Page 72 of Her Summer Hope
He cleared his throat. “There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said gruffly, not looking at her.
Em started to fuss and she knew she needed to hurry and get home. She was already later than she should have been. She had to get up early in the morning to work at the bookshop too.
“Why don’t you go ahead and go? I’ve got this,” he said, still focusing on the sink. There were only a few dishes left, but she still felt guilty for neglecting her work.
“Okay, but I want you to take a couple of hours from my next paycheck. I fell asleep, and now I’m saddling you with the dishes…”
“No can do,” he said, his back to her. “I practically forced you to come today. The least I can do is compensate you for your time.”
She didn’t like the sudden distance in his voice. It hurt, even though she knew it was for the best. There couldn’t be anything between them, not right now and maybe not ever. She had to catch up on money and the lies were piled higher than her laundry back home.
She knew instinctively that Kyle Logan wasn’t a man to easily forgive lies.
She just hoped that he’d give her a chance to explain before throwing her out, should it come to that.
“I had a good time today,” she said, wanting to ease the tension between them before she left.
He whirled around and looked at her like she was crazy. “Are you kidding? After putting up with Wyatt’s strippers and then having to cook for everyone?”
She laughed. “I believe the politically correct term is ‘exotic dancer’,” she corrected.
“Whatever,” he said, rolling his eyes playfully.
“I enjoyed spending time talking to everyone…and you,” she said hesitantly, picking at the buttons on her dress.
His eyes followed her fingers and the fire was suddenly back in them as he traced her curves with his eyes.
He was checking her out.
“I enjoyed spending time with you too,” he said. “I’d like it if we could do more sometime…maybe go for a walk along the trails or something…as friends?”
She smiled and nodded. “That sounds wonderful. I don’t have many friends,” she confided.
“What about next Saturday?”
She looked over at Emmie, who studied them both from her car seat.
“Bring Em too. It’ll be good for her. Give her a bit of exposure to the mountains before John has her rolling in the mud and eating fish caught with snake bones and shoestrings.”
She snickered as she considered it. She should say no. She shouldn’t encourage him. When he found out everything she told him was a lie, it would just hurt them both that much more.
She couldn’t though.
“Saturday is great. Noon?”
He dried his hands, picked up the diaper bag, and looped it over his shoulder. She was surprised when he flipped the car seat handle up and picked Emmie up too.
“Got your keys and your purse?” he asked, waiting for her in the doorway.
“Yep.”
“I’ll walk you out,” he said, carrying the baby and the gear as if it weighed nothing. To him, it probably didn’t weigh much at all.
She followed him out and unlocked the car. He put the seat in and allowed her to show him how to fasten the belt and latch everything in. She shut the door and opened her own.
He stopped her with a simple touch on her hand.
“Maddy, I won’t cross the line. I want you to know that,” he started before running a hand through his hair. “I’m not going to lie…I wish there could be more between us, but I won’t ever do anything to jeopardize your marriage or your home life. I swear it to you. I respect you too much.”