Page 81 of Hotter 'N Hell

“I love you.” The words fell from my lips. I hadn’t meant to speak them out loud. But they came anyway.

He stilled. His hand stopped. The silence around us became deafening.

Then, his hands slid under my butt, and he stood, carrying me in his arms to his bedroom. With extreme care, he laid me down, then slid in beside me, cradling me against his chest like I was precious. Something he wanted to keep close always.

Thirty

Jude

Staying focused on Lemon Lackey, who was telling me about the fire station her deceased husband had worked for and how they’d dedicated a new truck to him, was difficult. I did my best to nod at the right time and say the appropriate words. I had no idea if I was successfully fooling her because Crow was too close to Saylor. Talking to her as if they were in a private conversation. His head tilted down, his shoulder almost brushing her arm. Too close. There were other people to talk to here. Until Saylor, he’d barely spoken to anyone.

I unclenched my teeth and smiled at something Lemon had said because she was smiling, so it seemed like that was what I should be doing. Saylor threw her head back and laughed. Crow inched closer. My hands were fisted at my sides. I uncurled each finger, counting backward from twenty.

“Father, I brought you some of my fudge cookies,” Sibby’sirritating voice rang out.

Saylor’s gaze finally shifted from Crow to look my way. Her eyes darted from me to Sibby. I felt the other woman touching my arm, and I knew if I didn’t stop staring at Saylor, people would notice. They’d talk. I turned to Sibby, forcing another smile.

“Uh, thank you,” I said.

She handed one to me, then put it up to my lips. Either I was going to open or she was going to shove it between my teeth. I let her put the cookie in my mouth. When I flickered another glance at Saylor, she was listening to Crow again. Why the fuck was he so chatty?

The cookie tasted like sandpaper as I swallowed, then held up a hand to keep her from forcing more into my mouth. “Thank you, but I’d better eat dinner first. Don’t want to ruin my appetite.”

She made a show of wrapping it up for me in a napkin, then tucking it in her purse.

“Father, the food is ready,” Lora Gail called out.

I turned to see if Saylor could hear that over Crow’s incessant talking. Seeing her heading this way with him behind her gave me a little relief. I wanted to wait on her. Take her with me. Put my hand on her back and make it clear that she was mine. But I couldn’t.

Daniel got in line behind me. I asked about his week, doing my best not to listen for Saylor’s voice. To hear what Daniel said and respond properly. But she laughed again, and every muscle in my body locked up, the all-consuming rage pounding in my veins, making me want to plant my fist in Crow’s face.

Taking a drink, I didn’t even know what I’d put on my plate. I went to take a seat at one of the picnic tables.

Saylor, you’d better bring your sweet ass over here when you get your food.

I sat so that no one could sit on the end of the bench beside me,but left enough space so that I could move over for Saylor. Just in case the table filled up before she got here.

I waited for her to turn and look back at me. I used my eyes to cut toward the seat beside me. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth before she looked away.

Watching her walk away at three in the morning into the darkness had been difficult. She slept in my arms for two hours. I had wanted to keep her there more than I wanted my next breath.

She’d told me she loved me.

She loved me.

Crow’s talking to her didn’t mean anything. She wanted me. Not Crow. His hand touched her back, and I had to grip the edge of the table to keep from bolting up and stalking across the space and breaking his arm.

Saylor tensed and stepped out of the way so that his hand had to fall away. It was a smooth move, as if she had practice at it. She probably did. What man could look at her and not want her? Then, when he got to know her he’d been addicted.

She took a glass of lemonade, then began walking toward me. Sibby was suddenly taking the seat on my other side, entirely too close. I scooted to make sure there was enough room for Saylor, moving my cup over further so that Sibby had to put some space between us and not plaster herself to my side.

“I have the rest of your cookie right here, Father,” Sibby said, leaning over me and placing it on the other side of my plate.

My eyes weren’t on her though. I was watching Saylor. Her steps faltered, and I could see the indecision in her expression.

“Saylor,” I called out. “Please, come sit. I wanted to ask you how the food pantry was coming along,” I said, patting the spot beside me that belonged to her.

She continued this way.