That was one of the problems of living in a small town like Angel Sands. Sometimes it felt as though everybody was up in your business. He didn’t want to upset somebody he was going to come into contact with again and again.
He’d just be kind and hope she got bored of the chase.
Caitie walked past them again, carrying another empty dish. She gave him and Rachel a small smile and went to hurry past.
“You need any help clearing up?” Breck asked her.
“No. We’re good,” Caitie said. She turned her head so he couldn’t see her face. “You guys can carry on talking, you’re guests here.”
His eyes followed her as she walked away again. It was almost impossible to ignore the way her sweater hugged her body. It made him swallow hard, and try not to imagine what it would be like to peel it off her.
This was such a bad idea. He had one woman who couldn’t take no for an answer, and another he couldn’t get out of his mind, no matter how forbidden she was. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
“Son, I think I’m going to head out,” his dad said, joining them in the dining room. “It’s almost nine in Boston, and I’m beat. Plus I’d kind of like to Skype with Maria before she goes to bed.”
“Okay. I’ll go say thanks to the Russells and then I can run you home.”
“No need for you to leave early,” Daniel said. “I’ll take dad home. I’m sure Lucas can drop you off later. That’s if you trust me with your truck.”
Breck frowned. “Are you sure? You’re only here for a couple of days. I’ll take you.”
“Dude, Dad’ll be holed up in his room on his laptop and I’m heading to bed with a book. Just stay here and have fun with your friends. We’ll see each other in the morning.”
“He’s right, son,” his dad agreed. “You should stay. I heard Lucas talking about playing some cards.”
Breck was torn between spending time with his family, and spending time with the Russells. As if to add to the confusion, Caitie emerged from the kitchen again, and their eyes immediately met.
“Are you leaving?” she asked, disappointment in her voice.
“We are,” Daniel said, putting his arm around his dad. “Breck’s going to grab a ride with Lucas later.”
The furrows in Caitie’s brow seemed to smooth out. “Oh, okay. It’s a shame to see you go so soon.”
“We’ve got a bit of jet lag,” Daniel told her. “Plus, Dad’s got a hot video date with his girlfriend. Thanks for having us over. It was so good to see you again.” He pulled her in, hugging her tightly. “Let’s stay in touch, okay? Now I’ve got your number, I’ll give you a call.”
“That would be wonderful.” She squeezed him back. “And thanks for coming, it was great catching up with you.”
Breck pulled his keys from his pocket and threw them to his brother, who caught them mid-air. “I’ll see you later, bro.”
After Breck’s family left, Deenie and Wallace went up to bed, claiming exhaustion. Only six of them remained. Lucas grabbed some beers, handing one to Harper, before passing Caitie and Breck both a bottle. Rachel shook her head, and Ember poured them both a glass of wine instead.
“Okay, so who’s up for a few rounds of poker?” Lucas asked.
“I’m game,” Caitie said, taking a mouthful of beer. “If you can handle me.”
“I’m certain you can’t handle me. But I’m up for it if you are.” Harper grinned.
Rachel shook her head. “I’m terrible at cards. Maybe we can put on some music and dance instead.”
Caitie’s expression was classic. Her wide eyes and open mouth made Breck want to laugh. He was half inclined to agree with Rachel just to watch Caitie’s reaction.
“I’m no good at cards either,” Ember agreed. “Do we have to play? Lucas gets all angry and starts shouting whenever he loses.”
When Breck looked at Caitie again, she was biting down a smile. Her teeth digging into her bottom lip. As he watched it slowly unfurl, he had to tighten his hands into fists to stop himself from touching her.
“We could watch a movie,” Lucas suggested. “Dad’s got some old Clint Eastwood DVDs in his office.”
“Can’t we watch something nice?” Rachel said. “A romantic comedy, or something? Oh, maybe there’s a Christmas movie on Netflix.”