A Winter Wedding(34)

“It’ll work this time. You’ll see. Go thirty. You’ll thank me in the end.”

She seemed so convinced. He could tell he wasn’t going to talk her out of it. He wasn’t all that motivated to resist, anyway. He liked having her interested in his love life, even if it was ostensibly to find him someone else. So he decided to let her have her fun. He’d just shoot down anyone who didn’t look promising. He could do that until Lourdes lost interest, couldn’t he? It wouldn’t be long before she was back in Nashville, trying to restore her career instead of finding him a wife. He doubted she’d be able to spare a thought for him then.

With a roll of his eyes, he said, “Fine, go thirty,” and left.





9

Noelle called while Kyle was at the grocery store.

“I can’t believe you have Lourdes Bennett at your house,” she said as soon as he answered.

He’d taken her call only because he felt he should thank her for the meal—and so he could tell her he’d drop off her dishes. He didn’t want to give her any excuse to come back to his place. If he timed it well, he could leave the dishes on her doorstep while she was at work. “She’s begging for privacy, Noelle. You’ll let her have it, won’t you?”

“Of course! I won’t tell a soul.”

He was willing to bet she’d already told many souls. It was probably all she could talk about at work. “I mean it.”

“Stop being so grumpy. If word gets out, it won’t be my fault.”

“Yes, it will,” he insisted. “You’re the only one who knows she’s here.”

“I’m not the only one!”

Instead of grabbing a cart and entering the store, he moved off to one side, away from the automatic doors. “If you know that, you’ve talked to someone about her.”

“Just Olivia. My sister. You trust her, don’t you? You must, since you told her yourself.”

He sighed as he dragged a hand through his hair. “All I’m saying is that...Lourdes doesn’t want to be bothered, okay?”

“Then maybe you should quit telling people she’s here!”

“I just told the people I trust.” Noelle must’ve brought it up to Olivia, because Olivia wouldn’t have mentioned it otherwise.

“Me, too!”

That tic in his eye started up again. “Fine. Whatever,” he said. “I don’t want to argue about it. All I’m asking for is your discretion. Anyway, thanks for the meal last night.”

“You liked it?” She seemed so delighted to hear this, she let him change the subject without complaint.

“I did. It was great. Really.”

“See? I know how to please you. I remember every detail.”

He wrestled with the revulsion that welled up. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly why he was feeling so negative toward her when she’d done him a good deed. Except that he suspected she had an ulterior motive. Ignoring the part about knowing how to please him, since he could easily guess that she was hinting at his sexual preferences and not his food preferences, he moved on. “I’ll drop the dishes by later. Do you work tonight?”

If so, he’d take them once she left...

“I was supposed to, but I’ve been putting in so many hours that I got someone else to cover my shift. I thought maybe we could take Lourdes to San Francisco and show her around.”

No way did she just say that. “Are you kidding?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Lourdes doesn’t want to go to San Francisco, Noelle.”

“How can you be so sure? Have you asked her?”

“Because I know why she’s here—to write her next album uninterrupted.”

“Well, she can’t work all day and all night. We could leave late—like eight or nine. Most of the good clubs don’t get busy until after ten, anyway.”

He choked back the diatribe that was going through his mind—which began with the reminder that they were exes and not friends. She’d just say he was being mean.

Taking a deep breath to bolster his patience, he opted for a simple “No.”

“No, what?”

“We’re not going out with you.”

There was a long moment of silence. “So are you going without me?”

He pressed his palm to his forehead. The painkiller Lourdes had provided was no longer doing its job. “Lourdes has a boyfriend. We’re not going out at all. I’m her landlord. I’m letting her stay at my place only because the furnace at the farmhouse isn’t working. The moment that’s fixed, she’ll be moving in there.”

“You aren’t attracted to her?”

He wasn’t admitting to anything. “She’s too famous for me. I wouldn’t enjoy the attention.”

“And no one can replace Olivia.” Her voice had turned sour. “Believe me, I can guess what you’re thinking.”

Clutching his hair, he squeezed his eyes closed—until someone came up and touched his arm. “Kyle, are you okay?”

He opened his eyes to see Mrs. Higgins, an older widow who lived in town, looking at him curiously.

Curving his lips in a reassuring smile, he nodded. “Yes. Of course. I’m fine. How are you today?”