Honest. Dependable. Smart. Kind. Generous. The list went on of all the good things he liked about her. Her sweetness drew him to her when they were kids.
She was a part of his life. A piece of him.
And with that thought, he went back to what Declan asked.
Did he want to keep her from falling for some other guy just because he didn’t want to lose her as a friend?
He wanted her to be happy. She deserved to have everything she wanted.
What really got to him was that it wasn’t that he hadn’t ever looked at her as a woman he wanted, but that he always stopped himself from crossing that line because he didn’t want to lose what they already had together.
But if he lost her to some other guy, would he forever wonder what might have been if he took a chance on them?
What if he’d waited too long?
What if she really was done with him?
Chapter Two
Liz caught Declan’s eye after Tate stormed out of the bar. Declan shrugged and gave her a half smile. She hated to upset Tate, but she needed some space. She couldn’t keep holding on to him. It left no room for anyone else to come into her life because she was always looking at Tate. What if she missed a good guy who wanted what she wanted because she was pining for Tate and hoping he’d miraculously love her?
He didn’t.
He wouldn’t.
And it hurt to admit that and feel like no matter how hard she loved him it would never change.
After all this time, she’d finally accepted that he’d put her in the friend zone and had no intention of moving her out of it.
Clint hooked his hand around her middle from behind, planted it on her stomach, and leaned down close to her ear. “You came here with me. Forget him.” He nuzzled her neck and gave her a soft kiss. “You’re kind and sweet, beautiful, and sexy as hell.”
They swayed to the music and she leaned back into him, loving the feel of his arms around her.
He took her hand and spun her out, then pulled her back in to his chest as they made their way from the edge of the dance floor back into the flow of couples circling the center and keeping time to the music.
“Was everything okay with your car?”
She focused on him. “Yes. And thank you again for going out of your way to help me out.” She’d put off the oil change and tire rotation longer than she should and took the first available weekday appointment. Clint drove her to work, then to pick up her car during his lunch hour. He did so many nice things for her. He didn’t mind picking up a bottle of wine and the mushrooms she forgot for dinner at her place. He repaired a broken hinge on one of her kitchen cabinet doors. He didn’t get upset when they had to rearrange their plans because she got called in to work on her usual day off. Anything to accommodate her.
“Happy to help. All you have to do is ask.”
These past two months had been really great. Too bad Tate had to remind her that she hadn’t put her whole heart into being with Clint. And he deserved her full attention.
Out of the blue, Clint grabbed her wrist, pulled her off the dance floor, and leaned down close to her face. “I told you to let it go. Stop thinking about him. He doesn’t want you. I do.”
Taken aback, she tried to explain. “I’m sorry, Clint. I just didn’t expect to see him here, or that he’d be so upset.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that what you wanted? Are you just using me to make him jealous? Because you’re wasting your time. If he wanted to be with you, he’d have dragged you out of here with him.”
Harsh!
She didn’t much like the “dragged” implication but let it go because Clint was right. Tate didn’t fight to be with her. He’d walked out like she’d been the unreasonable one.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized again. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” She liked Clint. Maybe she didn’t have the same kind of connection with him she did with Tate, but things were moving in the right direction as they spent more time together. She needed to focus on him and the future, not Tate and what would never be.
She tugged on her hand to get him to let her go. His grip didn’t hurt, but she didn’t like the possessive way he held on to her. In fact, it gave her pause, because he’d never shown any kind of animosity toward her over anything.
She chalked it up to jealousy and hoped he’d get over it if she dropped the whole Tate thing and they settled back into their evening together.
But Clint didn’t let go. “Don’t make a fool out of me, Liz. I thought we had something.” The sharp tone startled her.
“We do,” she hurried to assure him. “I’m sorry.” She wasn’t used to apologizing this much, but he deserved it, because the last thing she wanted to do was make him feel like a runner-up to Tate. “There’s nothing between me and Tate. Now he knows that.”
He raised her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist where his fingers had left red marks. “Good. Then let’s enjoy the rest of our evening.” He tugged her toward their table. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”
She went along with a smile she didn’t really feel.
Clint touched her back when she settled onto her stool. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” He walked up to the bar.
She sat staring at his back, a nagging feeling prickling the back of her mind about the way he spoke and acted tonight.
Seeing her with Tate sure did set Clint off. But the show of jealousy didn’t make her giddy with excitement. Instead of being happy he didn’t want another man near her, it made her uneasy. The way he spoke to her, bluntly stating that Tate didn’t want her, made her feel like she didn’t measure up and she should be grateful Clint wanted her.
It didn’t sit well.
Of course Tate didn’t think she wasn’t good enough for him. He just didn’t feel the same way about her that she felt for him.
She looked down and realized she was gently rubbing her wrist. Her gaze snapped back up to Declan’s. She read the disapproval over Clint’s rough treatment of her and the question in his eyes. She nodded and smiled to let him know she appreciated his concern but she was fine.
She didn’t blame Clint for being upset about Tate. She’d talked about Tate a little too much on their first few dates. She’d made it clear they were just friends, but Clint picked up on the fact there was something more. On her part anyway. She’d forced herself to be open to someone new in her life. She’d made a point to try to get to know Clint better. And up until tonight, she’d managed to keep her thoughts and feelings for Tate out of her head and heart and be in the moment with Clint.
But seeing Tate tonight made it harder to forget him. How could she? They’d been friends practically their whole lives.
You don’t meet the man you’re going to marry in preschool. It just didn’t happen.
And if Clint didn’t measure up to Tate in looks or charm, well, that didn’t mean he wasn’t a good guy. When she was with him, he made it clear that he enjoyed her company. He wanted to spend time with her. He made her feel wanted and sexy. She’d be out of her mind to turn down a guy like him.
For what?
Tate didn’t want to be with her. Not like that.