snatched the plastic dish from him, her temper already frothing to life in spite of her best intentions.
Rafe stared back at her silently as if they were just old friends catching up. Well, that would have worked if he’d contacted her once he returned to town. She could have pretended she was okay with everything, that it was all water under the bridge. But the way he’d ignored her for the past five months poured salt on some very old wounds.
Still, he said nothing, damn him.
“Yes, I loved him. And yes, I loved you before that. So what? You chose to leave town and you chose to let one argument wipe out everything else. What was I supposed to do? Mope around all infatuated with you for the rest of my life? I may not have left Vista del Mar, but I moved on when it came to living my life.”
He nodded once, a smile tucking into his face if not up to his eyes. “You always did have a way of putting me in my place.”
“Somebody needs to,” she said under her breath, peeling a ground-beef patty up and onto the grill, the meat sizzling. She dropped two more beside it.
“Is that why you invited me over, to put me in my place?” He sat at the table, extending his legs in front of him.
Long, lean legs that made her mouth water.
God, how had she lost sight of her real reason for asking him over? Lowering the flame, she closed the grill and sat across from him carefully. She needed to change the tone of the conversation fast, because they very obviously hadn’t reached a point where they could talk about personal stuff.
“Actually, I wanted to talk about Worth Industries.”
“It’s not Worth Industries anymore.”
“Right, of course. And that’s just my point, the takeover. Rafe, I know you’ve always been ambitious, but the person I knew all those years ago wouldn’t be so heartless. It’s not too late for you or for the factory. Production has slowed but the place isn’t completely shut down. You can still change your mind.” She reached across the table, reached out to him. “The man who started Hannah’s Hope couldn’t do something like this. What’s really going on?”
“The factory is outdated.” His hand moved closer to hers, so near she thought he would clasp hers. Then he skimmed past and pulled an orchid from the pitcher. “If I keep it open, I’m only delaying the inevitable. Better to rip the bandage off fast.”
“That’s not going to be much consolation to my parents as they lose their jobs.” Her hands fisted on the cool iron, the scent of other barbecues on the breeze as she forced herself to breathe deeply, control her temper.
“My legal staff and I worked out retirement packages for long-term employee of Worth Industries.”
“For half of what they’d been expecting before.” Mist from the neighbor’s sprinkler carried over the fence but did little to cool her mood.
“They may have been promised more but it wasn’t feasible.” He skimmed the fragile bloom over her tight fist until her fingers unfurled. “The funds would have dried up within five years of retirement.”
“Says you.” She snatched her flower from him and sagged back in her chair.
“It doesn’t really matter whether you believe me or not,” he said arrogantly. “I’m giving you a courtesy explanation. I did not ask for your input.”
“You never did want my opinion, not when it mattered most.” The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them, but damn it, he’d lied to her.
They’d made a plan for the future. She’d been willing to leave Vista del Mar for him if they could get married.
Only he’d wanted to go to Los Angeles, a huge city and the last sort of place where she could be happy. And she’d realized he didn’t really want to marry her, but had just felt pressured. Even thinking about that time made her feel edgy and raw. Too often she used her temper to hide hurt
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