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“And you’re not?” Shesound as she rolled her eyes “You’re the one that’s spent ninein the Sheenan ho a book about McKenna’s fa a million dollars off of it—”
“I’ it for the money,” he interrupted flatly
“But you aremoney A lot ofyou, I’ you why they are so pissed off at you”
“And yet here you are”
She wrapped her hands in her sweater, expression unhappy “Apparently I like you Although to be honest, I wish I didn’t It’d be easier not to It’d be easier to just let them kick you out of their ranch house and not worry about what happens to you”
“Ouch” He teased, dangerously close to laughing But he didn’t want to laugh, sensing it would just ry with hiht her fist to his ain “You don’t have to worry about me,” he soothed “No matter what happens, I will be fine” He hesitated for just a split-second before adding, “And so will you”
Shane’s ers and yet his words left Jet cold If he thought he was being helpful, he rong
Her eyes burned and her throat ached “I hate it when you say that,” she said, trying to tug her hand free “Why be so pessimistic, unless you already know the way this ends and you just don’t want to tell me?”
“That’s not what I meant”
“But I think it is You’ve said so similar twice Or you’ve made up your mind and decided
how this plays out Is that the case?”
He sighed hat sounded like exaggerated patience “We kno it ends My lease is up soon and I’ll be back in New York to finishon a contract” His dark gaze swept her “Your contract could be renewed, or itin the future—”
“That’s right But just because we don’t knohat I’ll be doing in June doesn’t ed her hand free, tucking her tingling fingers beneath her leg “Or do we? If so, just tell me”
She heard the hardness in her voice It matched the lump in her throat and the ice in her belly She added even s like Skype and FaceTime and airplanes and all kinds of conveniences that can help bring people together If they want to be together”
He said nothing and his silence o fro She almost hated him just then, and she certainly hated his silence and callousness She didn’t care that he had grown up in foster care Didn’t care that he thought of hih and invincible…the classic lone wolf He’d invited her along this weekend He’d reached out to her He’d been the one to make her think there could be more—
“What is happening?” Shane said
“Harley warnedtiet to the Sheenans—”
“And ould I do that?”
“I don’t know To get under their skin…provoke them”
“And that would accomplish…what?”
His incredulous tone made her feel ridiculous and e…didn’t knohy she was having a full melt do