me this damned much?”
She sighed. “You haven’t. Which is why I’m lifting my leave Ella alone policy. As long as you take things at her pace.”
“Please, Mila, stop worrying so much. I’m not an asshole, I just want to get to know her. Okay?”
“Sorry.”
Shaking his head, he asked, “Can I get dressed now? She challenged me to a ten-minute shower and I don’t want to look like an ass when I don’t meet her outside.”
Mila’s tone lightened. “For the record, I think you’ll be good for her… when she’s ready.”
“I’m not taking anything anywhere right now. Believe it or not, I want to be her friend first. Especially since I know something happened in her past to make her skittish. I want to ease that fear, not make it worse.”
“Go on then. She won’t take ten minutes. Not to go for breakfast.”
* * * *
Showered and dressed, Ella headed across the street with two minutes to spare. She settled against the rail and waited patiently. Ringing the bell was tempting, but she was early.
A moment later, Trent came through the door and smiled. “I wasn’t sure you’d be that fast. Most women—”
She held up a finger, shaking her head with a smirk. “Don’t start that most-women-bullshit with me. I’m just me, and I needed to rinse off so I didn’t stink.”
He grinned. “You’re right, and I should know better than to assume. Not all women are alike. I’m sorry.”
“No need for apologies.”
“All right.”
Her eyes sparkled, her mouth quirking in a sexy smile. “So where are we going?”
“A great little diner that happens to be down the road. You mind walking?”
“Not at all.”
He locked the door and headed for the street with her beside him. “How long before you open your shop?”
She shrugged. “Depends on how fast I can get everything organized. This is a new venture, so I’m not rushing. I want to do it right.”
“So, you just decide you’re going to do something, and you do it, don’t you?”
She grinned. “Pretty much. Life got too hectic where I was, so I decided to start a simpler one here.”
“I hope you find that. I like your company.”
Her stomach fluttered, but she had to ask one important question. “I have a philosophical question.” Her hands trembled as she waited for his nod. “How much do you think the past shapes a person?”
One corner of Trent’s mouth lifted. “Some events can affect people more than others. However, everyone has the ability to change, if they can find the strength.” Sadness clouded his pale blue eyes as he looked away. He was silent so long, she nudged him.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Ella asked.
“Sorry. Just thinking about my sister.”
“Sorry. Mila said she’s in rehab. I can’t imagine it’s easy for her to leave her boy behind.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “In the beginning, I sympathized with her about that. But this isn’t the first, and won’t likely be the last time.” Pushing his fingers through his hair, he shrugged. “I don’t know what to expect from her anymore.”
Ella’s head tipped to the side. “But you believe people can change?”
“Yeah. My sister’s not the best example.” Trent opened the door. He smiled as Ella walked by, and he followed her in. “My dad struggled with alcoholism when I was in high school. He realized how badly he hurt our family and changed.”
“Then there’s still hope.”
“Always hope. Took him some years. He got there. I’m hoping Tina does too before she winds up getting herself killed… or loses her son’s faith in her.” She couldn’t find any hope in his eyes.
Ella looked away. “I feel like a jerk asking about stuff like that when I don’t want to talk about my own past.”
A smirk crossed his lips. “Ask. I’ll tell you if I don’t want to answer.”
“Why is your sister in rehab?”
A middle-aged woman came over to their booth with a pair of menus. “Who’s your friend, Trent?”
“Ella
She sighed. “You haven’t. Which is why I’m lifting my leave Ella alone policy. As long as you take things at her pace.”
“Please, Mila, stop worrying so much. I’m not an asshole, I just want to get to know her. Okay?”
“Sorry.”
Shaking his head, he asked, “Can I get dressed now? She challenged me to a ten-minute shower and I don’t want to look like an ass when I don’t meet her outside.”
Mila’s tone lightened. “For the record, I think you’ll be good for her… when she’s ready.”
“I’m not taking anything anywhere right now. Believe it or not, I want to be her friend first. Especially since I know something happened in her past to make her skittish. I want to ease that fear, not make it worse.”
“Go on then. She won’t take ten minutes. Not to go for breakfast.”
* * * *
Showered and dressed, Ella headed across the street with two minutes to spare. She settled against the rail and waited patiently. Ringing the bell was tempting, but she was early.
A moment later, Trent came through the door and smiled. “I wasn’t sure you’d be that fast. Most women—”
She held up a finger, shaking her head with a smirk. “Don’t start that most-women-bullshit with me. I’m just me, and I needed to rinse off so I didn’t stink.”
He grinned. “You’re right, and I should know better than to assume. Not all women are alike. I’m sorry.”
“No need for apologies.”
“All right.”
Her eyes sparkled, her mouth quirking in a sexy smile. “So where are we going?”
“A great little diner that happens to be down the road. You mind walking?”
“Not at all.”
He locked the door and headed for the street with her beside him. “How long before you open your shop?”
She shrugged. “Depends on how fast I can get everything organized. This is a new venture, so I’m not rushing. I want to do it right.”
“So, you just decide you’re going to do something, and you do it, don’t you?”
She grinned. “Pretty much. Life got too hectic where I was, so I decided to start a simpler one here.”
“I hope you find that. I like your company.”
Her stomach fluttered, but she had to ask one important question. “I have a philosophical question.” Her hands trembled as she waited for his nod. “How much do you think the past shapes a person?”
One corner of Trent’s mouth lifted. “Some events can affect people more than others. However, everyone has the ability to change, if they can find the strength.” Sadness clouded his pale blue eyes as he looked away. He was silent so long, she nudged him.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Ella asked.
“Sorry. Just thinking about my sister.”
“Sorry. Mila said she’s in rehab. I can’t imagine it’s easy for her to leave her boy behind.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “In the beginning, I sympathized with her about that. But this isn’t the first, and won’t likely be the last time.” Pushing his fingers through his hair, he shrugged. “I don’t know what to expect from her anymore.”
Ella’s head tipped to the side. “But you believe people can change?”
“Yeah. My sister’s not the best example.” Trent opened the door. He smiled as Ella walked by, and he followed her in. “My dad struggled with alcoholism when I was in high school. He realized how badly he hurt our family and changed.”
“Then there’s still hope.”
“Always hope. Took him some years. He got there. I’m hoping Tina does too before she winds up getting herself killed… or loses her son’s faith in her.” She couldn’t find any hope in his eyes.
Ella looked away. “I feel like a jerk asking about stuff like that when I don’t want to talk about my own past.”
A smirk crossed his lips. “Ask. I’ll tell you if I don’t want to answer.”
“Why is your sister in rehab?”
A middle-aged woman came over to their booth with a pair of menus. “Who’s your friend, Trent?”
“Ella
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