lifted her hand and held his cheek in her palm. “They are proud of you, and if you can’t see that, you’re dumber than you look.”
His eyes tightened. She dropped her hand and held both hands in front of her. He released her and rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at the floor. “Yeah, well, they have a funny way of showing it.” He met her gaze. “I’m gonna finish the dishes, then I’ll help you get wherever you want to go.”
She lifted a brow. “Even if I want to go home?”
He lifted his hand and gestured to the house. “Aren’t you already there? If my parents are giving you Terry Hill, this will be yours.”
Kate couldn’t hold back the chuckle. “Arthur, your parents might put me in charge, but they won’t give me their house. This will always be your home.”
He shrugged, as if disregarding her comment. Holding out his arm, he jerked his chin in the direction of the couch. “You should rest.”
Shaking her head, Kate offered him a smile. “Do you mind if I keep you company in the kitchen instead?”
His brows rose momentarily. “Sure. That’d be nice.”
Chapter Seventeen
AJ guided Kate to the kitchen, trying to ignore the little whimpers that escaped her lips with each step. He should have just carried her, but that might not have gone over so well. The zing of her touch still echoed through the skin on his face.
He’d dated a lot of women before, but none of them came close to Kate. Why was it her touch could affect him but theirs did nothing? It didn’t make sense. He’d grown up with Kate. She’d been like a kid sister. Between her pixie haircut and glasses, Kate had been an easy target.
But all those memories easily escaped him when she lifted her bright blue eyes to him and smiled. All the air escaped his chest and he couldn’t breathe. Now it didn’t matter that he’d promised himself he was going to just be her friend. Nor did it matter that she could rile him up with just a few words. The chemistry he felt when he was beside her was enough to make every sane thought rush out of his head, never to return.
AJ settled Kate into a chair at the table. “You okay?”
She nodded.
“Can I get you anything?”
Kate folded her arms. “No, thank you. I’m just fine.”
“I’m going to take care of that lamp real quick and I’ll be right back.”
She grimaced. “I’m so sorry, AJ. I didn’t mean—”
He waved his hand through the air. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a lamp.” AJ left the room with a speed he didn’t think possible. Kate was getting to him, and it needed to stop. Even the argument they’d had moments ago seemed inconsequential.
Running harsh hands through his hair, AJ stormed to the living room. What was he going to do? He couldn’t compete honestly against her with these feelings. And he couldn’t count on his heart playing by the rules of just being friends. When had everything changed?
This whole thing was infuriating. His hands dropped as he looked down at the carnage of the broken lamp. He’d thought something had happened to her. The terror that gripped his heart when that crash echoed through the house could only be likened to the terror he’d felt when he saw Ella darting into the clearing.
Kate had somehow weaseled herself under his skin and into a part of his heart he didn’t realize existed. The worst part about all of it was that she didn’t feel the same way. He gripped his hands into fists. Nothing was working out for him. Not the ranch, not the girl—nothing at all. He might as well just take off and never come back.
Crouching down, he picked up the larger pieces of the broken ceramic and carefully put them in the discarded dustpan. Leaving seemed like the only option at this point. Sure, it was the cowardly way out, but it was safer—no heartache there. No one could discard him if he wasn’t there to be brushed off.
His elbows rested on his knees. He’d never been a quitter. AJ brushed the back of his wrist against his forehead. He wouldn’t start any junk like that now. Who said he couldn’t get the girl and the job? No one. Kate wouldn’t know what hit her. He’d show her he was worth a chance if it was the last thing he did. And more importantly, he’d