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Authors: Kennedy Layne
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rude so much as matter of fact. They technically didn’t run in the same circles. Had he taken her attitude a different way?
“Kevin, I never meant for you to feel that you’re not welcome here.” Elle struggled for the right words as she leaned against the counter. How could she explain that it wasn’t her who had changed once she’d cleaned up her life? “You know that I appreciate how you helped me, but it’s not as if you and I have the type of relationship where we just drop by each other’s places. I don’t even know where you live. Regardless, I didn’t mean for you to feel that I was ungrateful.”
Kevin’s gray eyes never wavered from hers, as if he was trying to gauge if she was telling the truth. Elle figured she should have been insulted, but then thought better of it. Hearing him say out loud that he felt unwelcome was just a testament that he recognized her change in behavior toward him. He stood in the middle of her sitting area with his legs spread just so and his arms crossed over his chest.
“You used to talk to me.”
Elle started to feel confined, similar to how he made her feel this morning when he asked about allowing people to care for her. He was making this personal when it was just the opposite. Kevin had done a good deed by setting her up an interview. Nothing more, nothing less. The words he just spoke made it sound as if he thought she took advantage of him.
“I still talk to you,” Elle argued, feeling unsettled. She needed to do something with her hands. The four-cup coffee maker was the perfect excuse, so she turned around and went to work. “You were helpful to me when I needed it. I will always be grateful. When I started working for Jax and Connor, I poured my heart into being the best manager they could have. You had your life and I was building mine. Let’s face it, we still run in different circles.”
Silence descended over the small apartment. Elle finally hit the brew button and then went about washing the new mugs that she’d purchased earlier. It had nothing to do with the fact that she didn’t want to turn around and face him yet. Would he see that she hadn’t told him the full truth? Elle was pretty damn good at lying if the situation called for it.
“I live in Eden Prairie.”
The change of topic threw her off course. Elle looked over her shoulder to see that he’d taken a seat on her couch. It looked more like a loveseat with his large frame on it. Add on top of that him stretching out his legs and he looked mighty comfortable. The altered conversation drew her attention away from being concerned she’d revealed too much. The slight grin on Kevin’s face made her wonder if he’d done that on purpose.
“Eden Prairie? You drive every day into the city?” Elle quickly rinsed off the mugs and then grabbed a dishtowel. She faced him once more, feeling more comfortable and wanting to find out a little more about him. “Why don’t you rent an apartment like Ethan or live on the edge of the city like Connor and Jax? It would certainly make your commute easier.”
“I was raised in the country,” Kevin replied, resting a hand on his right knee. “My parents still own a farm in Wisconsin, although my brothers mostly do the daily chores. The city is fine to work in, but not to live. I own a couple of acres of land and the house sits toward the back end of the section. It’s peaceful.”
Elle studied him, a hundred questions racing through her mind. A farm boy? She never in a million years would have guessed that Kevin Dreier—the man who maintained street contacts for his job—grew up in the backwoods of Wisconsin. Asking about his upbringing would only prompt him to do the same to her. It was second nature to most people, but she’d learned not to put herself in that position. For the first time in her life, she found herself tempted to break that rule.
“So what else did Rachel have to say?”
Kevin’s inquiry took away her decision to ask
“Kevin, I never meant for you to feel that you’re not welcome here.” Elle struggled for the right words as she leaned against the counter. How could she explain that it wasn’t her who had changed once she’d cleaned up her life? “You know that I appreciate how you helped me, but it’s not as if you and I have the type of relationship where we just drop by each other’s places. I don’t even know where you live. Regardless, I didn’t mean for you to feel that I was ungrateful.”
Kevin’s gray eyes never wavered from hers, as if he was trying to gauge if she was telling the truth. Elle figured she should have been insulted, but then thought better of it. Hearing him say out loud that he felt unwelcome was just a testament that he recognized her change in behavior toward him. He stood in the middle of her sitting area with his legs spread just so and his arms crossed over his chest.
“You used to talk to me.”
Elle started to feel confined, similar to how he made her feel this morning when he asked about allowing people to care for her. He was making this personal when it was just the opposite. Kevin had done a good deed by setting her up an interview. Nothing more, nothing less. The words he just spoke made it sound as if he thought she took advantage of him.
“I still talk to you,” Elle argued, feeling unsettled. She needed to do something with her hands. The four-cup coffee maker was the perfect excuse, so she turned around and went to work. “You were helpful to me when I needed it. I will always be grateful. When I started working for Jax and Connor, I poured my heart into being the best manager they could have. You had your life and I was building mine. Let’s face it, we still run in different circles.”
Silence descended over the small apartment. Elle finally hit the brew button and then went about washing the new mugs that she’d purchased earlier. It had nothing to do with the fact that she didn’t want to turn around and face him yet. Would he see that she hadn’t told him the full truth? Elle was pretty damn good at lying if the situation called for it.
“I live in Eden Prairie.”
The change of topic threw her off course. Elle looked over her shoulder to see that he’d taken a seat on her couch. It looked more like a loveseat with his large frame on it. Add on top of that him stretching out his legs and he looked mighty comfortable. The altered conversation drew her attention away from being concerned she’d revealed too much. The slight grin on Kevin’s face made her wonder if he’d done that on purpose.
“Eden Prairie? You drive every day into the city?” Elle quickly rinsed off the mugs and then grabbed a dishtowel. She faced him once more, feeling more comfortable and wanting to find out a little more about him. “Why don’t you rent an apartment like Ethan or live on the edge of the city like Connor and Jax? It would certainly make your commute easier.”
“I was raised in the country,” Kevin replied, resting a hand on his right knee. “My parents still own a farm in Wisconsin, although my brothers mostly do the daily chores. The city is fine to work in, but not to live. I own a couple of acres of land and the house sits toward the back end of the section. It’s peaceful.”
Elle studied him, a hundred questions racing through her mind. A farm boy? She never in a million years would have guessed that Kevin Dreier—the man who maintained street contacts for his job—grew up in the backwoods of Wisconsin. Asking about his upbringing would only prompt him to do the same to her. It was second nature to most people, but she’d learned not to put herself in that position. For the first time in her life, she found herself tempted to break that rule.
“So what else did Rachel have to say?”
Kevin’s inquiry took away her decision to ask
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