Page 21 of Falling For The Enemy (The Gilbert Curse)

Ever since Conrad had returned to Gilbert Corners, he’d noticed a change in how Dash was running the company. And after Rory had woken from her coma there had been more changes. More focus on the communities and people. More giving back.

The man he’d met today had been sincere in a way that didn’t surprise Kit that much, as Dash was known in the business world for being ruthless but fair. What had kind of thrown him was the humble love he had for his sister. It was painting a different picture of Dash in his personal relationships. Which was the type of relationship his brother and father would have had with Lance Gilbert.

So had they read Lance wrong or was Dash different? Though Kit remembered very clearly Aunt Mal calling him, crying as she informed him that Dash had been driving the car that had killed his brother.

“Do you know what happened at the party?” he repeated.

“I don’t. Your father just said that the Gilbert heirs started a fight with Declan, and Lance was furious,” Aunt Mal said. “Did they tell you more?”

“No. I didn’t ask and I haven’t told them I’m related to Declan.” Kit was doing this for his brother and his intention had always been to avenge his death in the car crash. But it had been easier before he’d met Dash in person. They’d competed in some business deals and Kit had won a few, but this was different.

Dash was a loving and caring man with Rory. Which was more shocking than Kit had expected it to be. He remembered his father had been the same demanding man at work and at home. It was hard to reconcile Dash as two different men. But the Dash he’d met wasn’t a cruel or vindictive man around his sister. He was loving.

“What’s going on with you?” Aunt Mal asked suspiciously. “Is it the girl?”

“Nothing is going on with me. You know I like to have all the facts before I make a move. It feels like there is more to the incident between Declan and the Gilbert heirs than we know,” Kit told her. “I need more information.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Aunt Mal said with a sincerity that Kit didn’t doubt. The two of them had tried to piece together the truth. But his father...might have been an unreliable source of information since he’d been drunk most of the time. “Are you staying for dinner?”

“Actually, I’d love to takeyouout to dinner,” he said.

She smiled. “That’s my boy. Shall we say the Club at seven?”

“Perfect. I’m going to go back to the office until then. If you dig up anything else on that night, let me know.”

“I will. But really I’m not sure what else we need.” She shrugged. “We know that there was a fight at the Manor and that the cousins all piled into a car that crashed into your brother’s car—killing him and injuring most of them. Except for Dash, who ruined your father and left us with nothing.”

His Aunt Mal’s summation wasn’t wrong. All of that had happened that night, and Kit had been left picking up the pieces.

Rory had decided she wasn’t going to worry about kissing Kit; she found herself sitting in her bed two nights later doing just that. She wondered if she should hire someone to teach her to kiss better. At the time it had felt sort of natural and she’d thought she was doing it right, but Kit hadn’t called or texted since he’d left.

Of course, she knewshecould text him.

Indy and Elle had wanted to know more about Kit but Rory hadn’t really known what to say. Had she been the kind of woman who liked to talk about her feelings before? Who knew? She definitely wasn’t that type of woman now.

But she did want to talk to Kit.

She was hesitating... The question was why. Why?

Then, after mulling it over, the truth finally dawned on her. She wasscared. Fear had wormed its way into her mind and her heart. She was thinking of all the reasons why Kit hadn’t reached out to her and she had to wonder if maybe he felt the same way.

Not about kissing her. He had been a really good kisser, so that wouldn’t be a fear. Maybe he was afraid she didn’t want to hear from him again.

She picked up her phone and saw the picture of the blackberry pie she’d taken and then the picture of her and Kit that he’d snapped when they’d picked the berries. Using her fingers, she zoomed in on the photo on Kit’s face. She looked into his eyes and tried to see what he felt.

As if that had ever worked.

She was going to text him. She had heard via Indy that there was a Goth night coming up at the speakeasy next week. That sounded like fun and like something she hadn’t done, so she was definitely going. She was going to text him before she lost her nerve.

Rory: Hey. You up?

Kit: Hey. I am.

Rory: So...there’s a speakeasy in GC and they have a Goth Night coming up next week. Want to go with me?

Kit: Yes. But I don’t want to wait until next week to see you. And I totally spaced on helping you with your cabinets. Can I stop by tomorrow?

Rory: That’s cool. I refinished them and started rehanging the doors. But could use your help with a ride to the hardware store.

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