curb. At first she didn’t recognize the vehicle but as soon as Chris Perry unfolded himself from the car, Thea smiled. She found herself frowning when she noticed he brought Duncan with him. It was all she could do while her body responded to the sight of him. Dressed in jeans, a snug red shirt and a suede jacket, he looked particularly yummy. While she was dressed in sweats, looking as if she just got out of bed, which she practically had.
She watched him walk down the sidewalk, her pulse doubling. God, he was gorgeous. Long legs, trim waist, and she knew without looking, those jeans showed off a tight butt. She didn’t know if she was up to facing him.
“Thea!” Chris scooped her up for a big hug then set her back down. “Doesn’t she look great, Duncan?”
“Good enough to eat.”
She slanted a look at Duncan but then focused all her attention on Chris. “I’m sorry we didn’t get much chance to talk yesterday.”
He slid his arm over her shoulders and said to Duncan, “Why don’t you go and help Jed unload Thea’s things while we catch up?”
She offered Duncan a smirk. “Yes, why don’t you?”
“Remember, I’m pretty much your landlord now.” But he did his uncle’s bidding.
Chris chuckled. “Boy always had a smart mouth. I can only stay a minute, but why don’t you walk me back to my car?”
Thea nodded.
“What are your plans?”
She shrugged. “The divorce settlement allows me the time to figure it out.”
“I was sorry to hear about that. Divorce is never easy.”
She glanced at him and found nothing but understanding sympathy in his expression. “No. Even when you don’t want to be married to the person anymore.”
“You’re used to being busy.”
“I have some things to keep me occupied. I have some old trunks of Mom’s to go through, lots of interesting things there.”
“Anything I can help you with?”
“No, just some old letters.” Something flashed in Chris’ eyes. Fear, no, worry, she was sure of it. It was nice to be home where the people she loved worried about her. “I’ll be fine. I want to get the trunks cleaned out. ”
He kissed her cheek. “I’ve got to be getting to the office. You let Selma or I know if you need anything.”
She watched him drive away and sighed. It was a shame the man never settled down. Granted, he’d help raise the Perry boys after their father, his younger brother, died in a traffic accident. But…she always felt like he did that to make up for not having any of his own.
“Earth to Thea.”
She turned to find Duncan only inches behind her. “What are you doing?”
“I asked if you had anything else you needed to bring over.”
She shifted away. Being this close to him was a little too much for her. “I had most of my things shipped.”
“Hmmm.” He stepped closer. “Are we going to avoid talking about it?”
She cleared her throat. “It?”
He moved closer, the crisp air mingling with his musky cologne. Lord, talk about good enough to eat.
“What happened here…and at my mama’s.”
“I thought women were the ones who wanted to talk about relationships.”
He snorted, but he didn’t get to say anything else because Jed came out of the house.
“I got everything unloaded. You have anything left at the other house?”
Because she was irritated with Duncan, she took it out on her brother. “Gwen’s house. I was at Gwen’s house. And no, I don’t have anything else there.”
His lips flattened into a straight line. “I have to get back to Austin, get things straightened out. I’ll be back after that.”
“Don’t expect a place to stay.”
He shook his head, leaned forward, and brushed his lips against her cheek. “Behave and call Duncan if you need anything.”
“I can handle my life, Jed.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Just promise me.”
She huffed out a sigh. “Okay. But only because I love you.”
He pulled back and looked at Duncan. “I’ll blame
She watched him walk down the sidewalk, her pulse doubling. God, he was gorgeous. Long legs, trim waist, and she knew without looking, those jeans showed off a tight butt. She didn’t know if she was up to facing him.
“Thea!” Chris scooped her up for a big hug then set her back down. “Doesn’t she look great, Duncan?”
“Good enough to eat.”
She slanted a look at Duncan but then focused all her attention on Chris. “I’m sorry we didn’t get much chance to talk yesterday.”
He slid his arm over her shoulders and said to Duncan, “Why don’t you go and help Jed unload Thea’s things while we catch up?”
She offered Duncan a smirk. “Yes, why don’t you?”
“Remember, I’m pretty much your landlord now.” But he did his uncle’s bidding.
Chris chuckled. “Boy always had a smart mouth. I can only stay a minute, but why don’t you walk me back to my car?”
Thea nodded.
“What are your plans?”
She shrugged. “The divorce settlement allows me the time to figure it out.”
“I was sorry to hear about that. Divorce is never easy.”
She glanced at him and found nothing but understanding sympathy in his expression. “No. Even when you don’t want to be married to the person anymore.”
“You’re used to being busy.”
“I have some things to keep me occupied. I have some old trunks of Mom’s to go through, lots of interesting things there.”
“Anything I can help you with?”
“No, just some old letters.” Something flashed in Chris’ eyes. Fear, no, worry, she was sure of it. It was nice to be home where the people she loved worried about her. “I’ll be fine. I want to get the trunks cleaned out. ”
He kissed her cheek. “I’ve got to be getting to the office. You let Selma or I know if you need anything.”
She watched him drive away and sighed. It was a shame the man never settled down. Granted, he’d help raise the Perry boys after their father, his younger brother, died in a traffic accident. But…she always felt like he did that to make up for not having any of his own.
“Earth to Thea.”
She turned to find Duncan only inches behind her. “What are you doing?”
“I asked if you had anything else you needed to bring over.”
She shifted away. Being this close to him was a little too much for her. “I had most of my things shipped.”
“Hmmm.” He stepped closer. “Are we going to avoid talking about it?”
She cleared her throat. “It?”
He moved closer, the crisp air mingling with his musky cologne. Lord, talk about good enough to eat.
“What happened here…and at my mama’s.”
“I thought women were the ones who wanted to talk about relationships.”
He snorted, but he didn’t get to say anything else because Jed came out of the house.
“I got everything unloaded. You have anything left at the other house?”
Because she was irritated with Duncan, she took it out on her brother. “Gwen’s house. I was at Gwen’s house. And no, I don’t have anything else there.”
His lips flattened into a straight line. “I have to get back to Austin, get things straightened out. I’ll be back after that.”
“Don’t expect a place to stay.”
He shook his head, leaned forward, and brushed his lips against her cheek. “Behave and call Duncan if you need anything.”
“I can handle my life, Jed.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Just promise me.”
She huffed out a sigh. “Okay. But only because I love you.”
He pulled back and looked at Duncan. “I’ll blame
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