Page 123 of The Runaway Bride of Blossom Branch

Years before, she had survived his leaving her behind. She wasn’t sure she could handle it a second time.

The more recent experience had marked her midtwenties. It left her with questions. And regrets. Now here he was again.

He cleared his throat. “You can trust me, Laney. I would never force you to do something that makes you uncomfortable.”

“That’s not the problem,” she said bluntly. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you. But I won’t be some pitiful groupie grabbing a quick lay so I can have bragging rights.”

His scowl was dark. “Don’t do that. Don’t minimize what we have.”

She muttered a rude word and stood with her arms wrapped around her waist. “Whatdowe have, Brit? A string of mostly impersonal emails and texts? A teenage love affair that’s a decade in the past? Two separate lives that only intersect once in a blue moon?”

Was she trying to stoke an argument?

If so, Brit didn’t rise to the bait. He rolled to his feet and confronted her, his face expressionless. “I’ve been awake for almost twenty-four hours. If you don’t mind me staying the night, I’d like to get some sleep.”

Well, heck, that was blunt enough. She swallowed her hurt pride and nodded. “Get your bags out of the car. I’ll make sure your room is ready.”

The guest room was completely clean and neat. Even so, she smoothed covers and grabbed a set of towels from the hall linen closet. The towels found a home on the ladder-back chair beside the window. She pushed aside enough hangers in the closet to make a spot for Brit’s things. There wasn’t much she could do about the Christmas decorations on the floor underneath. She hadzilchstorage space.

After rearranging and stacking boxes, she straightened, holding a metal reindeer that she normally put on the porch for the holidays.

When Brit walked into the room, she clutched the chunky piece of decor to her chest. He raised an eyebrow. “It’s March, Laney. Did I miss something?”

She rolled her lips inward, trying to look stern, pretending with all her might that she hadn’t found a minute to fantasize about climbing into that small bed with the man in front of her. “I was making room for your things, that’s all.”

“I didn’t bring much.”

For the first time, she saw sheer exhaustion on his face. He must have been flying for hours. “Make yourself at home,” she said. “You can have first shift in the bathroom. I’ll try not to bother you in the morning.”

Something flashed in his eyes. A look she couldn’t decipher.

“Are you still at the bank?” he asked.

“Yes.” She wouldn’t apologize for her unimaginative career. It was a solid job with health insurance and good benefits. Compared to how she had grown up, she was practically living in luxury now.

He rubbed a hand over his tanned face, then stared at her with a laser gaze. His irises were dark green, an unusual color speckled with hints of amber. “Is there any way you could take the day off tomorrow? I’ll be here in Blossom Branch until Sunday evening. After that, I’ve got a room booked near the airport, because I fly out of Atlanta very early Monday morning. I’d like to spend time with you, Laney.”

Wow. He wasn’t dancing around the issue.

What did Brit want from her?

“You could have asked ahead of time, instead of springing it on me,” she muttered.

“Maybe I was afraid you’d say no.” His bleak honesty revealed a hint of vulnerability.

She wanted so badly to believe that she was special to him. How pathetic was that?

“It’s not my Saturday to work,” she said slowly, weighing the personal risks of playing with kryptonite. “By the way, what did your mom get?”

“Excuse, me?”

She gave him a teasing look. “Well, you gave your dad a fishing boat, so I was just wondering...”

“Ah...” Even exhausted, his smile held a kick. “I’m flying her and my dad to England and Scotland in September...for the whole month. She’s giddy with excitement.”

Laney felt a twinge of envy. “Well, I guess so. That’s an incredible gift.”

Most people who were acquainted with Brit’s mother knew she was a longtime anglophile. She had even named her sonBritainSheffield. He used the full moniker for his screen name, but here at home, he would always be Brit.

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