Lumberjack Weekend(Divine Creek Ranch 21)(65)

“I promise I’ll call you,” she whispered, and then kissed them both before she backed away. She needed time to process the strange twists and turns her life had taken recently—by herself. They watched her as they climbed into the truck, and she still felt their eyes on her as she turned to deal with Bodie.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself to withstand his sweet country-boy charm. He still had his hands shoved into his jeans pockets, and he gave her that sheepish grin as she approached. He’d won her over once upon a time with his winsome smile, but she wasn’t falling prey to it again.

“Hello, Violet. You’re looking fit for a costume party tonight. I guess I caught you at a bad time. Sheriff Stinson told me about what happened today with your windows. I’m sorry about that.”

She shook her head. “My employees had everything back to normal in record time, from the look of things inside. Bodie, when we talked on the phone, I thought I made it clear—”

He reached out to stroke one of her curls, and his expression fell, his heart showing in his eyes and the set of his mouth. “I had to see you in person, baby. I needed to talk to you about this. I need… Is there any way we could go to your place?”

Deadly mistake, girl. “Rudy’s is still open. Why don’t we go there?”

His sad eyes showed a glint of humor as he glanced up at her face. “I wouldn’t mind showing up with an adorable anime character, but I think you might draw more attention than you want.”

She groaned, recalling the makeup again and sighed heavily. The body paint was starting to crack and peel a little, and she was itching inside her jeans. “Okay, but Bodie this is not turning into a booty call.”

He held up his hand. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

And likely your most charming behavior, as in trying to charm me out of my panties. It won’t work, you smooth-talking devil.

He followed her to her house and met her at her trunk as she popped it open and reached inside.

“Here, let me get that for you.” He pulled her suitcase from the trunk and followed her up the steps. “So you were away for the weekend? You gonna share about what you were up to?”

“No,” she said, determined to say no more about it. There was no reason for her to justify going away for the weekend.

He took off his cowboy hat and gazed out across the residential street and then looked down at his boots, and she couldn’t believe she actually felt bad for him, worrying or wondering what she had been off doing for a whole weekend. “Was it those guys? You were with them?”

Ignoring his question, she slid her key in the lock and flipped the switch inside the door, illuminating her modest home. “Would you like something to drink?”

“A Ziegenbock?”

“Sorry, I don’t have any.” She’d tossed the last two from her refrigerator in the trash the evening after she’d talked to him on the phone. It’d been smart to throw them out because she knew he’d ask, hoping she’d kept them…just in case. “I have Bud Light and iced tea.”

“I’ll take a Bud, if it’s no trouble,” he replied, his tone modulated and hellaciously sexy. That voice could charm the panties off of most red-blooded women. She, however, was not falling for it. “I felt terrible after our phone call the other day, baby. I wanted to work things out with you.”

She handed him his beer and waited until he sat on the couch and patted the spot beside him. She took a seat in the upholstered chair nearby. Resting her chin in her hand, she sighed. “Work what out, Bodie? You were pretty clear about what you wanted, and I was clear about what I wanted.”

He put his elbows on his knees and leaned toward her so that, if he got the green light, he could stretch the last little distance to kiss her. She eased back and sipped her iced tea, glad she hadn’t gone ahead and made herself a margarita. The tequila would have to wait until after he’d gone. She needed all her faculties around her.

Bodie was good at showing what he was feeling, and as he cast his gaze around the living room, she knew he was reliving moments they’d spent together in every room of her house. Good times that had led to a broken heart.

“You need Victor in your life, don’t you?” she asked softly, her heart going out to him, not wishing for him to hurt.

He nodded. “But I want you in my life, too.”

Shaking her head, she said, “I gave everything I had to our threesome. I loved you first, but I did love you both by the time he pulled the rug out from under me. I felt so dumb, thinking I could gain his love given time. I naively believed we lived the ultimate fantasy on a daily basis.” Now I know better.