tree that shaded the entire front yard had given up its leaves, covering the area in a blanket of red and yellow just as it always had.
And Kyndal was waiting for him inside.
When she’d called yesterday and asked him to come to dinner, he’d almost said no. But somehow the word had become yes even against his better judgment.
He’d finally gone back to work and gotten his mind off the time they spent together. Hell, he’d even had a date Saturday night. A bad one that had gone nowhere and ended early, but a date just the same.
Then Kyndal called. Her voice sounded odd, and when he’d commented on it, she’d said she was fine. It was a lie—something wasn’t fine. She’d moved back to Paducah and into her mother’s house.
Concern had brought him here—and maybe curiosity. Did she want to rekindle their relationship, after all—want to renege on the things she’d said in the hospital?
He reached to loosen his tie and realized he wasn’t wearing one.
She was the one who’d said they’d moved on, but sitting in this driveway had him doubting her words. He had moved on, but Kyndal was spinning her wheels.
He should’ve said no to dinner. Nothing good could come of it. Well, the dinner would be good, but hooking up with Kyndal again—big mistake.
Still, this was Kyndal. It would be easier for him to fly to the top of that giant maple tree than to say no to her.
He pushed the door open, snatching the bag of peanut M&M’s from the passenger seat as he climbed out.
The pleasant sound of crunching leaves filled his ears, so he didn’t know the door had opened until he started to knock. And then the sound of her “Hi” replaced the crunch of the leaves and the sight of her filled his eyes—a one-two punch that took his breath away.
He’d never seen her so radiant.
“You look fantastic, Kyn.” He brushed his lips to hers in greeting, weighing her reaction to see if she expected something more substantial.
She stepped back away from him. “Thanks for coming.”
A tantalizing aroma suffused the living room with the floral sofa and blue recliner he remembered so well. “Mmm. Lasagna.”
“Your favorite. At least, it used to be.”
It was then that he noticed the wary look lurking behind her green eyes and the tiniest hint of tightness around the lips he’d just kissed.
Dressed simply with her hair loose and shimmering around her shoulders and a pair of jeans with a yellow shirt covering an emerald-green camisole, she seemed to glow, and things started to fall into place in his mind.
She’d no doubt chosen the look—the colors that would enhance her skin tone, the form-fitting jeans that showed off her curves, the hair style that captured light in its strands—for his benefit.
And, of course, there was the lasagna.
The little minx was set on seducing him…again.
And there was no way he could say no to Kyndal.
Might as well enjoy myself.
He held out the yellow bag he’d kept behind his back. “These are for you.”
Immediately the night began to crumble before his eyes.
Instead of the snort of laughter he’d expected, her eyes filled with tears and she limped toward the kitchen at a surprisingly fast speed.
Or maybe not.
“I’m sorry, Kyn.” He followed her through the arched doorway, dropping the bag on the sofa table as he passed. “It was just a joke. I didn’t mean to imply that I actually thought we would…”
She jerked the oven door open and pulled out a small pan of lasagna, setting it on a trivet on the counter. Grabbing a baguette, she used it to point to the bowl sitting next to where he stood. “Would you toss the salad? Dressing’s there.” She waggled the baguette like a weapon, warning him to keep his distance. “Chianti’s there if you want some. It’s the cheap kind, but they told me it wasn’t bad. Glass is there.”
Okay, now she was acting really strangely. No mention of the cave or the hospital. No comments about the past and the irony of them being here together. She was rushing him into a dinner she invited him over for. If she wasn’t going to seduce him—and that didn’t seem to be on
her agenda—what in the hell was going on? Had she had some kind of breakdown?
He opted for a glass of wine to enhance his mood before he tossed the salad. He picked up the bottle, which hadn’t been opened, and noticed she’d only set out one glass.