“But there’s three of them.”
“More the merrier, I’d say. So what are you going to do about it?”
What could she do about it except get together with them and hope they felt the same way about her? She was about to tell Melody that when she heard the knock on the front door. “Hey, someone’s at the door. I’ll talk to you later.”
“You’d better call me again real soon. Don’t you dare leave me hanging. Christy, I’m serious—”
But she’d already ended the call and was rushing to the door. She could sense that irresistible tug coming from the other side. Her skin tingled and her body’s adrenaline kicked in. If she was right, she’d drag them inside the apartment and finish what they’d started at the pond.
She swung the door open. “I’m so glad you came.” Her heart plummeted to her stomach.
“Aw, now isn’t she the sweetest thing?” Milly stood in front of Grant.
His gaze met hers before jerking away.
“Hi, Milly. Grant.” She didn’t know what to think or how to act. “Would you like to come in?”
“No, thanks. We’re just here to pick up the keys to the pickup.”
What was with Grant? Why was he letting Milly do all the talking?
“Oh. Sure.” She dug into her pocket and pulled out the keys. “Um, thanks for letting me borrow your truck, Grant.”
He nodded, but still kept his gaze away from hers. What was with the silence? Should she take it as a sign that he wasn’t as interested as he’d seemed?
Milly handed the keys to Grant. “Well, then, we’ll be on our way. I dropped off some more groceries earlier, but let me know if you need anything else, okay?”
“Sure. Will do.” She tried to put a cheerful spin on things, but it felt like she was dying. Was he trying to avoid her by having Milly with him?
Milly and Grant turned around to leave. She waited, urging Grant to turn back and say something, anything. When he stopped and faced her again, she took in a deep breath and held it. Milly hadn’t noticed Grant turn back and continued on her way toward the diner.
“I just want to say I’m sorry for what went on by the pond.”
His light brown eyes held all the power in the world. Power that could make her do anything he wanted.
“I’m not.” She’d speak the truth. Come what may.
He blinked, then tilted his head to the side. “You mean that?”
“Yeah, I do. But I do regret one thing.”
He looked disappointed. Almost hurt. “What’s that?”
“I regret that you didn’t join us.”
He took a couple of steps toward her, making the sizzle he always gave her warp into high speed. When he stopped, she wanted to yell at him to keep coming.
“Christy, promise me you’ll stay inside tonight.”
She wanted to promise, wanted to make him happy. Yet the flash of anger at him for not taking her into his arms wouldn’t allow it. Instead, she thrust out her chin in defiance. “I’ll do what I damn well please.”
Taking one last look at him, she slammed the door. Tears coursed down her cheeks.
If he really wanted me, nothing would’ve stopped him.
* * * *
Christy peered out the window again.
Shit. I’m getting to be a reverse Peeping Tom.
Although she’d seen nothing to compare to the events of the previous night, the town was noisier. Every now and then, she’d hear boisterous laughter, shouts of rowdiness, or see people coming and going to Milly’s diner. She suspected the citizens were livelier than normal.
“So this is what the amber moon does to people, huh?” She slipped on the sundress, having taken a cold shower after Grant had shown up and left. Cold showers may work for men, but it didn’t do anything to douse her growing need to find them and finish what they’d started.
Her stomach growling was the perfect excuse to do what she’d wanted to do since Grant had gone. Snatching up the key to the apartment, she hurried toward the diner, checking the shadows in the alleyway.
She came to a halt when she spotted a man on top of a Dumpster. Yet, unlike most of the men she’d watched from her window during the day, he was calm and composed. He sipped on a beer and tipped his hat to her.
“Howdy, miss.”
“Howdy yourself.” She inched her way past him, careful to keep him in sight.
“Can I help you with anything?”
“No. No, thank you.”
“You going to the diner?”
She wanted to believe that he was simply an inquisitive type, but her gut told her a different story. Although she didn’t get the same sense of danger she’d gotten with Merle and Gabe, she suspected that he wasn’t hanging out on top of a Dumpster for the fun of it.