“Mhmm. But I think she’s hoping for more. Best to shut it down.”
Lis’s gaze was fixed on Kansas. He fidgeted. Should’ve known the amicable parting was too easy.
“Yeah. I’ll take care of it.” He rose from his seat. “Come on, Lis, I’ll walk you out.”
A grateful expression crossed her face, and hope flared the depths of her eyes. Pump the brakes, chick. I’m not going anywhere. They walked to the front of the house side by side.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d brought your … lady friend.”
Keep it real and to the point.
“You mean my fiancée, Kansas, who’s here to meet the family?”
A sharp hiss came from his right. He met her gaze and nodded. The pain that wrinkled her face and made her eyes glossy with unshed tears cut him like a knife. Hurting her wasn’t his intention, but he couldn’t give. He’d be damned if she made Kansas uncomfortable in his hometown.
“That’s not what I expected you to say.” Her voice was wounded and barely audible.
“I’m curious to hear how you imagined this scenario playing out.”
“Come on, Jett, we fight, we make up. It’s what we do. Why would now be any different?”
“I thought we went over this, Lis. We’re done. No amount of therapy could put this broken relationship back together, and to be honest I wouldn’t even want to try. I’ve been straight up with you from the time I came to see you in the hospital. I thought you were, too. You said you understood.”
“I thought you were trying to give me space—”
“By lying about having a girlfriend?” He inclined his head.
“No.” She shook her head, looked up, and released a deep breath. “I didn’t think it was that serious. I thought maybe you were biding your time. I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders, ran a hand through her hair, and bit her lip. The action used to drive him wild. Now it just grated his nerves.
“You’ll always have a special place in my heart, Lis. We’ve been through a lot together. Don’t tarnish that by choosing the wrong path right now and alienating not only me, but my family.”
Her lower lip trembled. “You expect me to sit here like everything is okay and it doesn’t bother me to see the two of you together?”
“I don’t care what you do as long as you bite your tongue and keep your distance.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
“I-I hope it works out for you!” She turned on her heel and all but ran to the car waiting in the street.
He felt removed from the situation. When it came to Lis he was at the end of his emotional tether. Going to hell and back over and over would do that to a person. The best thing for them now was time apart to gain some clarity and move forward with their lives, separately.
Rejoining his family he spoke. “We won’t be seeing Lis for a while.” He took his seat beside Kansas, and she leaned in, placing a hand on his thigh.
“Are you okay?”
“Never better.”
She studied him.
“I told you that relationship was over. I made my peace. She had things twisted. Now she doesn’t. I’m not letting anything come between us.” Brushing a loose strand of hair back from Kansas’s face he connected their lips in a searing kissed to reassure them both.
Chapter Eight
Kansas dialed her best friend’s number, holding her breath as she waited for her to pick up. Jett had been planning something special for a few days, and in an hour she’d find out what it was. Since the man didn’t know how to do things on a small scale she was just as nervous as she was excited.
“Hey girl, how’s Eaton treating you?”