head, and started writing on the plans as if she no longer existed. She stared at his hair and swallowed hard.
“I’m sorry, Kaiden. That really wasn’t fair.”
He didn’t reply, and she turned and walked away, her eyes stinging with tears. It wasn’t his fault that everything was wrong with her life, and he certainly didn’t deserve her anger. She had just been looking for someone to argue with, but why on earth had she chosen him?
“Hey, while you’re being honest, would you care to explain why you don’t think I’m trustworthy?” Kaiden called out.
His words made her stop and turn around. He met her gaze head-on. His usual easygoing smile was absent, making him look more like his terrifying father.
“I . . .” Julia made a helpless gesture. “It was a stupid thing to say.”
“I’d still like to know what I’m supposed to have done.”
“You know what you did.” She sighed. She certainly wasn’t going to talk about the awful things he’d said to Miguel about her, but there were plenty of other occasions to gripe about. “That ridiculous Valentine’s Day thing when you grabbed that poem out of my hand and read it out loud just to make me look stupid.”
“That’s it?” He shook his head. “That’s . . . all kinds of messed up.”
“Why?” Julia demanded. “I was embarrassed not only for myself, but for the poor guy who wrote it. Why would you do that just to make everyone else laugh?”
His lips twitched, and she stared at him in frustration. “You still think it’s funny?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Why?” She might have stamped her foot.
“Because I wrote the damn thing!”
She blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
“Seeing it in your hand, and watching you open it, I knew I’d made a terrible mistake, so I jumped in, and made fun of myself before you could rip me a new one.”
“I don’t believe you,” Julia blurted out.
“Not my problem.” He glanced down at the plans. “Wes is going to be back any minute now, so if you’ve finished doubting my every word, I’d like to get back to work.”
This time she didn’t stop to look back when she left.
She made her way along the raised walkway, aware that she’d messed up, and yet unable to think how to fix things. Kaiden had written the poem? She couldn’t get her head around that at all. He’d always made fun of her. He’d never been one of the guys angling to ask her out. In fact, sometimes she’d thought he hated her.
“Julia?”
She looked up as someone called out her name, and she had to squint into the sun to see them.
“It’s Nancy, Maureen’s daughter. I just saw your dad down at Gina’s. He was wondering where you’d gotten to, so I said I’d come and find you.”
“Hi! It’s good to see you again.” Julia belatedly remembered her manners. “Are you still working at your mom’s place?”
“Sometimes, but I mainly work at the bar. Jay’s a good boss, and the pay is better because of the tips.” Nancy frowned. “Hey, are you okay? You look like you’re having a bad day.”
Nancy had always cut straight to the point.
“I’ve had better,” Julia admitted.
Nancy gently took her arm. “Look, I know you’ve got to get your dad home safely, but why don’t you come and see me at the bar tonight? You can buy me a beer and share all your secrets. I’m really good at keeping confidences, ask anyone in Morgan Valley.” She grinned. “If I ever want some extra income, I could set up a fantastic blackmailing business.”
“That’s really kind of you, but—”
Nancy held up a finger. “You either come see me at the Red Dragon, or I’ll arrive on your doorstep with a six-pack of beer. Your choice.”
Julia managed a smile. “Then I’ll definitely come to the bar, if Dad’s okay with it.”
“Good.” Nancy waggled her pierced eyebrows. Her short hair was dyed scarlet and styled into points like a hedgehog’s spikes. “Remember, I know where you live, and I’ve got your dad’s cell phone number, so you won’t be able to avoid me for long.”
“I hear you.” Julia nodded. It was kind of nice to have someone telling her what to do. “Now, I’d better get back to Dad.”
* * *
“So, if you and Ms. Julia aren’t a thing, can I ask her out on a date?”
Kaiden looked up at Wes, who was propping up the doorframe. For a second he’d thought Julia had come back for round three. “What?”
“I heard you two