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couldn’t drive, that much she could accept, but that didn’t mean she had to go home with Ritt. Maybe she could stay here.
    She turned to Delilah intent on doing just that but realized before she asked how crazy the request would sound. She was staying at Ritt’s house—a plan that should have resulted in him signing the divorce papers had he not been so stubborn—it was only natural that he be the one to take her home.
    “Fine,” she grumbled, wishing she could start the evening over again. Stupid hindsight.
    She gathered her purse, and she and Ritt said their goodbyes to Delilah and Craig.
    Ritt opened the passenger-side door, and Shelby slid inside. The truck smelled as it always had, like old motor oil and Armor All.
    Her heart beat with anticipation as he made his way to the other side and climbed in next to her. Back in the day she would have scooted across the bench seat to snuggle up under his right arm. The townspeople had joked that it had taken two to drive the old Ford. She and Ritt had laughed and gone about their business of being in love.
    But that was a long time ago.
    Without a word, Ritt cranked the engine, locked it in gear and turned the grill toward home.
    Shelby kept her eyes straight ahead as they drove, concentrating on fighting off the memories that zoomed around inside her head.
    She had never had a doubt back then. Ritt loved her and she loved him. That was all they needed to know. Everything else would fall into place. Ah, the arrogance of young love. Or was it innocence? She wasn’t sure anymore.
    Twenty minutes and not one word later, Ritt pulled up in front of the little white house.
    Shelby opened the door before he killed the engine and was waiting on the porch when he slid from the cab. So much for distancing herself. She’d forgotten the key she had taken from under the mat and now she had to wait for Ritt to unlock the door.
    She didn’t move fast enough. He reached around her and shoved the key into the lock, giving it a vicious twist.
    Why was he so angry?
    She cut her gaze to his darkened features. His jaw was set, a little muscle jerking next to his ear. Without thinking, she lifted her hand and ran her fingers down the twitch. It was only natural from there to push her fingers into the hair at the side of his face and bring his mouth to hers.
    His kiss was like coming home. His taste as familiar as her own. The shoulder strap on her handbag slipped and her purse landed with a thump. She raised her other arm to slide it around his neck as his snaked around her waist and hauled her close.
    His mouth ravaged hers. It had always been this way between them. Hot, volatile, borderline insane. That was how he made her feel, crazy with wanting him.
    She was about to tell him so when he wrenched himself away. Shelby pressed the back of a hand to her mouth, wondering how things had gotten out of hand so quickly. It was unnerving. Thankfully, her relationship with him was over. She couldn’t go through her life out of control.
    “Ritt?” She didn’t know what she was going to say, but it seemed something needed to be said.
    “Go sleep it off, Shelby.”
    She was about to protest when he turned on his heel and stalked back to his truck. She didn’t know how long he stayed gone, but he still wasn’t home when she finally drifted off to sleep hours later.
     
     
    Ritt stared at the back door of the house and twisted another cap off yet another beer. He pushed the hammock into motion and wondered if it was safe to go back in. How asinine was that? He couldn’t go into his own house because his wife was inside. Slightly drunk, incredibly desirable. And driving him completely out of his mind.
    If he had any brains left at all, he’d sign her blessed papers and send her packing, but some demon inside him couldn’t let her off without a fight. He couldn’t let her walk away a second time without paying a few dues.
    That was all it was. He wanted her to sweat it out, wonder, pay the