Page 45 of Love on the Line

Wyatt shot a you-better-stay-put glance in her direction, then filled the saucepan with water and turned the burner on high.

She took a big sip of wine and counted to ten in her head.

He took a packet of ground beef out of the refrigerator and dumped it into the pot she had tried to get him to use for the pasta. With the water boiling, he broke up the spaghetti noodles and tossed them in. Next, he opened the jar of Ragu and poured it over the raw meat.

Her stomach turned. Oh my God, he couldn’t be serious. She jumped to her feet. “I’m sorry, but you’re not even following the directions now. You don’t put—”

“Whoa.” Wyatt held up a hand. “Are you kidding me? Even after I told you I didn’t want your help, you still have to butt in.”

“Yeah, because I can’t sit here and watch you do this all wrong.”

A hissing noise came from the stove as water boiled over from the tiny pot onto the hot burner.

Wyatt whirled around and cursed. He grabbed the handle of the saucepan and moved it to another burner as foam poured all down the sides.

Anne bit her cheek as an I-told-you-so wave of satisfaction rose inside. That’s what he got for not listening to her and yelling at her for trying to help.

His back to her, Wyatt gripped the microwave above the stove, taking a deep breath.

She swallowed and regretted the gloating thought.

He slowly turned and faced her. “This wouldn’t have happened if you’d let me cook without interrupting.”

“That’s not true.” She shook her head. “I told you before what the problem was, and you refused to listen.”

“You know what the problem is?” Wyatt took a step closer so that only the counter stood between them. “Your need for perfection.”

“My what?” She jerked her head back.

“You heard me. Things have to be perfect, or you’re not happy.” He gestured to the stove. “Sometimes things aren’t perfect, but so what?”

“I don’t—”

“Just listen.” He held up a finger. “Some of my longest touchdowns came from botched plays. The quarterback fumbled, or someone fell down, and I got the ball. None of that was planned, but it turned out great. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Her insides boiled. This had nothing to do with her. “I don’t think there’s a coach alive who would suggest playing a sport without a plan.”

“Damn it. You don’t get it. It’s not about football.” He closed his eyes for a minute, then opened them. “Think about pacemakers and penicillin. Both accidentally discovered.”

“Now you’re really losing me. How did we get from touchdowns to medicine?”

He looked up at the ceiling and she could swear this time he was counting to ten. Finally, he said, “My point is that people learn through their mistakes. If I’d ruined the meal, I’d have figured out a way to fix it and felt a hell of a lot better than with you jumping in and taking over.”

Her gaze went to the overflowed pot and the raw meat soaking in Ragu. This was bullshit. She’d only tried to help avoid exactly what had happened, out of concern for his feelings. “Maybe you would have fixed it, but not everyone is as lucky as you. Some of us have to work really hard to be successful and aren’t naturally talented at everything they do.”

“What?” His eyes widened.

“Look at your life. An only child, a revered jock all through school, and then a superstar athlete. Do you even know what it’s like to fail at something? Because I sure do.” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “You have talent in spades, and even at the bar, when you were out of your element, you managed to come out on top. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to work at?”

“That’s an easy one.” Wyatt huffed. “Us.”

* * *

Anne gasped and took a step back. “Wh-what?”

Damn he hated the tears shimmering in her eyes, but she’d pushed him to the limit. His pulse pounded in his head. “It’s the truth. But for the record, I didn’t skate through life. Talent only goes so far. I busted my ass every day to become a successful athlete. So yeah, I do know what it’s like to work hard.”

She pressed her lips together and gave a quick nod. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

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