“What?” Laurie asked.
“Nothing.” Angelina sat down on the sofa. “By all means, go on in.”
Zach was lying on his bed when Dusty entered the bedroom. On top of the covers, his chest bare, his legs clad in plaid lounging pants. He still hadn’t shaved, but his hair had been combed back over his forehead. Dusty wanted to thread her fingers through it and let it fall in soft waves around his face.
“Hey, darlin’,” he said.
“Hey yourself.”
“I thought I heard your voice.”
She nodded. “How are you?”
“Better, now that you’re here.”
She warmed, and imagined rosiness creeping up her neck. Why was he always so sweet to her? “I need to talk to you.”
“Talk away.”
She cleared her throat and sat down on the edge of the bed. “About my hospital bill—”
“I know what you’re going to say. But I wanted to help. I want to be there for you. I want to be with you.”
“What about Angelina?”
“I tried to explain that yesterday, but you wouldn’t let me. There is no Angelina.”
“You kissed her.”
“She kissed me. Not the other way around. Inopportune timing, I admit. I’m so sorry about your race. And I told her I wasn’t interested.”
“My losing the race wasn’t your fault, Zach.” Dusty feathered her fingers over his cheek. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you about it.”
“You were upset.”
“Yeah. But it was still my fault. I was in control, not you. I shouldn’t have let anything break my concentration.”
“Why’d you look up?”
“I always do, around the third barrel. Seeing the crowd cheering always gives me a rush to finish. I just didn’t expect to see you kissing Angelina.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“She wants to get back together with you?”
“Evidently.”
Dusty rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s explains a few things.”
“Like what?”
“The sales pitch she just gave me.”
“Huh?”
“She told me Harper is just nuts about me. She’s probably trying to get me off your trail.”
“No way. I want you on my trail.” Zach’s body tensed. “Harper can just stay the hell away from you.”