Read For the Love of Pete for Free Online
Authors: Sherryl Woods
appetite ruined, Pete put the food back in the refrigerator, then turned to face her. "I suppose that depends on how long you intend to hide out."
38 38FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
"As long as it takes."
She would do it, too. Pete could see in her eyes that she would find some way to avoid him until the job was done. Maybe he should let her, but he couldn't imagine himself giving up so easily. If she wanted him to pay penance for what he'd done to her, that was only fair. If she wanted to rail at him, curse him, keep him at arm's length, that was okay, too. He deserved whatever she wanted to dish out.
But he would keep coming back, not because he was stubborn. Not because he wanted to be a thorn in her side. He'd keep coming back because the moment he'd laid eyes on her again, he'd known he had no choice.
He was still in love with her, or at least with the sweet, vulnerable girl she'd once been. It remained to be seen if the woman was as captivating. Based on the way his hormones were raging, he was pretty sure she was.
Jo knew she wasn't thinking straight when she drove straight out to Maggie's farm, her temper still boiling. What was it going to take to make Pete see that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him? She didn't want him as a friend. She certainly didn't want him as anything more. What did it say about him?or her?that he even thought she might? The man was married, for goodness sake, though he apparently didn't seem to care much about that little detail.
If she'd spent one more second with him at Rose Cottage, she might have slapped him silly for his presumption.
Or she might have kissed him. That had been a definite possibility, too. She was willing to admit that. She
39
39
was such an idiot! Maybe she'd sunk so low that her morals were no better than his.
Before getting on the road, she'd spent a long time in the driveway thinking about that, shocked that she would even consider such a thing for a single second.
When he'd walked out of the house while she was still sitting there, her gaze had fallen on him with seven years of pent-up longing. She knew he was aware of her, knew he was counting on her staring when he hefted that heavy ax over his head and started his demolition of the porch.
Her hand was shaking so bad, she almost hadn't been able to turn the key in the ignition. She'd actually stalled out twice before she finally got away from Rose Cottage and Pete's barely muffled laughter. He hadn't even tried to hide his gloating.
All the way to Maggie's she kept telling herself to calm down. If her sister saw her like this, she would know something was up. It didn't take a genius to see that Pete had rattled her. Since she was never, ever rattled, it was going to be a dead giveaway.
When she pulled up outside of Maggie's, she spotted Ashley's and Melanie's cars. She cursed another blue streak at the sight and almost turned right around and headed back to town, but with all this adrenaline pumping, she was hungry. She cut the engine, drew in a deep calming breath and went inside.
She'd barely stepped into Maggie's gourmet, professional kitchen before her temper stirred again. All three women were seated at the table, the last crumbs of a pecan coffee cake on their plates, mugs filled with fragrant coffee. They looked so blasted innocent, but one of them was a traitor, albeit an unwitting one. Her money
40
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
was definitely on Ashley. Jo figured she'd ask anyway, just in case she and Pete both had gotten it all wrong.
"Okay, which one of you did it?" she asked before she'd even removed her coat.
"Did what?" Maggie asked, then went right on as if the question and the answer were of no consequence. "There's more coffee cake if you want it. It's in the oven to keep it warm. And I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Help yourself. If we'd known you were coming, we'd have waited."
Jo tried to tamp down her irritation and act just as cool. She took off her coat, tossed it over a
38 38FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
"As long as it takes."
She would do it, too. Pete could see in her eyes that she would find some way to avoid him until the job was done. Maybe he should let her, but he couldn't imagine himself giving up so easily. If she wanted him to pay penance for what he'd done to her, that was only fair. If she wanted to rail at him, curse him, keep him at arm's length, that was okay, too. He deserved whatever she wanted to dish out.
But he would keep coming back, not because he was stubborn. Not because he wanted to be a thorn in her side. He'd keep coming back because the moment he'd laid eyes on her again, he'd known he had no choice.
He was still in love with her, or at least with the sweet, vulnerable girl she'd once been. It remained to be seen if the woman was as captivating. Based on the way his hormones were raging, he was pretty sure she was.
Jo knew she wasn't thinking straight when she drove straight out to Maggie's farm, her temper still boiling. What was it going to take to make Pete see that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him? She didn't want him as a friend. She certainly didn't want him as anything more. What did it say about him?or her?that he even thought she might? The man was married, for goodness sake, though he apparently didn't seem to care much about that little detail.
If she'd spent one more second with him at Rose Cottage, she might have slapped him silly for his presumption.
Or she might have kissed him. That had been a definite possibility, too. She was willing to admit that. She
39
39
was such an idiot! Maybe she'd sunk so low that her morals were no better than his.
Before getting on the road, she'd spent a long time in the driveway thinking about that, shocked that she would even consider such a thing for a single second.
When he'd walked out of the house while she was still sitting there, her gaze had fallen on him with seven years of pent-up longing. She knew he was aware of her, knew he was counting on her staring when he hefted that heavy ax over his head and started his demolition of the porch.
Her hand was shaking so bad, she almost hadn't been able to turn the key in the ignition. She'd actually stalled out twice before she finally got away from Rose Cottage and Pete's barely muffled laughter. He hadn't even tried to hide his gloating.
All the way to Maggie's she kept telling herself to calm down. If her sister saw her like this, she would know something was up. It didn't take a genius to see that Pete had rattled her. Since she was never, ever rattled, it was going to be a dead giveaway.
When she pulled up outside of Maggie's, she spotted Ashley's and Melanie's cars. She cursed another blue streak at the sight and almost turned right around and headed back to town, but with all this adrenaline pumping, she was hungry. She cut the engine, drew in a deep calming breath and went inside.
She'd barely stepped into Maggie's gourmet, professional kitchen before her temper stirred again. All three women were seated at the table, the last crumbs of a pecan coffee cake on their plates, mugs filled with fragrant coffee. They looked so blasted innocent, but one of them was a traitor, albeit an unwitting one. Her money
40
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
was definitely on Ashley. Jo figured she'd ask anyway, just in case she and Pete both had gotten it all wrong.
"Okay, which one of you did it?" she asked before she'd even removed her coat.
"Did what?" Maggie asked, then went right on as if the question and the answer were of no consequence. "There's more coffee cake if you want it. It's in the oven to keep it warm. And I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Help yourself. If we'd known you were coming, we'd have waited."
Jo tried to tamp down her irritation and act just as cool. She took off her coat, tossed it over a
Similar Books
Brax
Jayne Blue
The Bridge That Broke
Maurice Leblanc
Inside Out
Lauren Dane
Crossing the Line
J. R. Roberts
A Fine Dark Line
Joe R. Lansdale
White Narcissus
Raymond Knister
The Englisher
Beverly Lewis
A Mistletoe Proposal
Lucy Gordon
Badass Zombie Road Trip
Tonia Brown