Holding Strong
Page 92
Watching him go, Harper let out a long sigh.
Armie nudged Denver. “Guess the honeymoon hasn’t worn off, huh?”
Harper sighed again, then handed Cherry a pair of shorts. “I keep extra clothes here because I hang out so much.” She eyed Cherry’s chest concealed beneath Denver’s enormous shirt. “Sadly for me, we have very different builds, so I’m pretty sure none of my shirts will fit you.”
“Your husband will tell you that your build is fine,” Armie said, then with a flourish, he handed over his extra T-shirt. “I have one for Cherry.”
She shook it out, read the front, and threw it back at him.
Grinning with anticipation, Harper snatched it from him so she could read it aloud. “Less hugs, more head.”
Denver took it from Harper and turned it inside out. “It’ll fit better than one of mine.”
Cherry sent him a mean look. “I’m not keen about wearing yours, either.”
Taking that as her cue, Harper grabbed Armie’s arm. “Let’s go. You have a visitor waiting on you.”
“Who?”
“Havoc.”
“He’s early!”
“So prance on up there and tell him so.”
Armie pretended to smack her butt, but she bolted away. Once Harper was gone, Armie turned back. “You should know, Denver. Cherry’s car died this morning. Vanity gave her a lift to work and I picked her up.” He leveled his brows. “She didn’t want to bother you.”
“Armie,” Cherry protested.
Denver just let out a breath.
“I was going to take her home and check on her car, see what the problem might be, but with the downpour she didn’t want me to, so we came here instead. Even with an umbrella, we got soaked to the skin.”
Denver nodded.
But Armie wasn’t done. “If I’d known you were going to be such a bully to her, I wouldn’t have brought her here.”
“Armie,” Cherry said again, this time scolding him for using that tone. The last thing she wanted was a conflict between him and Denver.
“Thanks,” Denver said, as if Armie hadn’t just insulted him. “I appreciate it.”
“No problem. But seriously man, get it together.” He winked at Cherry and, with a somewhat lagging step, headed out front to meet up with Havoc.
As soon as they were alone, Denver tried to take Cherry’s hand. “You can change in the office.”
She held back. “I’m not sure I want to go anywhere with you.”
Resigned, he stepped back from her. For what felt like forever, he searched her face before asking softly, “Will it help if I apologize?”
“I don’t know.” Crossing her arms under her breasts and cocking out a hip, she tried to disguise her hurt with annoyance. “Try it and see.”
A small, sexy smile teased his mouth, but he looked at her with those beautiful golden-brown eyes and said with touching sincerity, “I’m sorry.”
Damn it, her resolve crumbled. Dropping her arms, her throat swelling with a lump of emotion, she asked, “How could you do that to me?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. Not yet. “You humiliated me, Denver. And not just in front of people I know.”
“Please don’t be embarrassed. Like Armie said, it’s on me and most everyone in the rec center will know where to place the blame.” He touched her cheek. “If it’s Pamela you’re worried about—”
“She’s your stepmother.” Remembering the humor and disdain in the woman’s expression as she’d looked her over, Cherry went hot again. “With your help I just made a terrible first impression.”
His brows came together. “She’s not a nice person. Don’t worry about her.”
“But I am nice, and the way you treated me...”
“I know.” Tentatively, he gathered her against him, his big hands open on her back, his chin on the top of her head. “I really am sorry. It’s been...a difficult day.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I’d like to.”
Surprised, she pushed back to see his face. “Really?”
His hands cradled her face. “Stack is filling in for me, but I should really get back to it so he can take off. Would you mind hanging around? I won’t be much longer, then we can spend the rest of the day together.”
Did that mean he wouldn’t be staying the night? She never quite knew with him. “You’ll tell me about Pamela?” That alone would be worth swallowing her pride. She had a feeling the crux of Denver’s possessiveness stemmed from that woman.
Armie nudged Denver. “Guess the honeymoon hasn’t worn off, huh?”
Harper sighed again, then handed Cherry a pair of shorts. “I keep extra clothes here because I hang out so much.” She eyed Cherry’s chest concealed beneath Denver’s enormous shirt. “Sadly for me, we have very different builds, so I’m pretty sure none of my shirts will fit you.”
“Your husband will tell you that your build is fine,” Armie said, then with a flourish, he handed over his extra T-shirt. “I have one for Cherry.”
She shook it out, read the front, and threw it back at him.
Grinning with anticipation, Harper snatched it from him so she could read it aloud. “Less hugs, more head.”
Denver took it from Harper and turned it inside out. “It’ll fit better than one of mine.”
Cherry sent him a mean look. “I’m not keen about wearing yours, either.”
Taking that as her cue, Harper grabbed Armie’s arm. “Let’s go. You have a visitor waiting on you.”
“Who?”
“Havoc.”
“He’s early!”
“So prance on up there and tell him so.”
Armie pretended to smack her butt, but she bolted away. Once Harper was gone, Armie turned back. “You should know, Denver. Cherry’s car died this morning. Vanity gave her a lift to work and I picked her up.” He leveled his brows. “She didn’t want to bother you.”
“Armie,” Cherry protested.
Denver just let out a breath.
“I was going to take her home and check on her car, see what the problem might be, but with the downpour she didn’t want me to, so we came here instead. Even with an umbrella, we got soaked to the skin.”
Denver nodded.
But Armie wasn’t done. “If I’d known you were going to be such a bully to her, I wouldn’t have brought her here.”
“Armie,” Cherry said again, this time scolding him for using that tone. The last thing she wanted was a conflict between him and Denver.
“Thanks,” Denver said, as if Armie hadn’t just insulted him. “I appreciate it.”
“No problem. But seriously man, get it together.” He winked at Cherry and, with a somewhat lagging step, headed out front to meet up with Havoc.
As soon as they were alone, Denver tried to take Cherry’s hand. “You can change in the office.”
She held back. “I’m not sure I want to go anywhere with you.”
Resigned, he stepped back from her. For what felt like forever, he searched her face before asking softly, “Will it help if I apologize?”
“I don’t know.” Crossing her arms under her breasts and cocking out a hip, she tried to disguise her hurt with annoyance. “Try it and see.”
A small, sexy smile teased his mouth, but he looked at her with those beautiful golden-brown eyes and said with touching sincerity, “I’m sorry.”
Damn it, her resolve crumbled. Dropping her arms, her throat swelling with a lump of emotion, she asked, “How could you do that to me?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. Not yet. “You humiliated me, Denver. And not just in front of people I know.”
“Please don’t be embarrassed. Like Armie said, it’s on me and most everyone in the rec center will know where to place the blame.” He touched her cheek. “If it’s Pamela you’re worried about—”
“She’s your stepmother.” Remembering the humor and disdain in the woman’s expression as she’d looked her over, Cherry went hot again. “With your help I just made a terrible first impression.”
His brows came together. “She’s not a nice person. Don’t worry about her.”
“But I am nice, and the way you treated me...”
“I know.” Tentatively, he gathered her against him, his big hands open on her back, his chin on the top of her head. “I really am sorry. It’s been...a difficult day.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I’d like to.”
Surprised, she pushed back to see his face. “Really?”
His hands cradled her face. “Stack is filling in for me, but I should really get back to it so he can take off. Would you mind hanging around? I won’t be much longer, then we can spend the rest of the day together.”
Did that mean he wouldn’t be staying the night? She never quite knew with him. “You’ll tell me about Pamela?” That alone would be worth swallowing her pride. She had a feeling the crux of Denver’s possessiveness stemmed from that woman.
