tear.”
He ran his tongue across the inside of his teeth, debated a half-dozen responses before settling on one that seemed neutral enough. “Totally understandable.”
“It pisses me off. ” She watched as Micah and the other boys started to tumble around the yard. Despite the fact that they’d only played together a handful of times, they acted like they’d been born joined at the hip. “That house…”
Her voice trailed off and she stopped, shaking her head. After a minute, she continued. “When I saw that place, read about this town, I knew I had to come here. It was like home. Something just pulled me here and I knew I had to be here. But now, part of me wants to take off running and never look back. I hate that.”
“If you weren’t feeling something along those lines, I’d probably be a little concerned.”
She slid him a look and he just shrugged. “Who in the world could be expected to take this in stride?”
“You look like you’re handling it well.”
He lifted a brow. “You obviously aren’t a mind reader. You ever watch Scooby-Doo when you were a kid?”
“When I was a kid?” She scoffed and plucked a thread from her shirt. “I watch it now. Only the good stuff, though. Forget those stupid remakes.”
“I knew you were a woman of excellent taste.” He grinned at her. Then, tossing his keys up in the air, he caught them, tossing them up again, focusing on that simple task instead of the words that formed in his head. “Maybe I look like I’m handling it well. But if you could see inside my head, you’d know that for the past few hours, I’ve felt about like Shaggy. Right when they found a really, really bad house and Fred and Velma want to go inside, and all he can do is stand there and go, I’m not going in there. You can’t make me. ”
“Not even for a Scooby Snack?” A faint smile curved her lips.
“Not for a hundred of them.” He thought maybe she could talk him into it. For a smile. A kiss. Even if she just needed him to go in there for some reason, he’d do it. But that was about the only thing that could make him go in there willingly just then. Then he shrugged and opened the door. “Sooner or later, I’m going to have to go inside. I know it and I’m not happy about it, but I’ll deal. Trust me, though. I understand the lightning-strike idea.”
They eyed each other for a second. Trinity’s eyes were solemn, a smile curving her lips as she said, “If lightning hits it tonight, we can’t be blamed. We have no control over acts of God, right?”
“Nope.” Noah shot her a grin. “Absolutely none. But I’m not going to bet on that happening.”
* * *
Under most circumstances, Trinity didn’t let herself think about that smile of his for too long. The state of mind it put her in just wasn’t conducive to much of anything, except hot, dirty fantasies.
But hot and dirty were much better than fear and fury. So she let herself think about the smile, until she realized she was staring at his mouth and then she jerked her gaze away.
The weight of the world felt like it rested on her shoulders as she focused on the front yard. Ali stood on the porch, her hands tucked in her back pockets as she rocked back on her heels, keeping some kind of control over the boys while Noah and Trinity stayed by the truck.
“That house will still be standing come morning,” Trinity said, forcing the words out. “Sooner or later, I’m going to have to go back to it. How can I sleep there, knowing there was a body buried under it all these years?”
“I’d say you cross that bridge when you come to it.” He hauled the suitcase out of the back of his truck, shoulder muscles flexing under the faded material of his T-shirt. That soft, liquid feeling rolled through her and she shifted her gaze away, staring down at the ground before he looked back at her.
“Any idea what you’ll do for the next few days?” he asked. “You’ve been putting in a lot of time
He ran his tongue across the inside of his teeth, debated a half-dozen responses before settling on one that seemed neutral enough. “Totally understandable.”
“It pisses me off. ” She watched as Micah and the other boys started to tumble around the yard. Despite the fact that they’d only played together a handful of times, they acted like they’d been born joined at the hip. “That house…”
Her voice trailed off and she stopped, shaking her head. After a minute, she continued. “When I saw that place, read about this town, I knew I had to come here. It was like home. Something just pulled me here and I knew I had to be here. But now, part of me wants to take off running and never look back. I hate that.”
“If you weren’t feeling something along those lines, I’d probably be a little concerned.”
She slid him a look and he just shrugged. “Who in the world could be expected to take this in stride?”
“You look like you’re handling it well.”
He lifted a brow. “You obviously aren’t a mind reader. You ever watch Scooby-Doo when you were a kid?”
“When I was a kid?” She scoffed and plucked a thread from her shirt. “I watch it now. Only the good stuff, though. Forget those stupid remakes.”
“I knew you were a woman of excellent taste.” He grinned at her. Then, tossing his keys up in the air, he caught them, tossing them up again, focusing on that simple task instead of the words that formed in his head. “Maybe I look like I’m handling it well. But if you could see inside my head, you’d know that for the past few hours, I’ve felt about like Shaggy. Right when they found a really, really bad house and Fred and Velma want to go inside, and all he can do is stand there and go, I’m not going in there. You can’t make me. ”
“Not even for a Scooby Snack?” A faint smile curved her lips.
“Not for a hundred of them.” He thought maybe she could talk him into it. For a smile. A kiss. Even if she just needed him to go in there for some reason, he’d do it. But that was about the only thing that could make him go in there willingly just then. Then he shrugged and opened the door. “Sooner or later, I’m going to have to go inside. I know it and I’m not happy about it, but I’ll deal. Trust me, though. I understand the lightning-strike idea.”
They eyed each other for a second. Trinity’s eyes were solemn, a smile curving her lips as she said, “If lightning hits it tonight, we can’t be blamed. We have no control over acts of God, right?”
“Nope.” Noah shot her a grin. “Absolutely none. But I’m not going to bet on that happening.”
* * *
Under most circumstances, Trinity didn’t let herself think about that smile of his for too long. The state of mind it put her in just wasn’t conducive to much of anything, except hot, dirty fantasies.
But hot and dirty were much better than fear and fury. So she let herself think about the smile, until she realized she was staring at his mouth and then she jerked her gaze away.
The weight of the world felt like it rested on her shoulders as she focused on the front yard. Ali stood on the porch, her hands tucked in her back pockets as she rocked back on her heels, keeping some kind of control over the boys while Noah and Trinity stayed by the truck.
“That house will still be standing come morning,” Trinity said, forcing the words out. “Sooner or later, I’m going to have to go back to it. How can I sleep there, knowing there was a body buried under it all these years?”
“I’d say you cross that bridge when you come to it.” He hauled the suitcase out of the back of his truck, shoulder muscles flexing under the faded material of his T-shirt. That soft, liquid feeling rolled through her and she shifted her gaze away, staring down at the ground before he looked back at her.
“Any idea what you’ll do for the next few days?” he asked. “You’ve been putting in a lot of time
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