This place had been so important to him at one time. He’d come in the way Kat did, like walking into his own home, filled with friends. He hadn’t thought about it in so long, hadn’t planned to ever return, yet now that he was…
He wasn’t sure how he felt. Nostalgic, sad, excited. It all mixed together until he just felt on edge. Still, if it helped Kat, it was worth it.
“Sunny got herself in trouble,” Dean said with all the excitement of a high school girl, spreading rumors. Then again, it seemed like the perfect bait to draw Kat into a conversation.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Apparentlysomeonetold her it was a good idea to play games with Connor. When he wanted to gag her, she told him she wasn’t one of his animals to muzzle.”
Kat covered her mouth as her face turned red. “Well damn…never thought Sunny had that in her.”
“You are a bad influence. When she can’t sit for a week, you better take responsibility for corrupting her.”
“She’ll be thanking me,” Kat assured him. “Everyone needs a little trouble in their life. Without that, it’s just long and boring and quiet.”
“Is that why you’re always acting up?” Dean asked.
“Of course.” A shadow passed through her eyes. “At least, it’s why I used to.”
Thathurt. The look of fear, the way Kat swallowed hard. Olin wanted to wrap his arms around her, to pull her into his lap and press a kiss to her temple. There was this fire inside her that still shined through her eyes, but fear had diminished it.
It made Olin all the more determined to find Jerry, that he’d make sure that bastard paid for what he’d done. He wanted Kat to smile again, to see those shadows lit up because she trusted again.
No one spoke at first, as if none of them knew exactly how to respond.
“Used to?” Dean asked. “Seems to me you slipped your babysitter to go to a sex club. That doesn’t sound like model behavior to me. Doesn’t matter what you say, you’realwaystrouble.”
Kat said nothing back at first, her gaze narrowed as if she was deciding how she wanted to respond. That was the thing—when met with sorrow like that, there were two ways to respond. A person could offer pity or humor. Pity would have pissed Kat off, but humor?
She smiled after a moment. “And yet no one seems to rise to the occasion. Maybe I’ve managed to make everyone realize I’m just too difficult.” Even with the joke, Kat’s words held some deeper sadness, as if she truly believed it.
Dean set his arm on the table. “If anyone gets scared off by a little backtalk, they aren’t worth your time. Trust me, taming brats takes a real man willing to put in the time.”
“This coming from you, who almost never lasts more than a week with the same woman?”
“Maybe I’m just too much for them.”
The back and forth between Dean and Kat was fascinating, really. It was like a chess match, with the two of them standing there toe-to-toe. Better yet, it seemed like Kat needed it. She leaned in toward Dean as if drawn by the verbal challenge.
“I doubt that,” Kat muttered. “Maybe you play with the newer girls because you know you can handle them.”
“Or maybe you like telling yourself that so you don’t have to try.”
“So try me,” Kat said.
With that, the whole table froze. Dean’s words had been playful banter, but Kat sounded serious. She’d called his bluff.
“What?” Dean asked, sounding surprisingly unsure for the normally confident man.
“You think I can’t handle you? Fine, let’s see.”
Olin swallowed hard, watching the exchange, wanting…something. He wanted to touch her, to feel if her skin was as soft as it looked, to taste her breath as he kissed her. However, he’d already sworn to himself before coming that he couldn’t, that it wasn’t possible.
That doesn’t mean I have to leave, though…
Dean stared back, as if trying to figure out if Kat was serious. She sure sounded serious…
Kat didn’t look away, didn’t laugh and say she was joking. Instead, she stared right at Dean as if to challenge him, to see if he’d admit defeat or not.