so afraid…”
Her words drifted away, but she didn’t need to continue. Trey knew what she was scared of. Knew there was a day of reckoning coming for Ellie. For both of them. Whether she was ready to admit her feelings or not, Trey had long ago accepted that he was head over heels in love with her and—colleagues or not—he intended to pursue a relationship, love, rings, kids. The whole shebang.
But not tonight. Tonight, she needed a break from the emotions, time to sort out her hurt feelings over Joel and her confused feelings for him.
He stood and reached down for her hand. “Dance with me.”
Ellie let him lead her to the floor, wrapping her arms around his neck and stepping closer as the Little River Band song “Lady” played. Dancing was something he suspected they’d always share. Both of them content to lose themselves in the music, the soothing rhythm.
Ellie sighed. “My mom used to listen to this song all the time.”
Trey laughed. “That’s because it’s the whitest song on earth.”
Ellie giggled and put her head against his chest. “Ah, that must be why I like it so much.”
Trey swayed slowly, savoring the feeling of her. His life never felt quite as right as the moments when she was with him, in his arms. She still hadn’t said she loved him, but Trey was hopeful. They faced a long road and there was a hell of a lot more to say, but whether Ellie knew it or not, she’d taken a step toward him tonight. Not away.
She’d come to Tully’s to talk to him rather than her usual cut-and-run. It gave Trey hope and for the moment, he was happy. They’d sort out the rest later.
Chapter Eight
Fourth Quarter
“Whose car is that?”
Trey’s question pulled Ellie from her happy, confused, horny thoughts. After spending the day on the brink of a nervous breakdown, she couldn’t quite believe she was sitting beside Trey. They’d left her car at the bar, neither of them willing to separate for the ten minutes it would take to drive to her house.
While they still had a million things to say to each other, she felt more optimistic about her future than she had a couple of hours earlier. In the midst of their dance, she’d come to the realization she loved Trey. The emotion simply wrapped itself around her like a warm, comfortable blanket, soothing her weary soul.
It was as if her heart turned on a flashing neon light proclaiming the fact, and rather than panic and fear, she simply felt right. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to express her feelings because she wasn’t sure she’d manage to convince him they were genuine. There’d been too much other shit today and she still had about twenty pounds of emotional baggage she needed to dump.
Her heart sank when she recognized Joel’s vehicle parked on the street in front of her house. “Shit.”
She glanced at the front porch and saw her ex perched on the porch swing, waiting for her.
“Joel.”
Trey’s face darkened. “What the fuck is he doing here?”
She shrugged. “No idea, but it can’t be good.”
“Looks like the guy wants to pick a fight. Lucky for him, he came to the right place.”
Ellie put her hand on Trey’s arm as he pulled into the driveway. “No. Trey, please. Promise me you’ll let me handle this and you won’t start throwing punches.”
Trey turned off the car. The look on his face wasn’t comforting. He was pissed off and not happy about her request. “Ellie—”
“I swear to you. I have no feelings for Joel that don’t begin and end with disgust. I’ll make that clear to him. You have to trust me.”
Trey sighed. “I do trust you. It’s that prick I don’t—”
“He can’t hurt me. Not anymore.” For the first time in her life, Ellie believed those words.
Trey nodded slowly and then got out of the car. Ellie followed, her stomach in knots.
Joel rose as they approached the porch, obvious surprise written on his face when he saw her with Trey. Seeing her with another man had taken
Her words drifted away, but she didn’t need to continue. Trey knew what she was scared of. Knew there was a day of reckoning coming for Ellie. For both of them. Whether she was ready to admit her feelings or not, Trey had long ago accepted that he was head over heels in love with her and—colleagues or not—he intended to pursue a relationship, love, rings, kids. The whole shebang.
But not tonight. Tonight, she needed a break from the emotions, time to sort out her hurt feelings over Joel and her confused feelings for him.
He stood and reached down for her hand. “Dance with me.”
Ellie let him lead her to the floor, wrapping her arms around his neck and stepping closer as the Little River Band song “Lady” played. Dancing was something he suspected they’d always share. Both of them content to lose themselves in the music, the soothing rhythm.
Ellie sighed. “My mom used to listen to this song all the time.”
Trey laughed. “That’s because it’s the whitest song on earth.”
Ellie giggled and put her head against his chest. “Ah, that must be why I like it so much.”
Trey swayed slowly, savoring the feeling of her. His life never felt quite as right as the moments when she was with him, in his arms. She still hadn’t said she loved him, but Trey was hopeful. They faced a long road and there was a hell of a lot more to say, but whether Ellie knew it or not, she’d taken a step toward him tonight. Not away.
She’d come to Tully’s to talk to him rather than her usual cut-and-run. It gave Trey hope and for the moment, he was happy. They’d sort out the rest later.
Chapter Eight
Fourth Quarter
“Whose car is that?”
Trey’s question pulled Ellie from her happy, confused, horny thoughts. After spending the day on the brink of a nervous breakdown, she couldn’t quite believe she was sitting beside Trey. They’d left her car at the bar, neither of them willing to separate for the ten minutes it would take to drive to her house.
While they still had a million things to say to each other, she felt more optimistic about her future than she had a couple of hours earlier. In the midst of their dance, she’d come to the realization she loved Trey. The emotion simply wrapped itself around her like a warm, comfortable blanket, soothing her weary soul.
It was as if her heart turned on a flashing neon light proclaiming the fact, and rather than panic and fear, she simply felt right. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to express her feelings because she wasn’t sure she’d manage to convince him they were genuine. There’d been too much other shit today and she still had about twenty pounds of emotional baggage she needed to dump.
Her heart sank when she recognized Joel’s vehicle parked on the street in front of her house. “Shit.”
She glanced at the front porch and saw her ex perched on the porch swing, waiting for her.
“Joel.”
Trey’s face darkened. “What the fuck is he doing here?”
She shrugged. “No idea, but it can’t be good.”
“Looks like the guy wants to pick a fight. Lucky for him, he came to the right place.”
Ellie put her hand on Trey’s arm as he pulled into the driveway. “No. Trey, please. Promise me you’ll let me handle this and you won’t start throwing punches.”
Trey turned off the car. The look on his face wasn’t comforting. He was pissed off and not happy about her request. “Ellie—”
“I swear to you. I have no feelings for Joel that don’t begin and end with disgust. I’ll make that clear to him. You have to trust me.”
Trey sighed. “I do trust you. It’s that prick I don’t—”
“He can’t hurt me. Not anymore.” For the first time in her life, Ellie believed those words.
Trey nodded slowly and then got out of the car. Ellie followed, her stomach in knots.
Joel rose as they approached the porch, obvious surprise written on his face when he saw her with Trey. Seeing her with another man had taken
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