Tory wiped his mouth with a napkin and met her gaze, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
"What?" She leaned forward, grabbing his arm across the table. "Tell me."
"Do you remember old man Skillings, the vet out on Putty Road?"
"Uh uh, he was the grumpy guy, if I recall. Hated doing house calls, didn't he?"
"That's the one. Well, he retired recently and because of the terrible state of his practice, it’s still on the market." Tory watched her let the words set in.
"What do you mean by the terrible state of his practice? What's wrong with it?" A buzz raced under her skin and her brain worked, already sensing an alternative prospect.
"He should have retired long ago, Rooney. His health hasn't been good for quite a while, and that impacted on how he treated customers. I hear he was pretty bitter towards the end and lost most of his customers to the other vets in Rutherford." Tory took a sip of the red wine he’d brought home for dinner. Placing his glass down, he spoke again. "The place is dirty and needs some tender loving care. As far as I know all the equipment is still there, although I don't know how good it will be after all this time."
"That's not a bad idea. It could be just what I need. Let's face it…it’s probably all I can afford anyway." She met his gaze and felt a moment of panic. Tory wore his heart in his eyes and she’d been too wrapped up in her own problems to notice. Some friend she’d turned out to be. "I'll call the agent first thing in the morning. I might be able to have a look early, that way I can talk to my brothers with some idea of what I'm going to do."
"It will be good for Tamara to come back to family, Rooney."
"Yes, I know that. I worry sometimes that it's my fault she’s missing out on having a family around."
"It doesn't have to be that way."
"What do you mean?"
"You could marry me, Rooney." He held up his hand when she opened her mouth to speak. "Just hear me out here. We get on great, always have. I know we could be happy together. I have my practice set up and doing well. You wouldn't want for anything—either of you."
He gazed into her eyes and took her hand across the table. "We could make it work, Rooney."
"I would want for love, Tory."
"No, you wouldn't. I love you. I always have." His gaze turned pleading and she looked down at their hands, not loving how this conversation was going.
"I love you too, Tory but not like that. I'm sorry, I didn't realise you felt that way about me. I always thought of you as my best friend, not a boyfriend."
"Yeah well, silly me for not pushing you then. I figured you would fall for me eventually if I gave you time to get over Stevie." He squeezed her fingers before letting go of her hands and reached for his wine. "I'm always here for you, don't forget that."
"I know and I appreciate it more than I can say. I don't want to lose you as my best friend." A wave of sadness washed over her and she worried things would change.
"Not likely. I'll live in hope you change your mind and realise I'm the man for you."
Rooney stood and picked up his empty plate. He grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "Forget I said anything, okay?"
"Sure, no problem." Things would never be the same again as far as she was concerned. Each time she reached for a friend to lean on, she would see the pleading look on his face as he lay his heart in front of her, only to be brushed aside.
There was no point pretending to feel something for him she couldn't. Rooney was honest even if it seemed harsh at times. Tory knew that and he would just have to deal with it.
"Do you want me to take you to the funeral tomorrow?" He walked up behind her and grabbed the tea towel to dry the dishes as she washed.
"That would be great. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle everything." She passed him a dripping plate. "Are you sure you want to do that? I don't want you to feel you have to do everything for me."
"Things aren't going to change, Rooney. I'll still be there for you. You just won't see my bleeding heart. I'm not the type to put it on show, if you get me."
"Thanks." How the hell is this going to work now? Every time I look at Tory, I’ll see him professing his love for me. This could be the death of our friendship and I don't want to lose him like this.
Chapter 8
Kate stood under the large fig tree tapping her boot, making patterns in the dust when Cade hobbled around the corner, a sexy smile on his face. The guy knew he was drop dead gorgeous. It pissed her off he was trying to use his charms to get what he wanted so soon after arriving back home, as though nothing had changed. He stopped in front of her and lifted a hand, brushing back the blond locks falling over his eyes.
The aching in her stomach returned with a punch, knocking the wind out of her with a soft groan. She pushed down the sound as best she could with a cough but she was too late. Mortification rolled in her stomach and Kate cursed the heat racing up her cheeks. The light in Cade’s eyes showed he’d heard and thought he’d made another conquest.
"Well now, little Kate. You didn't have to go all growl and bossy to get a moment alone with me. You could have just asked nicely." He smiled, tilting his head to one side and watching her.
"Get over yourself, Cade. If I wanted you—which I don't and make no
