never let me buy just my building, because I share a parking lot with Patty’s Pizza.”
“You’re kidding.”
Another bonus point. He sounded truly, sincerely astonished by this news.
“Are you really surprised, or are you just a great actor?”
“You thought I knew?”
She turned to face him. Mistake. The swaggering jokester had disappeared, replaced by a sincerity that made her catch her breath. She had a feeling that she was seeing the real J. T. Delaney for the first time. And it was a damned intriguing sight.
She spoke carefully, uncertain how to proceed. “It’s your property. It would make sense that you would know.”
“I’ve looked at some of the papers, but not everything yet. I never had to know this before.”
That made sense. Damn.
“So I guess the price of my building has just jumped.”
He hesitated before nodding. “If this is true, then yeah. It will have to.”
Her throat tightened. She could have managed payments on her building alone. But hers and Patty’s? The possibility was looking slimmer by the minute.
“Let me guess. You just got off the phone when you ran into me in the parking lot.”
“Right in one.”
“That explains a lot.”
He was being way too understanding. Though maybe she could twist that logic for her own benefit. Maybe that overwhelming desire she’d felt when the lights went out had nothing to do with him. Maybe it was just a by-product of the frustration she’d felt, a kind of emotional leftover that misfired.
She risked another glance at him—strong arms, firm chest, a mouth that begged to be explored.
Nope. Not a leftover.
She sighed. “I need to get back.”
“Maybe we could—” He stopped abruptly, then ducked his head. “You’re right. We’d better go.”
They walked to the van in silence, which persisted through the drive back up River Road. Despite the circumstances, it was a surprisingly comfortable silence. Lyddie almost wished for the pure, hot anger she’d felt a few minutes earlier. That was a lot easier to understand than the mix of despair, hopelessness and residual lust still swirling inside her.
She pulled into the lot that was the source of this latest dilemma. They were sure to be spotted. If she acted like there was nothing to hide, maybe the gossips would go easy on her.
She reached for the door handle, then stopped. It had to be said. “J.T.?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry I dragged you off the way I did. That was wrong.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been expecting to get lynched ever since I walked back into town.”
That sounded more like the J. T. Delaney she knew. Especially when he slid out of the van, then poked his head back in to flash her that killer grin and added, “But if I’d known it was gonna happen in broad daylight with a pretty woman, I would have offered myself up a whole lot sooner.”
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