Distraction (Club Destiny #8)(24)

Bill nodded, but he didn’t look pleased with the request.

When the front door closed behind her, Sarah casually took two steps down, stopping on the bottom one when Dylan came to stand in front of her. Even with the added inches from the step, she had to look up at him. “Is something wrong? Is Jake okay?”

Dylan’s gaze slid to the front door, then back to her. He nodded. “Yeah, he’s fine.”

Silence.

And it wasn’t the comfortable kind where it was obvious they were both thinking. This was the unsettling silence that made Sarah want to fidget. She fought the urge.

“Why are you here, Dylan?” A hint of frustration edged her tone and she couldn’t help it.

Dylan’s eyes dropped to his booted feet briefly before lifting.

It was her turn to look at him. He was wearing a black hoodie and a pair of dark Wranglers. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and he was shifting back and forth from one foot to the other. He looked nervous.

When he met her eyes that time, there wasn’t an ounce of apprehension in his gaze. No, what Sarah saw was … something that looked a lot like desire.

“Why are you here?” Sarah repeated, suddenly suspicious.

“I don’t know.” The honest confusion in his tone tugged at a soft spot in her heart, but Sarah pushed it away.

“I’m headin’ out for the weekend,” she informed him, although she figured he already knew that. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he’d shown up on her doorstep today of all days. If she had to guess, her nephew had shared the news with him, and now she was going to have to call Jake and tell him to keep his big mouth shut. Dylan might be Jake’s boss at CISS, but that didn’t mean he had to know the details of her life.

“With him?” he asked bluntly, chin tilting toward the house.

“Yes. His name’s Bill.”

“I remember.” His tone was hard. “Where?”

“Where what?”

“Where’s he taking you?”

Sarah shrugged.

“You don’t know? Or you don’t wanna tell me?” He sounded more like a parent than a man she hadn’t seen or talked to in years.

“I don’t know. It’s a surprise,” she said, hands going to her hips defiantly.

Who did he think he was?

Dylan nodded, but that awkward silence descended once again.

“Look, Sarah…” He didn’t continue, merely stood there, staring at her.

She wished she could read his mind. Why was he here? What was on his mind? And why the hell had it taken three freaking years for him to make a move if that was what he was doing?

“I…” Sarah glanced behind her at the house. “I really need to go.”

His dark eyes pinned her in place, and that time she was certain she saw heat. Her insides smoldered, the same way they did every time Dylan looked at her like that.

Something was definitely going on with him, but Sarah reminded herself that she wasn’t interested. He’d made it abundantly clear that he hadn’t wanted anything to do with her.

“I honestly don’t know why I’m here. I couldn’t help myself.”

That didn’t tell her a damn thing, but it did succeed in pissing her off.

“You should leave.”

Dylan nodded again. “I’ll go. Just tell me one thing.”

Sarah lifted her eyebrows in question, waiting for him to continue.

“Is it serious with you and…?”

“Bill?”

“Yeah,” Dylan said with a nod.

It wasn’t serious and she knew that it never would be, but she told Dylan, “I don’t know yet.”

“I can live with that,” he replied, another spark of heat igniting in his dark eyes.

“What does that mean?” she asked, knowing she shouldn’t.

“Nothin’,” he said with a smirk. “Yet.”

“Dylan…”

“You’ll be back on Sunday?”

She nodded.

“Good. I’d like to come over.”

She frowned.

“To talk.”

Sarah stared at him, not sure what she was supposed to say, if anything. Luckily, Dylan cut the strained silence with a small smile and a wave as he took two steps back.

“I’m leaving, but I’ll be back on Sunday.”

Her heart cracked at the sound of his voice, but she bit her lip, holding her thoughts back.

When he turned, she took a deep breath.

Watching him walk away made her stomach hurt. She wanted to call after him, invite him in for something to drink. But she couldn’t. Not only was Bill inside, but she knew she had to keep those feelings for Dylan buried deep. He would only hurt her emotionally, and that was the last thing Sarah ever wanted to endure again.

She remained on the porch until Dylan drove away. She didn’t turn back even after the taillights of the sweet ’65 Chevy truck he drove disappeared out of sight. It was the same truck he’d been restoring in high school. Interesting that he’d held on to it all this time.

“You okay?”

Crap. She’d forgotten about Bill although she wasn’t sure how that was even possible.

Turning to see her weekend date standing on the porch behind her, Sarah forced a smile and decided right then that she would go with him. Even if things didn’t work out between them—which she knew was going to be the case—she needed something to keep her mind occupied for the weekend. They were friends, after all.