Tangle (Dogwood Lane 2)

“Fine. You aren’t technically married, even though it feels like it. So are you pregnant?”

“No,” she says, leaning forward, “I’m not.” She goes back to wiping a bit of spilled milk in the fridge. “Why do you always go to pregnancy?”

“Because I think it’s the most romantic thing in the world,” I coo. “It’s two people that are madly in love, committing to bringing their bodies together to create a whole new life—think about that!—that will walk the world forever. It’s the ultimate way of telling someone you love them.”

Dane blinks. “You’ve really thought this out, haven’t you?”

“I have a lot of time on my hands.” I twist a strand of hair around my finger. “What were you talking about, anyway? What’s helping Mia adjust to what?”

Neely closes the refrigerator. “We want to have a party at the new house before we move in. Just so Mia has some memories there with people she loves. And I think it’ll help her be excited when the day comes to pack her stuff and sleep in a new room.”

“Bring Trevor,” Dane says. “I’d like to see him outside of work.”

“I’ll try.” I fidget in my seat, wondering if he’ll still be here then to invite. I hate this. I liked it so much better when I knew he’d be around.

Dane furrows a brow. “Nashville sucked?”

Neely giggles. “I think you should leave out the word ‘suck,’ love.”

I roll my eyes. “Anyway,” I say, redirecting the conversation to things that won’t remind me of being laid out on a table, “I’m not sure how long he’ll be in town. Once the house is done, he won’t have a reason to stay.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Dane says.

His hopeful attitude annoys me. “Maybe not. What would possibly keep him here? It’s not like Kelly Construction has a line of projects waiting to be tackled. And even if they did, Trevor is the CFO. His job is in an office, crunching numbers.”

“It is?” Neely asks.

“Yeah.”

“Then why is he here?”

“Basically to build a poodle spa and make sure the house is perfect,” I say, not wanting to get into it.

“The poodle spa is pretty amazing,” Dane says. “There’s a grooming table and a hot-tub thing for them to get bathed in. And everything is monogrammed for Buffy and Muffy.”

Neely laughs. “You’re kidding me.”

“Afraid not.” Dane grabs a cookie out of a jar and takes a bite. “In my next life, I want to be one of those dogs. But with a better name. Like Tuffy.”

“Hey,” Neely says, looking at her watch, “I need to go get Mia from Keyarah and Madison’s house. I told Susan I’d bring the girls here for the night so she and her husband can have a date night.”

They banter back and forth. I check my phone again. The home screen is blank. Again.

“You can always bring them to me,” I offer. “I have nothing going on.”

“You aren’t seeing Trevor?” Dane asks.

“Apparently not.” I swipe my phone like it has offended me and shove it in my pocket.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Nope.” I sink onto the stool again and let my irritation settle. “He doesn’t owe me anything. We had a nice weekend. He’ll go home. If I get upset about that, then I’m the jerk.”

The door opens. Then closes. Then a knock sounds through the room.

The three of us exchange a look before Dane walks around Neely and twists the doorknob. In walks Penn.

“I knocked,” he says immediately.

“Good boy, Penn,” Neely says, patting him on the head. “Do you want a cookie?”

“Yes, please.”

“I was kidding.” She grabs her keys off the hook and blows Dane a kiss. “Be back in a little bit.”

“Love you,” Dane calls after her.

“Love you, babe.”

The door closes as Penn walks to the cookie jar. He retrieves a large sugar cookie.

“Help yourself,” Dane mutters.

“She offered it,” he says.

“She was kidding,” Dane says.

Penn shrugs, taking a bite of his cookie. “So what’s happening over here?”

“Not much,” I say. “I’m just getting ready to leave too.”

Penn turns to face me. For the first time in the years I’ve known him, he doesn’t smile. Or laugh. Or have something quick-witted on his tongue. He simply cocks his head a bit to the side. “Okay.”

“Okay, what?” I ask.

“Why are you leaving?”

“So I can go home and get ready for bed. I just got back in town this afternoon, and I’m tired.”

He chomps down on his cookie. “You went with Trevor last night, right?”

I nod.

“How’d that go?”

“Fine.”

“Went pretty shitty if you’re answering it with ‘fine,’” he notes.

I blow out an irritated breath. “It went fine, Penn. It was nice. We had fun.”

“Did you have sex?”

“I’m not answering that.” I pick up my purse and head for the door. “Good night, Dane.”

I don’t know what transpires behind me, but I hear a lot of whispering. By the time I’m at the door, Dane is by my side.