Sorrow felt her shoulders tighten. She wasn’t sure what bothered her most about the exchange with her sister, though she could work up a list.
Billy reached out toward her, and her heart soared, but then he squeezed her arm in a way that meant good-bye, and her stomach fell. He said, “I’ll leave you to it, then. ”
A part of her wished he’d show some typical male reaction—jealousy, competitiveness, something. But instead Billy just looked vaguely amused. It made her feel like a kid. But she was twenty-three—young, sure, but definitely well past teenager. Hell, she’d been running the lodge nearly single-handedly.
And yet, hearing Damien’s voice booming from the other room, she felt embarrassed. It was a strange feeling. There was definitely no need to be self-conscious—Damien was hot. He’d been an all-around sports star. He was from the wealthiest family in the area. So why this strange, jangly feeling in her chest?
She tried not to look as crestfallen as she felt. Damien was here, but she wanted to play a round of pool with Billy. Wanted Billy to be the one to walk her back to the house after they closed up.
Billy’s hand on her arm had felt so broad and firm. That was the hand she wanted to take.
She gave a shake to her head. This was not good. It was time to talk to Damien.
But what if the connection she felt with Billy was a figment of her imagination? He was a widower, after all. What if he mourned his wife too much ever to move on?
Or what if he were interested in a relationship—what would that imply? Would it mean he hadn’t mourned enough? She was treading water she had no idea how to navigate.
Billy’s voice brought her back to herself. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” She let herself study him, and his gaze didn’t waver from hers. Faint lines at his eyes, mouth, and brow spoke to spending much time outdoors. She imagined him squinting against the sun as he got out of his cruiser for a routine traffic stop. Those eyes would be hard on someone who’d broken the law. But they were warm on her now.
He was so different from Damien, his features not technically as handsome, those eyes not as young. But Billy was so in control of his world—he was steadiness, strength, and wisdom, and to her those things were more vital, more necessary, more attractive than anything she shared with Damien.
“You remember. ” Amusement tinged his voice. He tilted his head, studying her. “Silver City?”
Their shopping trip to Silver City—she’d forgotten. Excitement snapped through her veins. “Right. Of course. Totally. Tomorrow. ”
From across the kitchen, her sister snorted an unladylike laugh.
Sorrow blushed. She’d answered a bit too giddily, and Laura had noticed. She made a mental note to ask next time they were alone just when it was her big sister planned on returning to the city.
Billy didn’t seem to notice. “Good news,” he added. “I’ve got a buddy in the restaurant business there. He talked to his supplier. Usually they’re closed weekends, but we can get you into the warehouse tomorrow morning. He said he’d give you a new industrial freezer at cost. ”
Hearing that news, Sorrow forgot all about her sister. Appliances cost a fortune, and she was still in denial about just how much a new freezer was going to run them. “At cost? Really?”
“One that won’t break down. ” He winked and, for an instant, that rugged tough guy was just plain cute.
Cute, steady, strong, wise, and now thoughtful. She resisted the urge to fling herself into him.
“Rack ’em up,” she heard Damien shout. His voice reverberated clear into the kitchen, followed by the laughter of other men. Damien had always been able to make the other men laugh.
But in that moment, Sorrow knew. She didn’t want Damien.
She wanted Billy.
Twenty-two
When Billy showed up early the next morning, Sorrow was waiting for him in the tavern. He spotted her at once. That tousled, wavy blond hair hanging down her back. A flannel shirt tied around her waist. From behind she seemed relaxed, perched on a barstool, chatting with her father. By the smell of things, Sully was there, too, frying up some hash browns.
Bear spotted Billy and nodded a greeting. “Sheriff. ”
“Bear,” he replied.
Sorrow turned and gave him a bright smile. “Hey, Billy. ”
His pulse jumped.
She might’ve looked casual, but Sorrow was no tomboy. In fact, she was all woman. Her smile was open and easy, that of a confident, capable woman. Of somebody who knew what she was about. It was the smile of a woman who’d be as confident in the bedroom as she was lounging on that stool.