Page 45 of Quarter Miles (Runaway 3)
What were we going to do?
Part of me wanted to explore this thing, see if we were as combustible in bed a second and third time. But the other part of me longed to cling to our friendship and do everything in my damn power to put us back to normal.
I didn’t want to lose her.
If we tried this thing, if we failed, I’d lose Kat.
“It’s a cute town, isn’t it?” Aria asked.
Kat nodded. “So cute.”
It was just okay. After we’d dropped off our bags and I’d surveyed the room—as I’d expected, it was nice but smaller than any of our guest rooms—we’d left the hotel to wander downtown.
The sidewalks had been crowded with visitors like us. She’d been interested in the stores but completely engrossed with every bed and breakfast that we’d passed. We’d popped into a few shops and she’d bought some souvenirs to take home.
The town’s economy was clearly driven by tourism. There were knickknack displays on every block. For fifty dollars, Kat had bought a pale blue glass jar filled with authentic Oregon seashells as a gift to Mom. Easton and Gemma were getting a driftwood coaster set. She’d picked up T-shirts for Dad and Granddad, then a postcard for Grandma.
She knew that my grandma didn’t love trinkets, so instead, she’d decided to send a postcard that Grandma would receive before we ever got home. She’d written a note on it when we’d arrived at the room before dinner, then had disappeared to find a stamp. The task had taken her up until the very moment she’d come back to the room to change clothes and get ready for dinner with Aria.
As she’d searched for the mysterious stamp, I’d unsuccessfully tried to nap. I hadn’t gotten much sleep in last night’s hotel room, not with Katherine’s scent lingering on my skin and her taste on my lips. But sleep was difficult with so much unknown swirling in my mind.
Every thought was consumed with Kat.
I stared at her as she browsed the menu. It was impossible not to think of how she’d felt in my arms and how her smooth skin had felt pressed against mine. She was wearing a pair of skintight jeans and sandals. Her top was another silky piece with thin straps that I’d never seen before and its rust color made her eyes vividly blue.
I forced my eyes away to the silverware resting on a pressed white napkin. When I glanced up, looking anywhere but at Kat, Aria’s eyes were waiting.
Aria was taller than Kat—most people were. Her hair was dark and her eyes warm with a slightly cunning edge. She smiled effortlessly but there was a hesitancy behind her gaze. Either she was sizing me up or she held people at bay.
Probably both.
The waiter arrived with a bottle of wine and he poured Kat the sample. She sipped it, then nodded and lifted the glass for more. After he’d made the rounds, filling our glasses, he took our order and then left us to talk.
“Tell me about your life.” Aria shifted in her seat to face Kat, giving her friend her undivided attention. “How was Montana?”
“Good. I’m still there, working at the resort.”
“Not just working,” I corrected. “She’s the manager. Kat runs the whole show.”
Katherine blushed. “Not exactly.”
“Yes, exactly.” Why was she being modest? She’d accomplished so much, made so many improvements to the resort. I, along with every member of my family, was amazed at what she’d accomplished in the span of a few years.
Systems were streamlined. Guest satisfaction had never been higher. The staff was happy and turnover was at an all-time low. It was because of Kat and I was damn proud of her.
“And how did you two meet?” Aria asked.
Kat gave me a small smile and damn it if that quirk of her lips didn’t make my heart skip. “Cash’s family owns the ranch and resort.”
“Ah. How long have you been together?”
I opened my mouth to answer but Kat beat me to it with a wave of her hand. “Oh, no. We’re not together. We’re just friends. And coworkers.”
“Don’t forget roommates.” There was a bitter edge to my voice.
“And roommates,” she added.
Why did it bug me that she was so quick to dismiss us as friends? We were friends. And coworkers. And roommates.
