Page 40 of Love Expert

He sleeps with his mouth open, a soft snore vibrating along his throat, while outside, Billy’s engine cuts out and with it, the lights.

I look down at Jeremy’s sweet face and consider waking him up. Sending him to his room. Carrying him there myself. But none of those options really appeal, and I’m so damn tired, I’m not sure I could carry him anyway.

My bad mood grows with the sound of Billy’s car door slamming shut, then at the jingle of his keys. His shoes hit the porch steps—one, two, three, four—then they slow at the front door.

He carefully works his key into the lock, not too noisily, then he opens the door and steps inside, turning and closing up behind himself.

I should be happy. I should be thrilled! The world’s crankiest grump wanders toward the living room with a grin on his face and way too much swagger in his steps to be innocent.

“You disgust me.”

“I—” Stunned, he skids to a stop and searches the room for a clue. “Excuse me?”

“You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself, could you? You justhadto go out there and seduce that poor woman, even though you knew this was supposed to be a love match!”

“What?” He barks out a loud laugh that startles Jeremy in his sleep, then he tosses his keys to the single recliner and strides all the way across to me.

My heart stops in my chest. My throat goes deathly dry. My entire soul shrivels as he stops close enough that his legs touch mine, then he scoops his son up and pulls him clear out of my arms.

“Dad?” Jeremy sleepily curls into his father’s hold. “That you?”

“It’s me, bud.” He lays Jeremy’s cheek on his shoulder and turns away from me, out of the room, and up the stairs. He walks away without another word, like my presence is about as important as the couch’s. Like the fact that I’ve been with his son for the last four and a half hours is nothing.

Furious, I jump to my feet and hit pause on the movie. Tossing the remote down, I drag the wet patch of my dress away from my skin and scan the messy coffee table, the plates with pizza crusts, the empty cheesecake cups and spoons, and two orange sodas, both empty enough that I’m tempted to ask Billy if Jeremy’s at risk of wetting the bed.

But that would require an amicable discussion, and I don’t have one of those left in me, so I stack plates and collect cups. I walk the pile to the kitchen, drop trash into the trashcan, and the dishes into the dishwasher. I set the soda cans into the recycling, and when Billy heads back down the stairs again, I spin and attack the instant he’s within sight. “I can’t believe you! You slept with her?”

“Slept with who? Brienne?” He folds his arms, his just-got-laid smile wiped clear from his smug face. “Says who?”

“It’s basically eleven o’clock! The restaurant closed at ten, so unless you went to the trouble of following her all the way back to Barlespy and walking her to her door, that leaves an hour you can’t quite account for.”

“Are you fucking serious right now? You turn up in my town, become the world’s most annoying neighbor, badger me at every fucking turn about every damn thing you can think of, nag me to date, and now you’re mad that I dated?!”

“I’m not mad that you dated! I’m mad that I expected better of you.”

“What the hell did you expect of me, Magnolia? I told you I wasn’t looking for love. Jesus. I told you I wasn’t interested!”

“And you convinced Brienne that she wasn’t looking for love, too? Then… what? You screwed in the back of your car?”

“No.” He drops his hands and leans forward, sneering. “That’s a crime, and I try my best not to commit those. Brienne was nice, by the way. We enjoyed pasta and a glass of wine each.” His eyes flicker toward the table. Toward my folder. “You’re supposed to be taking notes, aren’t you? Debrief. Prepare for our next date.”

“Your next date with Brienne?” I’m irritated with myself. Annoyed by how easily this man leads me to rage. “You broke her, huh? She was nice, Billy! Of all the women I could set the ‘never gonna fall in love again’ guy up with, I thoughtshecould bring you around. Instead, you convinced her a fast bang somewhere secret was the prize?”

“You’re making assumptions about my life. Which is so fuckin’ weird, since you don’t even know me.” He shoves away from the wall and blows past me, swinging his fridge open and snatching out a can of soda. Slamming the door shut, he spins and cracks the seal. “This whole thing wasyouridea. Your business, yourpackage, your insistence. I didn’t wanna go out, but you refused to take no for an answer, and then you told my kid he could hang out with you tonight, which made it impossible for me to refuse without shattering his heart.”

“Yeah, b?—”

“And then!” he snarls, vicious and loud. “You get mad at me for doing the thing you told me to do.”

“I told you to date! We even talked about how youknewshe wasn’t coming to get laid.”

“Yeah, and part of that conversation was about howIwas only interested in a warm body to spend an hour with.” He stalks toward me, stopping only when his chest clashes against mine and his eyes sparkle with rage. “You put your own hand in a bear trap, Magnolia, and now you’re crying because the trap grabbed on. I didn’t get laid though, just so you know.”

“You…” I swallow the thick, choking lump of nerves from the base of my throat. “What?”

“But I want you to admit you’re only ten percent pissed at the idea I would besmirch your glittering business name. The other ninety percent is mad cos you wish it was you I spent that hour in the back of my car with.” He tips his chin to the left. “Put that in your notes. Roll around in it a bit. Digest it, and then do something about it. Brienne and I ate our dinner and drank our wine, then we went for a walk and chatted for an hour. Which was really kinda fucking nice, since we didn’t argue once the whole time. We talked about my kid, and about you?—”

“M-me? How… you…” I lick my lips. “You talked about me?”