Can't Hardly Breathe (The Original Heartbreakers #4)

For the finishing touch, she painted her nails purple. All the while, she tried not to think about Daniel. If he wouldn’t risk a real relationship with her, she wouldn’t risk...what? What wouldn’t she risk? Her heart? She already loved him.

Just because they started in secret didn’t mean they had to end that way. They could be together, and she could pour her love into him. All of it. Nothing held back. And feel as if she’d been stabbed in the chest every time he denied dating her. Every time she had to lie to her mom and sister.

Her phone rang, Lyndie’s name appearing on the screen. “Hey, you,” she said in greeting.

In lieu of a response, Lyndie said, “Bring John to the Scratching Post, okay?”

Revisit the site of her date with Daniel? She pushed out a heavy sigh. “Why?”

“Ryanne is singing tonight, and she could use our support. Also, her former stepbrother is in town. Do you remember Maxim?”

Maximum hotness, they used to whisper anytime he’d visited his dad. Sweet guy, if a little rambunctious.

“I do.” And really, it had been years since Dorothea had supported Ryanne’s amazing talent. “You had me at Ryanne. We’ll be there.”

“Thank you. You won’t regret it. Or maybe you will. I guess we’ll find out.” She hung up.

Oookay. That was a bit odd.

“If you’re going to date my teacher, you might as well make yourself useful and convince him to give me an A.”

Holly had entered her room unannounced. She must have used a key she wasn’t supposed to have. At least her funeral attire had been replaced by a brown top and black jeans.

The brown was as shocking as her presence. Since Dorothea’s return, Holly had mostly only worn black, as if she was in mourning—over seeing each other again. Was she finally thawing?

“I hope you’re not implying I—” she began.

“Bone him? I’m not implying. I’m flat-out stating it.” Holly spread her arms. “Bone him and get me an A.”

“I’m so out of practice, I might get you a D.” Except, she remembered a time her lack of practice hadn’t mattered. As she’d writhed on Daniel, her instincts had worked just fine. Better than fine.

“At least I’d pass.” Holly scratched her cheek and shifted from one foot to the other. “Don’t worry about the inn. Mom and me will take care of things while you’re out.”

The unexpected offer threw her for a loop. “I fired you.”

“Well, you just rehired me to work the weekends. Congrats!”

A compromise was better than nothing, so she nodded. “Thank you. But just to be clear, you’re not planning to burn the place to the ground, are you?”

“Nah. I just want to prove I’m better at managing it than you are.”

“Ah. That makes sense. I look forward to coming home and finding you curled in a ball, sucking on your thumb, crying for mercy.”

“In your dreams,” Holly said, the corners of her mouth twitching.

They were having such a sweet moment. Zero arguing. She decided to push for a little more. “Listen, Halls, I want you to know—”

Holly exited, shutting the door behind her with a loud thud.

Abrupt beginning, and an even more abrupt end, but still Dorothea smiled with megawatt brightness. This was progress, pure and simple. While she wasn’t sure what had heralded the change in her sister’s attitude, she knew she would be forever grateful for it.

“Oh, and by the way, Teach is here,” Holly shouted through the doorway.

Her stomach twisted. The date. With John, who was as sweet as sugar. Surely he could lure her affections away from Daniel.

Her phone beeped, signaling a text had just come in. From Jazz. Ugh.

Guess what! I’m coming to Strawberry Valley in the morning to do a special on the earthquakes and hail damage and possible tornadic activity in the coming months. I’d love to chat with you.

Jazz was coming to town? Gag!

There were no other hotels nearby, which meant he would have to stay at the inn. The idea horrified her.

Could she really afford not to rent him a room?

Decisions, decisions.

She had until morning. Tonight she would have a good time with a good man. They would talk and laugh and, who knows, he might kiss her at her door. Fingers crossed. That way, his kiss would be the last she’d had, not Daniel’s.

That thought saddened her.

I’ve got it bad. And I need it good.

What on God’s green earth was she going to do?





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

DANIEL EXPERIENCED A series of reactions when Thea and her date walked inside the Scratching Post. The first? A near heart attack. She. Looked. Amazing. A good deal of material was cut out of the top of her dress—he wanted to undo the little ribbons at her collar with his teeth...

Next came the urge to grab his woman and whisk her away. Then the desire to strip her and take her—to brand her and slake his hunger. Last, the impulse to grab Hillcrest by the throat and teach him the error of his ways.

Never touch what’s mine.

Nope, not last. Last was the need to stand on the bar and shout to one and all, I’m dating Thea Mathis. We’re a couple. Deal with it.

But he resisted. His timing, and his methods, had to be perfect.

“You looking for a fight?” Brock asked. “Because I will wingman the hell out of a fight.”

“I’ll let you know.” He stayed put, watching, waiting as Thea stepped deeper inside the building. She hadn’t yet noticed him in the corner, playing pool with his friends.

Hillcrest draped his arm around her waist as he ushered her to the bar, where Lyndie waited and Ryanne hustled to fill drink orders. Every muscle in Daniel’s body tensed. If Hillcrest spread his fingers, he would make contact with her ass.

“He’s definitely looking for a fight,” Jude said. “I wonder how many casualties there’ll be tonight.”

“At least two.” Brock eyed the man beside Lyndie as if he’d just been issued a new government hit list, and he’d found target number one. The guy was smiling at her, tugging at the ends of her hair.

Was she on a date, as well?

Better question: Did Brock seriously want to date the kindergarten teacher who wasn’t smoking or drinking or trying to pass lingerie off as clothing?

“She runs and hides from me,” Brock said.

“Who? Lyndie?” Daniel asked, playing dumb.

A stiff nod. “I thought she was afraid of all men, but turns out it’s just me. As if I would ever hurt a woman.” Brock rubbed the back of his neck. “I did some digging. As a kid and even while she was married, she was admitted to various ERs in the city. She had a suspicious number of broken bones for being, and I quote, ‘overly clumsy.’”

Daniel popped his jaw. Thinking back, he could remember all the times Lyndie had been “sick” and missed school. His senior year, she’d opted to be homeschooled.

Poor girl. “Considering the hole I dug myself,” he said, “I’m probably the last person who should give you advice, but I’m going to, anyway. Start slow. Keep your interactions short and sweet, and always end on a positive note. Leave her wanting more. It’ll take time, but if you want her...the ban on Strawberry Valley girls is officially lifted.”