snapped.
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer. You spoke of your grandmother, so I thought maybe the rules were changing.” He shrugged one shoulder, a sheepish smile brightened on his face. He hadn’t meant to venture into her past, but curiosity got the best of him.
Sighing, she nodded. “It’s okay.”
It wasn’t though. He couldn’t help worrying about who lurked in her past. Something scared her enough to make her run. “Just one thing. Are you in trouble now? Something the cops could keep an eye on?”
“No. If it came down to that, then I’d talk. Right now, no one knows where I am, but Mila. My brother doesn’t even know.”
“A brother?”
She rolled those beautiful eyes. “Yeah, I have a brother.”
“Not close to him?”
“It’s not that. He’s too wrapped up in my old world. I wanted to disappear and find myself again. Somewhere along the way, I lost who I was.”
“That’s why you asked about the past?”
“Yeah.”
Her answer gave him hope. “Does that mean you might be interested in me?”
Smiling, she looked away at the same time Verna brought their drinks to the table. “Enjoy.” She scurried away. He could kiss the woman who’d run the diner for most of his life. Seemed she knew what everyone needed the most.
Ella met his gaze again. “Yes, but I’m not ready to start anything.”
“Not even a friendship?”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “That’s all you want?”
“For now.”
“I don’t know.”
His heart sank, but he wasn’t out of the game yet. “Let me be your running partner, your gym buddy, and a friend.” He couldn’t read her expression and started to worry as the silence stretched past his normal comfort zone. “It’s a place to start. Neither of us is looking for anything serious.”
She sat back and pushed her glasses up her nose. The thick black rims accentuated her long black lashes, and the most captivating eyes he’d ever seen. Hell, they were more beautiful than Raven Star’s. Then she combed her hair behind her ear and dropped her gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
One corner of her mouth quirked up as she lifted her stunning eyes. “Perfect place to start.”
Trent leaned forward and smiled. “Relax, Ella. I know what Mila probably told you about me. I won’t lie, I’ve been around, but I prefer to know the woman I’m getting involved with. That doesn’t happen overnight.”
She laughed. “She said you’re a bit of a man-whore.”
He groaned. “Yeah, because the first time she met me, Kyle’s ex was hanging on me. I let Rene flirt with me, but I didn’t take her home, and I didn’t go back to her place. Maybe it was dumb, but I was trying to keep Rene from causing trouble, which she’s known to do.”
Ella smirked. “Mila also said you had a heart of gold.”
And he was back in the game. “That so?”
“What?” Ella asked with a single arched brow.
“Find it hard to believe she has much faith in me when she keeps hounding me to be careful not to push you.”
Laughing, Ella leaned back. “Mila’s always been protective of her friends. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I trust her, so I trust you. Secrets or no.”
Ella shifted in her seat and looked out the window again.
He combed a hand through his hair. “I need to keep my mouth shut. Don’t I?”
“No. I need to stop feeling guilty for protecting myself.”
His brow pinched. Their conversation paused as Verna brought their meals to the table.
Ella grinned, “This looks good, Verna. Thank you.”
The woman dipped her head, her expression brightening. “Tell me what you think after you eat it.” She ducked away from the table.
Ella rubbed the scar on her arm, then met Trent’s stare. “So what do you all for fun out here?”
Trent grinned and happily led them down a new topic that would avoid her past and keep that gorgeous smile on her face.
Chapter 9
Almost two weeks later a loud banging echoed up the stairs, into the
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer. You spoke of your grandmother, so I thought maybe the rules were changing.” He shrugged one shoulder, a sheepish smile brightened on his face. He hadn’t meant to venture into her past, but curiosity got the best of him.
Sighing, she nodded. “It’s okay.”
It wasn’t though. He couldn’t help worrying about who lurked in her past. Something scared her enough to make her run. “Just one thing. Are you in trouble now? Something the cops could keep an eye on?”
“No. If it came down to that, then I’d talk. Right now, no one knows where I am, but Mila. My brother doesn’t even know.”
“A brother?”
She rolled those beautiful eyes. “Yeah, I have a brother.”
“Not close to him?”
“It’s not that. He’s too wrapped up in my old world. I wanted to disappear and find myself again. Somewhere along the way, I lost who I was.”
“That’s why you asked about the past?”
“Yeah.”
Her answer gave him hope. “Does that mean you might be interested in me?”
Smiling, she looked away at the same time Verna brought their drinks to the table. “Enjoy.” She scurried away. He could kiss the woman who’d run the diner for most of his life. Seemed she knew what everyone needed the most.
Ella met his gaze again. “Yes, but I’m not ready to start anything.”
“Not even a friendship?”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “That’s all you want?”
“For now.”
“I don’t know.”
His heart sank, but he wasn’t out of the game yet. “Let me be your running partner, your gym buddy, and a friend.” He couldn’t read her expression and started to worry as the silence stretched past his normal comfort zone. “It’s a place to start. Neither of us is looking for anything serious.”
She sat back and pushed her glasses up her nose. The thick black rims accentuated her long black lashes, and the most captivating eyes he’d ever seen. Hell, they were more beautiful than Raven Star’s. Then she combed her hair behind her ear and dropped her gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
One corner of her mouth quirked up as she lifted her stunning eyes. “Perfect place to start.”
Trent leaned forward and smiled. “Relax, Ella. I know what Mila probably told you about me. I won’t lie, I’ve been around, but I prefer to know the woman I’m getting involved with. That doesn’t happen overnight.”
She laughed. “She said you’re a bit of a man-whore.”
He groaned. “Yeah, because the first time she met me, Kyle’s ex was hanging on me. I let Rene flirt with me, but I didn’t take her home, and I didn’t go back to her place. Maybe it was dumb, but I was trying to keep Rene from causing trouble, which she’s known to do.”
Ella smirked. “Mila also said you had a heart of gold.”
And he was back in the game. “That so?”
“What?” Ella asked with a single arched brow.
“Find it hard to believe she has much faith in me when she keeps hounding me to be careful not to push you.”
Laughing, Ella leaned back. “Mila’s always been protective of her friends. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I trust her, so I trust you. Secrets or no.”
Ella shifted in her seat and looked out the window again.
He combed a hand through his hair. “I need to keep my mouth shut. Don’t I?”
“No. I need to stop feeling guilty for protecting myself.”
His brow pinched. Their conversation paused as Verna brought their meals to the table.
Ella grinned, “This looks good, Verna. Thank you.”
The woman dipped her head, her expression brightening. “Tell me what you think after you eat it.” She ducked away from the table.
Ella rubbed the scar on her arm, then met Trent’s stare. “So what do you all for fun out here?”
Trent grinned and happily led them down a new topic that would avoid her past and keep that gorgeous smile on her face.
Chapter 9
Almost two weeks later a loud banging echoed up the stairs, into the
Similar Books
