His Best Friend's Wife (Bachelor Best Friends 2) - Page 58
“Judging by Daniel’s request, I take it you aren’t going to work today?” Evan asked as soon as she let him know she was free to talk.
“No, Ann called and suggested I stay home with the kids. I took her up on the offer.”
“That’s why I was calling, actually. I was going to offer to come drive you to work. My truck is better on snow than your little car would be.”
She was touched. “Thanks, but I’m not planning to leave home today. We have all we need to cocoon for a couple days.”
“Good. Then I don’t have to worry about you being on the highway with the mo
rons that always come out in bad weather.”
She laughed softly. “No. What about you? Are you going to your office today?”
“No, Tate and I told everyone to stay home. There’s not much anyone can do in this weather. So if Daniel needs assistance with that snowman, I’m available.”
She hesitated, thinking of how disappointed Lucy would be if Renae brought Evan into their day at home. Yet the children would be thrilled to have him there. She sensed that Evan was hoping she would invite him, maybe thinking a day romping with the twins in the snow would be fun for all of them.
As for herself—she was cowardly wishing she could go back to bed and hide beneath the covers rather than risk disappointing any of them.
“Renae?”
Knowing Evan was waiting for an answer, she cleared her throat. “I’d hate for you to get out on these roads.”
“If you don’t want me to come, just say so.”
She was so focused on trying to keep everyone else happy that she was wasn’t sure what she wanted even factored into the debate. “It’s just that Lucy was planning to make hot chocolate and snow cream for the kids—”
“And she wouldn’t want me anywhere near her at the same time,” he finished grimly.
“Evan—”
She heard him draw a sharp breath before speaking evenly. “You know, I told you once that I wouldn’t ask you to choose between me and Lucy because I knew I would lose. I thought I could be content with what you had left over to give, but you know what? Not so much.”
Clutching the phone so tightly her knuckles ached, she groped for something to say.
He didn’t give her a chance. “I’ve tried to be understanding about Lucy’s pain. She’s suffered too many losses in her life. But to carry this grudge against me for so long, so that you can’t even mention my name or have me over to visit with your kids—well, that’s hard to swallow. Regardless of any unwanted attraction I might have had for you in the past, Jason was my friend, damn it.”
Unwanted attraction. Even though she agreed with the sentiment, the phrasing still stung a little. “I’ll try talking to her again.”
“By saying what this time?”
“The same thing I once said to you,” she answered flatly. “Jason made his own choices. Just because that last ride was your idea, it doesn’t mean you made him go.”
“Just the opposite, actually,” Evan muttered.
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
After a slight hesitation that indicated he regretted the comment, Evan said, “Never mind.”
“Evan—”
“I know your family is waiting for you,” he said somewhat curtly. “Go make a snowman with your kids and drink hot cocoa with your mother-in-law. And sometime during this day, maybe you can think about whether you’re satisfied with a Wednesday-night affair with me, or whether you want to figure out a way to have a hell of a lot more.”
He hadn’t given her an ultimatum exactly, she thought after he abruptly cut off the call. He’d simply made it clear that he was growing dissatisfied with their current arrangement.
Why couldn’t Evan be like most men and be content with a no-strings affair? Instead, he wanted to make snowmen with her children and drink cocoa in her kitchen.
And what had he meant by implying that the motorcycle ride hadn’t been his idea? Was there more to the story than she had heard?
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