hands down.”
The smile faded from his brother’s face. “And you don’t see a problem with that? Kate loving the one man who will never want more than a brief fling?”
His chest tightening, Todd said firmly, “She doesn’t love me.”
“Doesn’t she?”
Holding his brother’s hard stare, and hoping like hell Tyson was wrong, Todd gave a small shake of his head.
“Kate’s not stupid. Virgin or not, she knew exactly what she was getting when she seduced me.”
Disappointment flickered across Tyson’s face, before he looked away and shoved his hands into his jeans. “I hope you’re right, Todd. I really do.”
Todd tried not to show the wave of unease that swept through him.
He hoped he was right too.
Kate finished prepping the dough for tomorrow’s danishes and slid it into the fridge. After checking her watch, assuring herself she had at least another ten minutes before Todd arrived, she went to the bathroom for some primping.
A little perfume, lip gloss and she was about as good as she would get.
Pulse racing, Kate stepped out of the bathroom, then yelped in surprise.
“Sorry,” Walt said quickly. “I didn’t mean to startle you. The door was open and I came in.”
Right. She’d left the door open for Todd.
“Oh right,” she said a bit lamely. What was he doing here? She’d…oh, God. Dinner. It had been kind of routine for the past few months. They’d been doing dinner on Fridays.
Shoot. She really should’ve called him and let him know things were definitely off…though shouldn’t he have figured it out by now? It wasn’t a hardly a secret about her and Todd.
Time to step up and be a woman . She cleared her throat. “Walt, about us—”
“Don’t worry, Kate. I’m not here to take you to dinner.” He gave a small smile that held more sadness than humor. “I realize you most likely have…other plans.”
“Yes,” she said softly, guilt twisting in her gut. “I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier.”
He lifted a hand and caressed the side of her face. “I told myself I wouldn’t say anything, but I can’t help it. You’re too good for him, Caitleen.”
Her throat tightened and she lowered her gaze. Damn, she really wished people would stop pointing out how bad Todd was for her.
“But that’s not why I dropped by,” Walt said quickly. “I just wanted to mention that I saw something a little out of place the other day. Penny was snooping around after hours, peering in your shop, and scurrying off when I came out to see what was going on.”
“Penny?” Kate’s brows drew together as she thought of the owner of the local pie shop. “Snooping around? Are you sure?”
Walt grinned. “Can’t mistake hair like that. Anyway, just thought I’d mention it. I know nothing’s happened in awhile, but it never hurts to be careful.” He paused and slowly traced his finger down her jawline. “And you should be careful, Caitleen.”
She knew he was referring to more than her business but refused to acknowledge the underlying hint that Todd was bad news.
The sound of the door opening had her gaze swinging to the doorway.
“Todd.” Her face flushed with a guilt that was completely unnecessary as she stepped away from Walt. “Hey.”
“I should be going.” Walt cleared his throat and then moved toward the door.
When he passed Todd, Kate didn’t miss the challenging look the men exchanged.
Her throat tightened and she folded her arms across her chest. The door opened and then shut with Walt’s exit.
“Hi,” she said softly. “I was just closing shop.”
Todd nodded, his expression unreadable. “Let’s head out.”
In his truck Todd didn’t say much, and her unease grew. He seemed distant, a little angry. But why? Because of Walt? That would make no sense.
With the heat blaring on her face she grew uncomfortably warm and shifted, tugging loose her scarf.
“What was Chapman sniffing around for?”
Something in her gut started to
The smile faded from his brother’s face. “And you don’t see a problem with that? Kate loving the one man who will never want more than a brief fling?”
His chest tightening, Todd said firmly, “She doesn’t love me.”
“Doesn’t she?”
Holding his brother’s hard stare, and hoping like hell Tyson was wrong, Todd gave a small shake of his head.
“Kate’s not stupid. Virgin or not, she knew exactly what she was getting when she seduced me.”
Disappointment flickered across Tyson’s face, before he looked away and shoved his hands into his jeans. “I hope you’re right, Todd. I really do.”
Todd tried not to show the wave of unease that swept through him.
He hoped he was right too.
Kate finished prepping the dough for tomorrow’s danishes and slid it into the fridge. After checking her watch, assuring herself she had at least another ten minutes before Todd arrived, she went to the bathroom for some primping.
A little perfume, lip gloss and she was about as good as she would get.
Pulse racing, Kate stepped out of the bathroom, then yelped in surprise.
“Sorry,” Walt said quickly. “I didn’t mean to startle you. The door was open and I came in.”
Right. She’d left the door open for Todd.
“Oh right,” she said a bit lamely. What was he doing here? She’d…oh, God. Dinner. It had been kind of routine for the past few months. They’d been doing dinner on Fridays.
Shoot. She really should’ve called him and let him know things were definitely off…though shouldn’t he have figured it out by now? It wasn’t a hardly a secret about her and Todd.
Time to step up and be a woman . She cleared her throat. “Walt, about us—”
“Don’t worry, Kate. I’m not here to take you to dinner.” He gave a small smile that held more sadness than humor. “I realize you most likely have…other plans.”
“Yes,” she said softly, guilt twisting in her gut. “I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier.”
He lifted a hand and caressed the side of her face. “I told myself I wouldn’t say anything, but I can’t help it. You’re too good for him, Caitleen.”
Her throat tightened and she lowered her gaze. Damn, she really wished people would stop pointing out how bad Todd was for her.
“But that’s not why I dropped by,” Walt said quickly. “I just wanted to mention that I saw something a little out of place the other day. Penny was snooping around after hours, peering in your shop, and scurrying off when I came out to see what was going on.”
“Penny?” Kate’s brows drew together as she thought of the owner of the local pie shop. “Snooping around? Are you sure?”
Walt grinned. “Can’t mistake hair like that. Anyway, just thought I’d mention it. I know nothing’s happened in awhile, but it never hurts to be careful.” He paused and slowly traced his finger down her jawline. “And you should be careful, Caitleen.”
She knew he was referring to more than her business but refused to acknowledge the underlying hint that Todd was bad news.
The sound of the door opening had her gaze swinging to the doorway.
“Todd.” Her face flushed with a guilt that was completely unnecessary as she stepped away from Walt. “Hey.”
“I should be going.” Walt cleared his throat and then moved toward the door.
When he passed Todd, Kate didn’t miss the challenging look the men exchanged.
Her throat tightened and she folded her arms across her chest. The door opened and then shut with Walt’s exit.
“Hi,” she said softly. “I was just closing shop.”
Todd nodded, his expression unreadable. “Let’s head out.”
In his truck Todd didn’t say much, and her unease grew. He seemed distant, a little angry. But why? Because of Walt? That would make no sense.
With the heat blaring on her face she grew uncomfortably warm and shifted, tugging loose her scarf.
“What was Chapman sniffing around for?”
Something in her gut started to
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