Since I had preparations to do and a date to make, I couldn’t do it for what it seemed it would take to win it.

Eternity.

So I broke the staredown and I moved to the door, but turned at it and swept a glance through them all again, my eyes ending on Hank and Lee.

“One last thing. There’s something wrong with Darius, and if you two haven’t clocked that, color me stunned. But I figure you have, and since you’re dudes and dudes don’t get up in the business of other dudes, you’re steering clear. A heads up: I’m done steering clear. I’m gonna sort that, and if I had your help, I’d be obliged.”

On that, I left.

And by the time I got in my car, I felt my throat burning. My eyes were hot and my hands were shaking.

Not from nerves or fear.

From emotion.

Because I honestly didn’t know which way any of them would swing.

I just knew I did not lie.

If they moved to shut me down, these people I loved I’d never forgive.

* * * * *

I opened the door to Ren’s place and smelled garlic.

What the hell?

I dumped my purse on an armchair and walked into the kitchen.

Ren was wearing jeans, a loose pale yellow shirt, sleeves rolled up, feet bare, and he was at the stove, a stove that held steaming pots and pans.

“What’s going on?” I asked and he turned to me.

“Kiss, Ally,” he ordered instead of telling me what was going on.

I walked to him, noting, “I thought we were going out.”

He again didn’t respond until I got close, put a hand to his abs and rolled up on my toes to touch my mouth to his.

When I rolled back but stayed close, he answered, “You didn’t wanna miss your show. I’m makin’ stuffed shells.”

Jeez.

I couldn’t take it.

Just when I thought my man couldn’t get any better, he did.

“We’ll go out tomorrow night,” he muttered.

I focused on him and saw his eyes were probing.

That was when, again, he got even better.

He did this by saying in his sweet voice, “The meet didn’t go well.”

He read me.

“Not really.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Nothing to say. They don’t want me in the business. That’s not a surprise. Now they have a decision to make because I already made mine.”

He nodded, read me again and did what I needed.

He let it go.

“You want me to turn on the sauna?” he asked.

That sounded awesome, but if I was in there, I wanted to be in there with him. Not up there alone and him downstairs cooking.

“No, baby,” I murmured. “But thanks.”

“Then sit your ass on the counter. I’ll get you a glass of wine and you can keep me company while I put the shells together.”

That sounded better so I complied and Ren got me a glass of wine.

I sipped.

Ren worked.

When he was nearly done, I got off the counter and got on cleaning the pots, pans and utensils so later clean up would be a snap.

I heard the oven door close then I felt arms wrap around me from behind at the same time I felt Ren’s hard heat at my back and his mouth at my ear.

“They’ll come around,” he whispered there.

I closed my eyes, opened them and rinsed a pot.

I put it in the drainer, saying, “I hope so.”

He gave me a squeeze. “I know so.”

I turned off the faucet and twisted my neck to look at him. “How do you know?”

“Because they love you.”

I pressed my lips together and my eyes got hot again.