Read Online Need You Now (Love in Unknown) by Taylor M. Lunsford - Free Book Online

breath. Her instincts said to run, but her heart said to tell him.
    “This is not me agreeing to go out with you or anything.” She wanted that perfectly clear up front. Better for everyone that way. No false hopes or pressure.
    “Then what is this?” There was no easy confidence in his voice anymore. Wariness, maybe, which she understood.
    She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly before replying. “I guess this is me apologizing for being such a bitch last night. You were just being…You were just being you. You’ve always been the kind of guy who wants to take care of everybody and fix everything. I guess I forgot that. Which was stupid of me, because that was one of my favorite things about being your friend. And I really just wanted to say I’m sorry. For last night.”
    She was sorry for a lot of things that had happened between them, but she didn’t intend to tell him that. This call was just about the previous night.
    “I think you get a pass for last night. It’s a bit difficult seeing a place that’s so special to you wrecked like it was. How’d the clean-up go today?”
    Mel chuckled and groaned, flipping onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. “Anybody ever told you that you’re too nice? Clean-up went really well. Although my muscles have already begun to lodge a protest. I’m not really used to that much cleaning.”
    “What, you fancy doctor types don’t pick up after yourselves? Poor Anna.” Caine was actually teasing her. Teasing her the way he’d used to. It felt…nice. And unsettling.
    “Yeah.” She didn’t say anything for a little while, instead studying the gentle rotation of the fan. “Look, Gage hinted that you want us to be more than friends.”
    He sighed. “And I know that you’re not ready for that. I screwed up and you don’t trust me. I get that. So, quit biting your lip and tell me what’s going on.”
    She quickly released her top lip. “I want us to try to be friends. If we can. I mean, if you want to. I just—“
    “Breathe, Mel.” Caine’s words were barely more than a whisper. “You always tend to ramble when you’re nervous. I think we can manage friends. In fact, I’d really like that. It’s been difficult since I came back to town.”
    Difficult. She almost laughed at that. “People not rushing to be BFFs with the mayor?”
    “The mayor part hasn’t been the problem. It’s the lawyer part. Most of the cases I handle are for local businesses, but I take on some civil cases. Eventually, you’ve got half the town annoyed with you. You and Micah coming back to town is one of the best things to happen to me in a long time.”
    They talked for a few more minutes, making idle conversation. When she hung up, Mel didn’t move for a long while, fingers rubbing absent circles over the patches of the quilt. Things felt a little more right in her world for the first time in years. If she thought too much about that fact, she’d run scared as hell. Right now, she’d just be happy to have her friend back.

Chapter 5
     
     
    Caine drove through Town Square in his golf cart, feeling more than a little ridiculous. Jemma Hartsfield and her minions stopped in to see him today. They made no bones about reminding him that the mayor should use the kind gift he’d been given by the town. They hadn’t seen him in it lately. Easier to drive the stupid thing for a little while than listen to them nag him constantly.
    “Are you the mayor or the circus ringmaster?”
    He slowed to a stop and turned to see the man who’d called out to him. Micah Carr had just come out of the bakery, a little boy in one hand, a red Rangers backpack in the other. The boy looked exactly like his father had when they’d met so long ago, all boney limbs and dark brown curls. “Bite me, Carr. Nice to see you. Cutting out early? Must be nice.”
    “Mom wanted a few hours in the shop.” Micah shook his head, walking over to him. “Figured Jax and I could walk home instead of