He didn’t laugh. “What made you decide to come back?”
It was a reasonable question, since she’d lived most of her adult life in New Mexico, but she wasn’t about to stand around in the rain and tell him how lonely and isolated from her family she’d felt. “Seemed like the thing to do. You don’t have to stay, you know. I can wait for the tow truck.”
“Actually I do have to stay. This is a bad spot to be loading up a ramp truck, especially in this rain, so I’ll need to do some traffic control.”
Traffic was a bit of a stretch, but she had to admit he had a point. Because of the angle of her car, the nose of the tow truck would have to be in the road and that meant he had to stay and wait.
Standing in the rain, alone with Drew Miller. She’d come back to start her life over and, so far, it was off to one hell of a beginning.
*
Drew Miller wanted to get back in his cruiser, hit the lights and sirens, and drive as fast as he could to anywhere but here.
Liz Kowalski was back in Whitford. His best friend’s little sister. The woman he’d enjoyed a rebound quickie with during said best friend’s wedding reception with the unspoken understanding Liz would be returning to New Mexico. And, more importantly, she would be staying there.
Not forever, of course. But he’d thought enough time would pass before her next visit so he could look at her without instantly remembering the way she looked naked, with her hair tangled around his fingers and her hips arching up to meet his.
He wasn’t sure how much time that would be, other than obviously more than the eight months or so that had passed since Mitch’s wedding.
She was dressed for a road trip, in old jeans that hugged her long legs and an even older T-shirt that was doing some body hugging of its own, thanks to the rain. Her thick, dark hair was pulled into a long ponytail and she sure as hell didn’t need makeup to show off those brilliant blue eyes. With her strong, stubborn jaw and skin that was tanned by the New Mexico sun, Liz looked as delicious to him as she had the last time he saw her. And just look how that had turned out—he was keeping secrets from his best friend.
Standing with her on the side of the road in the light drizzle, all he could do was hope the tow truck driver made good time and to hell with speed limits. For now, more awkward conversation. “Are you moving into the lodge?”
It would make sense. Liz’s family had owned the Northern Star Lodge for several generations, catering to hunters before turning their attention to snowmobilers and now adding the ATV crowd, as well. He knew Liz’s childhood room was still pretty much hers, even though it was occasionally used by other family members, because he’d been in her room last October. It only made sense she’d save money by moving back into it.
That made things a little complicated for Drew, however. His dad had moved into the lodge and helped manage it after falling for the housekeeper. Since Andy was his dad and Rosie was like a mother to Liz, that was entirely too much togetherness for him.
“I’m trying to go forward, not backward,” Liz said. “Ryan and Lauren put her house on the market now that she lives in Massachusetts with him, but they haven’t had a decent offer so they agreed to rent it to me.”
And since Ryan was her older brother, she was probably getting it for a good price. “And work?”
“I guess since Whitford got connected to the ATV trails, business has really picked up in town, so I’m going to help Paige out at the diner. Handy having a sister-in-law who owns the place.”
“Good. That’s...good.” He lapsed into silence again but then, after watching her shift her weight from foot to foot while looking everywhere but at him, he laughed. “For God’s sake, Liz, this is ridiculous.”
A slow grin curved her mouth and he finally got a glimpse of the girl he’d known as a kid. “You’re right. We’re acting like idiots.”
“So let’s stop.” Adult Liz was almost a stranger to him—except for the whole sex thing—but he’d grown up with the Kowalskis and he’d always liked Liz.
“We’re adults,” she said. “There was alcohol. We snuck off for a rebound quickie, which happens all the time at weddings. So what?”
So what? It was all he could do not to push her up against a tree and repeat the experience, that’s what. Though, without the quickie part. He wanted to take his time. And, since he’d been playing designated taxi service that night, alcohol hadn’t factored into his decision to whisper his bold invitation into her ear.