fourteen again. What she really wanted to do was tell him where he could shove that offer, but she didn’t have much choice. She would have to accept help. Just when she thought she could breathe again, she was stuck. With him of all people.
“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But I won’t hang around long. I’ll go when and where I want.”
He frowned. “Take as long as you need. I have an extra bedroom.”
She didn’t say anything else but tossed clothes into her bags. She picked up a picture of her brother, Cameron, and Thrand when they were younger and noticed the small frame was broken. She clenched her teeth. Dammit. She would not cry.
Thrand took it from her, shook off the broken glass, and touched Cam’s face. Then, without a word, handed it back to her without meeting her gaze.
Getting all her stuff back in her bags didn’t take long, but one important thing was missing. She held back the scream that had been slowly building and searched through the tiny room again.
“What else is missing?” His brows furrowed.
She fisted a hand in her hair. “My camera. Looks like they took it, too.”
Unable to spend one more minute in the place, she gathered up her meager belongings. She and Thrand got in his truck and were headed to his place before he spoke.
“I know a lot of people here. I can help you get a job.”
The windows were down and the warm air whipped her hair wildly around them. She grabbed at the strands and used a ponytail holder to pull it into a messy bun. “I worked at the diner back home for five years.”
That earned her a grin that reminded her of the old Thrand. “Ruth & Pops? I loved that place. I still think they had the best root beer floats ever made.”
“I remember you and Cam getting run out of there more than once for being too rowdy.”
“But they always let us come back. Pops told Ruth we were just being boys.”
“Ruth said she let you return because I was always with you guys.” She was pretty sure their eyes met, but once again, he had his dark glasses on. She rubbed the leather cuff she wore on her left wrist.
Silence hung heavy between them.
Was he ever going to say anything about Cam’s death?
Chapter 2
T hey had just gotten into his house when the doorbell rang. Thrand opened it and, before he could do anything, Trina threw herself at him and kissed him full on the mouth.
“Where have you been? I wanted to surprise you this morning, but you were already gone.”
He forced her back.
Buzzkill cleared her throat. “Hey, I’m Cassie.”
“This is Trina,” Thrand said and ignored Cassie’s accusatory look.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Trina asked, hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Cassie’s bags on the couch, then widened when she saw his shirt on Cas. She whipped around to face him and her red face said it all. “This is the final straw, Thrand.”
“Final straw? Trina, we were never a couple. You know that.” She had to be one of the worse one-night-stand decisions he’d ever made. The only thing she had going for her was big tits.
If it was possible, her face got even redder. “Really? Is that how you see it?”
“Yeah…Maybe you should leave now.” With a little smile, Cassie slid up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Thrand was speechless. All he could concentrate on was the press of Cassie’s body against his. Trina cussed him, stomped off and slammed the door. But he was more interested in the girl behind him playing her charade. She looked up at him, her eyes dancing with laughter, her lips curled up just slightly.
“Maybe you should pick your girlfriends better.”
He had the urge to taste those lips so close to his and it stunned him. This was Cassie, his best friend’s baby sister. The one he’d sworn to protect but had left to fend for herself after Cam had died. There was no way in hell Thrand would go there. Somehow, that didn’t stop him from imagining those
“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But I won’t hang around long. I’ll go when and where I want.”
He frowned. “Take as long as you need. I have an extra bedroom.”
She didn’t say anything else but tossed clothes into her bags. She picked up a picture of her brother, Cameron, and Thrand when they were younger and noticed the small frame was broken. She clenched her teeth. Dammit. She would not cry.
Thrand took it from her, shook off the broken glass, and touched Cam’s face. Then, without a word, handed it back to her without meeting her gaze.
Getting all her stuff back in her bags didn’t take long, but one important thing was missing. She held back the scream that had been slowly building and searched through the tiny room again.
“What else is missing?” His brows furrowed.
She fisted a hand in her hair. “My camera. Looks like they took it, too.”
Unable to spend one more minute in the place, she gathered up her meager belongings. She and Thrand got in his truck and were headed to his place before he spoke.
“I know a lot of people here. I can help you get a job.”
The windows were down and the warm air whipped her hair wildly around them. She grabbed at the strands and used a ponytail holder to pull it into a messy bun. “I worked at the diner back home for five years.”
That earned her a grin that reminded her of the old Thrand. “Ruth & Pops? I loved that place. I still think they had the best root beer floats ever made.”
“I remember you and Cam getting run out of there more than once for being too rowdy.”
“But they always let us come back. Pops told Ruth we were just being boys.”
“Ruth said she let you return because I was always with you guys.” She was pretty sure their eyes met, but once again, he had his dark glasses on. She rubbed the leather cuff she wore on her left wrist.
Silence hung heavy between them.
Was he ever going to say anything about Cam’s death?
Chapter 2
T hey had just gotten into his house when the doorbell rang. Thrand opened it and, before he could do anything, Trina threw herself at him and kissed him full on the mouth.
“Where have you been? I wanted to surprise you this morning, but you were already gone.”
He forced her back.
Buzzkill cleared her throat. “Hey, I’m Cassie.”
“This is Trina,” Thrand said and ignored Cassie’s accusatory look.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Trina asked, hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Cassie’s bags on the couch, then widened when she saw his shirt on Cas. She whipped around to face him and her red face said it all. “This is the final straw, Thrand.”
“Final straw? Trina, we were never a couple. You know that.” She had to be one of the worse one-night-stand decisions he’d ever made. The only thing she had going for her was big tits.
If it was possible, her face got even redder. “Really? Is that how you see it?”
“Yeah…Maybe you should leave now.” With a little smile, Cassie slid up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Thrand was speechless. All he could concentrate on was the press of Cassie’s body against his. Trina cussed him, stomped off and slammed the door. But he was more interested in the girl behind him playing her charade. She looked up at him, her eyes dancing with laughter, her lips curled up just slightly.
“Maybe you should pick your girlfriends better.”
He had the urge to taste those lips so close to his and it stunned him. This was Cassie, his best friend’s baby sister. The one he’d sworn to protect but had left to fend for herself after Cam had died. There was no way in hell Thrand would go there. Somehow, that didn’t stop him from imagining those
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