She groaned. “I know, I need to go to the hardware store and pick up the light bulb.”
“When you buy it, let me know, and I’ll bring over my step ladder and install it for you like I did last time.”
“No need,” Ryan interjected. “I’ll help her with that.”
“Of course.” Jerome’s smiled tightly. “I’ll leave you two alone. Have a good evening.”
Ryan watched him walk down the steps and turn toward the building where he’d noticed someone peeking through the curtain. Shawna closed the door and locked up.
They were both silent as they descended the steps. The cool night air brushed over them on the way to Ryan’s truck.
“Shawna, one more thing,” Jerome called out. “We’re still on a week from Saturday, right?”
“Uh, yes.” She actually looked uncomfortable.
“Good. Our law firm is having a party,” he explained to Ryan. “We recently bought a new building. Saturday night is the night we chose to do sort of a pre-open-house open house to show it off to friends and family.” He refocused on Shawna. “We’ll catch up about the details next week. Goodbye, Ryan.”
Ryan and Shawna continued to his truck and remained silent until he’d pulled out of the parking lot.
“Did you have to make that comment back there about us being more than friends?” Shawna asked.
“We are.”
“I don’t need my business broadcast to everyone in my neighborhood.”
“It was only Jerome.”
“My private life is private and I didn’t like it when you said that. I don’t even know what that means—more than friends.”
“It means I don’t want you to go to a party with him on Saturday night. Does that clarify it for you?” Ryan gripped the steering wheel.
“It’s not a date, Ryan, and we made those plans months ago.” She sounded annoyed.
“If you dress up and go out with a man who’s not related to you, it’s a date. Were you even going to tell me?”
“Tell you what? That I’m going out with one of my friends? You won’t even be in town that weekend.”
He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. Her arms were crossed. “Did you ever have more than a friendship with him?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“Yes, I did. We went out a few times.”
“Did you have sex with him?”
She heaved a sigh of annoyance. “Where is this going? He’s a friend.”
“Yes or no, Shawna?”
“No! Do you want to know about all my past relationships now?”
The cabin remained quiet as the truck rolled through the next few traffic lights. Shawna stared out the side window and Ryan tried, but failed, not to let his jealousy spoil what should have been a nice night out.
“I don’t want you to go out with him.”
“I’m not going to cancel on him last-minute.”
“It’s not last-minute. He’ll have over a week to find a new date.”
“Are you seriously asking me to do this?” Her eyes widened with surprise.
“Yes, I am.”
“That’s kind of ridiculous, don’t you think?”
Their gazes collided. “You’re doing this to spite me, aren’t you?”
“Yes, because when I made these plans months ago, I knew you’d surprise me and come back into my life.”
Silence.
“You’re not even interested in him.”
“I never said I was, and if you know that, why are you making a big deal out of it?”
“Because of him. He’s interested in you. I can tell.”
“Even if he is, nothing’s going to happen between us. He’s a friend.”
“He wants to be more,” Ryan said, his voice hardening.
“I don’t want to argue.”
“This isn’t an argument. We’re having a conversation about why you shouldn’t be going out with Jerome.”
“You know what? I’m not going to let someone who recently came into my life tell me what to do and with whom to do it. Turn the truck around.”
“What?”
“Turn it around! I don’t want to go to the movies anymore. I want to go home.”