didn’t try to kiss her. She was grateful and disappointed. She was becoming accustomed to the contradictory emotions these men provoked.
Diego handed her the house key. “Good night, Jeannette.”
She watched them drive away, no longer in such a hurry to escape. When they’d first arrived, she’d wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and cry her eyes out. As she opened the front door now, she reached down to pick up Penny and headed to the living room. Finding repeats of I Love Lucy on TV, she sat in quiet solitude as a completely new emotion washed over her.
Hope.
* * *
Diego followed Luc into their house, shutting the door and leaning against it. He’d almost let his overbearing need for control ruin things with Jeannette. Luc had been uncharacteristically quiet on the drive home. Diego could only assume he was pissed off.
Luc tugged off his jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. “You want to tell me what happened on that dance floor?”
Diego shrugged, trying to keep a rein on his temper. He’d been wrong to push Jeannette, but he resented Luc’s tone. “I’m not going to lie to her about who I am. What I want.”
Luc threw up his hands. “Jesus, D. It was the first fucking date. You can’t at least try to hide some of that macho shit until we get our foot in the door?”
Diego stalked toward his friend. “Don’t hear you bitching about that ‘macho shit’ when it’s just you and me.”
Luc held his ground even as Diego stepped close. “Don’t try to intimidate me. Not now. It won’t fucking work.”
“You can act as pissed off as you want, but I think the person you’re really mad at is yourself. I’m not hiding my true colors from her, Luc. What about you?”
“I want her. I’ve wanted her since the first time I saw her.”
“And you’re willing to pretend this,” Diego pointed to himself, then Luc, “doesn’t exist? For how long, Luc? How long will you keep her in the dark about your other lover?”
“As long as it takes,” Luc replied through gritted teeth.
Diego snorted. “Yeah. That’s obvious. Three fucking years, man. It’s been three years since we’ve really been together with a woman. Don’t you miss it?”
Luc looked away. He didn’t need to reply. Diego could read the answer on his face. He was wrong to call Luc out for this. Especially considering they both wanted the same thing.
They’d walked into Sparks Barbeque two weeks after moving to Maris, deciding to try out the place so many people had raved about. Jeannette had been behind the counter and had taken their order.
Luc had been smitten from the start, not that Diego was surprised. Jeannette had a quiet, kind spirit. She was friendly, unassuming, and as tonight had proven, the woman didn’t have a clue how damn pretty she was. They’d met more than their fair share of women who came on too strong, working overtime to gain their attention.
Instead, Jeannette had been the first to make them feel welcome in a close-knit town that tended to treat outsiders with cautious distance and sidelong glances. She’d asked about their new jobs, given them some advice on where to pick up affordable furniture for their house, and filled them in on a bunch of stuff she thought they needed to know in order to survive in Maris. She had whipped out her cell phone to share pictures of the cat she’d just taken in. The thing had been little more than skin and bones, but it was obvious Jeannette thought the cat hung the moon. And then she’d fed them the most delicious barbeque sandwiches they had ever eaten.
Luc had insisted they ask her out, so the next time they were in the restaurant, they issued the invitation. Jeannette had called them shameless teases and walked away quickly before they could press their suit.
Her dismissive response had confused Luc, but intrigued Diego. After that, he began to watch her more closely. There was something very sad lingering just below the surface that
Diego handed her the house key. “Good night, Jeannette.”
She watched them drive away, no longer in such a hurry to escape. When they’d first arrived, she’d wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and cry her eyes out. As she opened the front door now, she reached down to pick up Penny and headed to the living room. Finding repeats of I Love Lucy on TV, she sat in quiet solitude as a completely new emotion washed over her.
Hope.
* * *
Diego followed Luc into their house, shutting the door and leaning against it. He’d almost let his overbearing need for control ruin things with Jeannette. Luc had been uncharacteristically quiet on the drive home. Diego could only assume he was pissed off.
Luc tugged off his jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. “You want to tell me what happened on that dance floor?”
Diego shrugged, trying to keep a rein on his temper. He’d been wrong to push Jeannette, but he resented Luc’s tone. “I’m not going to lie to her about who I am. What I want.”
Luc threw up his hands. “Jesus, D. It was the first fucking date. You can’t at least try to hide some of that macho shit until we get our foot in the door?”
Diego stalked toward his friend. “Don’t hear you bitching about that ‘macho shit’ when it’s just you and me.”
Luc held his ground even as Diego stepped close. “Don’t try to intimidate me. Not now. It won’t fucking work.”
“You can act as pissed off as you want, but I think the person you’re really mad at is yourself. I’m not hiding my true colors from her, Luc. What about you?”
“I want her. I’ve wanted her since the first time I saw her.”
“And you’re willing to pretend this,” Diego pointed to himself, then Luc, “doesn’t exist? For how long, Luc? How long will you keep her in the dark about your other lover?”
“As long as it takes,” Luc replied through gritted teeth.
Diego snorted. “Yeah. That’s obvious. Three fucking years, man. It’s been three years since we’ve really been together with a woman. Don’t you miss it?”
Luc looked away. He didn’t need to reply. Diego could read the answer on his face. He was wrong to call Luc out for this. Especially considering they both wanted the same thing.
They’d walked into Sparks Barbeque two weeks after moving to Maris, deciding to try out the place so many people had raved about. Jeannette had been behind the counter and had taken their order.
Luc had been smitten from the start, not that Diego was surprised. Jeannette had a quiet, kind spirit. She was friendly, unassuming, and as tonight had proven, the woman didn’t have a clue how damn pretty she was. They’d met more than their fair share of women who came on too strong, working overtime to gain their attention.
Instead, Jeannette had been the first to make them feel welcome in a close-knit town that tended to treat outsiders with cautious distance and sidelong glances. She’d asked about their new jobs, given them some advice on where to pick up affordable furniture for their house, and filled them in on a bunch of stuff she thought they needed to know in order to survive in Maris. She had whipped out her cell phone to share pictures of the cat she’d just taken in. The thing had been little more than skin and bones, but it was obvious Jeannette thought the cat hung the moon. And then she’d fed them the most delicious barbeque sandwiches they had ever eaten.
Luc had insisted they ask her out, so the next time they were in the restaurant, they issued the invitation. Jeannette had called them shameless teases and walked away quickly before they could press their suit.
Her dismissive response had confused Luc, but intrigued Diego. After that, he began to watch her more closely. There was something very sad lingering just below the surface that
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