this coolwokeperson and I just assumed… urkkkk, I am soashamedof myself.”

He laughed gently.“You’re just like me.”

“In what way?”

“You take too much responsibility for other people’s happiness.”

“Oh, you do that?”A moment’s pause.“It feels like I’ve really let her down, that she couldn’t talk to me…”

“Maybe she wasn’t ready to.”

“Maybe…” They’d reached her little red hatchback and she turned and leaned her back against the door, smiling up at him.“And thanks.”

“For what?”

“Listening to me angsting.And being so cool and calm about the whole thing.”

He gave her a perplexed look.“Why would I be any other way?”

She hesitated.“I don’t know.Except… Mark was always so judgemental, I guess.He has a tolerance quota that’s—” she squeezed her forefinger and thumb almost together, “this big.”

Carts decided Pippa’s summation was right.He did sound like an A-grade prick.

“I’ve been too forgiving over the years,” Judith continued on a sigh.“His dad left when he was small and his mum brought him up and worked three jobs to keep them afloat.I always make excuses for that… he wouldn’t be like this if blah blah hadn’t happened.”

“Everyone has tough things happen in their past.”He felt a prickle of envy that she should still care enough about this guy’s feelings to defend him.“Eventually we all have to accept we’re an adult and take responsibility for our actions.”

She sighed.“I get that more than you can imagine.”She leaned her back against the door of her car and the evening breeze whipped gossamer tendrils across her face.She peeled them back, strand by strand, with her fingers.How he loved all the tiny details of her.Precious, and committed to memory.

“Talking to you has really helped.I’d have gone home and kept beating myself up about this, but now… I feel easier.”

His scalp prickled with the compliment.“Thank you.”

“No, thankyou.I really like that we’re getting to know each other better, you know, at a deeper level.”

“Me too.”It was impossible not to notice how enticing her lips were, even though he was really focused on her mind right now.“Guess I’ll see you Friday evening at yoga, then.”

“Yes, of course.”She rummaged in her bag for her keys.He kept his distance; he couldn’t risk another chin to head bump.She found them and then lifted her face.Suddenly he was drowning in the misty softness of her eyes.The messages from his chakras scrambled into one hot mess somewhere in the region of his groin.He tried to move the energy higher, into his heart, not his freakin’ dick, but his body had other ideas.Should he kiss her, not kiss her?Cheek?Lips?Shite.

Then Judith said, “Would you like to come to dinner tomorrow night?”

“That’s Thursday?”

“Yes, tomorrow is Thursday.”She cocked her head.“Unless you have something else on?”

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