Page 51 of Scorched Secrets

She blew out a breath and turned to lean back against the granite counter. “Claire isn’t my mother, and to her credit, she never tried to be. She’s a nice lady and makes my dad happy, which is important. I wouldn’t want my dad to grieve forever or choose to live the rest of his life alone. I’m truly thrilled they have each other.”

He could tell she was being completely honest. To a point. “But,” he prompted.

“But she is really focused on her family. I—tend to be an afterthought.” She grimaced. “That makes me sound like I’m twelve and jealous. I’m not. But I’m also not comfortable around her for an extended length of time. Spending the Memorial Day weekend here with them was two days too long. Holidays are about all I can handle.”

“I see.” And he did. “You must miss being part of the family.”

She nodded slowly, grief shadowing her blue eyes. “Yes. I dearly miss the family I had. I miss my mom every day.”

“I miss my parents too.”

“I know, and what you went through was even worse, Colin. At least I still have my dad.”

“You can’t compare your grief to mine; it’s not a contest. I have my family, and Rhy was phenomenal in keeping the siblings together.”

“He was.” Her smile was sad. “I know my dad was very impressed with the way Rhy and Tarin stepped up.”

“That’s nice to hear.” He’d idolized her dad back then and had nothing but respect for him now. “And I want you to know I’m here for you, Faye. Any time you need me.”

She dropped her gaze to the floor. “That’s very sweet. You’re the nicest guy I’ve ever met.”

He didn’t necessarily want to be the nicest guy, he wanted more. Her sadness tugged at his heart, and he couldn’t help pulling her into his arms. The fact that she moved toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist, gave him a secret thrill.

“I’m here,” he repeated, whispering in her ear. “I care about you.”

She didn’t answer, which made him wonder if he’d stepped too far over the line. He was about to apologize when she pulled away, just far enough to kiss him.

Heat flared as he deepened their kiss. He’d always admired her smart mind and dedication to caring for patients. Getting to know her these past couple of days only deepened his feelings for her.

The sound of a car door slamming shut had them jumping apart. Dazed, he glanced toward the door facing the road. He caught a glimpse of Aiden’s truck in the driveway.

“Um, my brother is here.” His brain was still foggy from the impact of their kiss. He did his best to clear his mind as he made his way to the door.

While wishing Aiden had taken longer to get here.

Much longer.

Chapter Twelve

Wow. Just...wow.

Her knees weak, Faye leaned back against the counter for support. She’d thought Colin’s first kiss was amazing. This one had been ten times better. She pressed a hand to the center of her chest, willing her thudding heart to settle down.

She wasn’t sure why his kiss had provided such an impact. She’d been married. Now divorced. Yet she could say with complete honesty that Rory’s kiss had never made her feel like this.

More proof she’d rushed into marriage with the wrong guy.

Colin greeted his brother as if nothing had happened between them. Maybe he hadn’t been knocked off balance the way she had. She listened as he explained the key code on all the entrances before leading his brother inside.

“Hi, Aiden.” She was relieved her voice sounded steady. “It’s nice of you to come.”

“Not a problem.” Aiden smiled. “I’ve been gone a lot lately, so I’ve missed out on most of the fun my older siblings have had.”

“Fun?” Colin shook his head. “They’ve all barely managed to escape with their lives.”

“What do you mean?” She frowned, glancing between the two brothers. “They were all in danger?”

“Yeah.” Colin shrugged. “Mostly because the women they were determined to protect were in harm’s way.”

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