“Yeah. It’s our thing.”
Amanda laughed, and impulsively gave him a squeeze, feeling incredibly lucky, just like the Irish.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, quietly.
“It’s the dress—”
“No, it’s you. You are beautiful.”
He’d paid her compliments before but tonight she felt the warmth and appreciation wrap her heart. She wanted this to work between them, she really did, and she thought it could, if he lived here. If being the key word. “Thank you,” she murmured, eyes stinging, chest tender with emotion she wasn’t prepared to analyze, not tonight, not here, not when she felt so much like Cinderella at the ball.
Tyler held out her chair and she was just about to sit down when a hard voice spoke behind them. “What did you do to that house, Amanda? You ruined it. Why would you paint it pink?”
Amanda tensed at the sound of the hard, bitter voice, not at all happy to hear it. It’d been months since she’d last seen Kirk. Why did she have to bump into him now, and here of all places?
“What’s wrong with the pink exterior?” Tyler said, shocking her, because she knew Tyler wasn’t a big fan of the pink, either.
“You must be the new boyfriend,” Kirk answered, giving Tyler the once-over as he extended his hand. “Kirk Jackson, founder and president of Jackson Construction. And the old boyfriend.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say he’d never been her boyfriend, but before she could speak, Tyler did. “You don’t look that old,” he said jovially, taking Kirk’s hand, and giving it a firm shake.
Kirk didn’t smile. He let go of Tyler’s hand as quickly as he could. “Didn’t catch your name.”
“Tyler Justice.”
“Any relation to Don and Bette Justice?”
Tyler nodded toward Bette at the table. “Grandson.”
“Didn’t know Bette had family in town.”
Tyler didn’t answer, and Kirk shifted uncomfortably before shooting Amanda a narrowed glance. “You never called me back.”
She frowned, perplexed. “When did you call?”
“Right around the holidays.”
“If you called, I didn’t get the message.”
“I called, and I left a message.”
Amanda told herself to ignore his tone. She told herself to ignore everything about him. He wasn’t her problem. Yes, she’d gone out with him a couple times, but it was a mistake and a long time ago.
“Maybe you should talk to your receptionist,” he added. “She promised to give you the message.”
Her chin lifted. “I will speak to her. Enjoy your evening. Take care, Kirk.” And then she moved to sit, and Tyler was holding her chair and Kirk had no choice but to move on.
After sitting down, Amanda and Tyler were quiet for a long moment.
Tyler broke the silence. “Interesting guy,” he said, his tone casual, and yet she sensed he wasn’t as disinterested as he appeared.
“Think so?” she replied, glancing up at him.
“He has a strong personality.” He paused. “Especially when it comes to you.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Were you together a long time?”
“We went out a few times, a couple years ago. He wasn’t for me, but he’s had a hard time letting it go.”
“You’re kidding.”
She shrugged. “I try to ignore him, but I confess, he makes my skin crawl.”
“I came really close to punching him.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. I don’t think your grandmother would approve.”
“Oh, Gram would approve, especially if she knew how much he bothered you.” Tyler turned his head to watch Kirk move through the room. “And now he’s bothering me.”
Amanda smothered a laugh. “No fighting allowed. This is a ball. It’s supposed to be fun.”
Tyler’s attention was still on Kirk who was now waiting in line at one of the bars in the corner of the room. “Tell me about him.”
“There’s nothing to say. We went out a few times. He was loud, and opinionated, and I chose not to go out on with him again. He didn’t like it. I admire confidence, but his is misplaced. He’d stop by my work uninvited and just kind of… be Kirk.”
“And these dates were when?”
“Two years ago in May.”
“And he’s still a possessive jerk?”
She exhaled. “Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.” Tyler’s brow creased. He was clearly baffled by something. “What did you like about him? Why go out with him in the first place?”
She fidgeted in her seat. “Marietta is a small town. He was new. He’d moved to the area to build that new shopping area on the outside of town. He came in to the old salon I managed on Main Street for a haircut. He returned the next day and asked me out. I said yes.”
“But he’s a jerk.”
“I didn’t see it right away. And when you know everyone in town, it’s kind of exciting to be asked out by someone new. I was hopeful, and flattered.”
“Huh.”
“You asked.”
“I just can’t believe you’d be flattered by the attention of someone like that—”
“You’ve grown up in cities where you don’t know most of the people around you. Everyone is new, and interesting. The world is filled with possibilities. It’s not the same for me. Most of the men in Marietta I’ve known since elementary school.”
He drummed his fingers on the table. “Is that why you went out with me? Because I was the new guy in town?”
“No. And if you recall, I didn’t want to go out with you. If you recall, I was only being nice to you because I had to be, for Bette’s sake.” She arched a brow. “You weren’t someone I wanted to like. And for your information, I still struggle with the fact that you are just visiting, and any day now, you could leave and not return.” She met his gaze and held it. “True?”
“I don’t know the future, no. But no one does.”
“But most people know if they want to live one place or another. I know I want to live in Marietta. You can’t say that, though.”
Tyler didn’t answer, thinking he hadn’t seen any of this coming. One moment everything was wonderful, and she was smiling up at him, making him feel like he was on top of the world, and now everything was tense and strained.
“How did that Kirk guy hijack our night?” he asked, trying to make a joke of it, thinking they needed to turn things around, and quickly.
“I don’t know if he did, or we have finally bumped against reality.” She adjusted her tiny star earring, the star made of rhinestones. “It was bound to happen. We are so different—”
“What are you doing?”
“Just laying all the cards on the table. I think we should, don’t you? Better do it now, before someone gets hurt.”
He leaned toward her, his gaze locking with hers, challenging her. “I think you’re running scared. I think you’re afraid to fall for me, because you’d be vulnerable, and you’d be risking your heart.”
“No one wants to be hurt.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to be hurt. It’s not at all appealing. But do you know what’s even less appealing? Losing you. I’m not ready to let you go, Amanda, not when we’re just beginning to figure this out, because I think we have something good here. I think we have something special. Don’t you?”
He saw the different emotions cross her features, the hurt and fear, waging war with hope and tenderness, and in between the different emotions he saw her, and just how vulnerable she was. Amanda put on a good front, and she had a successful business, but underneath, she was far more fragile than he’d expected.
“I like you,” she said finally, her voice pitched low.
“Good, because I really like you.”
“I don’t want to be hurt.”
“I have no desire to hurt you.”
“But you could very well leave tomorrow.”
“Probably not tomorrow, but yes, I could leave.
But if things worked between us, I could ask you to come with me. Go somewhere new. Have an adventure with me.”