Page 39 of Falling For The Enemy (The Gilbert Curse)

She almost let it go. But if she was going to let herself fall for him, then this wasn’t the time to be timid. “So why don’t you want me to meet her?”

He turned and the look on his face was...well, more complicated than Rory had imagined it should be. She was introducing him to the people who were important to her so why was he reluctant to reciprocate? True, both Con and Dash had been forcefully trying to get to know him...but still.

“It’s not that exactly,” he said.

For the first time since they’d met she wasn’t sure she believed him. She took a deep breath.

“I know my family is about to show up and we have a party to host, but what’s the deal? Are you embarrassed by me in some way? Am I good enough for Gilbert Corners but not for—”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re perfect and a Gilbert, so when have you ever not been enough?”

She didn’t like the sound of that. “I’m not a Gilbert with you, Kit. I’m Rory. And I’ve not been enough a lot lately.”

“You’re all I need,” he said roughly as he came over and took her into his arms. “And regarding my aunt... It’s not you. It’s me.”

“You? If you’re close she must love you and want you to be happy,” Rory insisted, trying to understand what he meant.

“She does. But...as you said, we don’t have time to get into the details. But the night my brother died changed my family forever. My aunt and I united in our grief, trying to get the people responsible to pay for their actions.”

“Oh, Kit, that sounds horrible. Like you’ve been carrying this for a long time. Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.

“No, Rory.”

“So your aunt doesn’t want you to date?” she asked, still confused. His refusal of her help sounded harsh. Like she was the last person he’d want help from. Or wasshethe one confusing things?

“She doesn’t care about my personal life. She just cares about our agenda,” he said, a thread of pain in his voice.

She put her hand on his shoulder as he was about to turn away from her. “And what is her agenda?”

He took a deep breath and something in the air changed around them. She wondered what it was he was hiding. Because she suddenly realized he was.

“Revenge.”

She shook her head. “That’s not you, Kit. You’re not someone who goes after people. I mean you helped me, a stranger, without even knowing my name.”

There was no way she could reconcile in her mind what Kit was trying to say. Kit had been kind to her from the start. He’d been generous when she’d asked for his help in Gilbert Corners.

He was a man who didn’t hesitate to offer aid. That was who he truly was. And hearing this...well, it filled in the gaps a little bit. The lonely man who seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders would grapple with revenge.

“But I did know your name, Rory. I knew you from when we were children, remember?”

“Did you know it when I approached you?” she asked, having believed it was when she’d said her name that he’d connected it to who she was.

“I did.”

“Oh. So...what are you trying to say?” she asked.

The doorbell rang. That was probably Dash and Elle. Her brother was always early.

“Go answer the door,” he told her. “We can talk after everyone goes home.”

She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to put this off, but she also didn’t want to have this type of discussion while her brother waited outside.

“Okay. But I’m not going to let this go,” she warned.

“I’m not either. It’s time I told you everything,” he said.

Everything?That sounded ominous to her. “Will we be okay after?”

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