If it hadn’t made her feel so awkward, she might have laughed over it.
“And poor Nell, stuck in the middle of that. Didn’t anyone else notice how uneasy it made her? I think she’s probably been stuck in similar uncomfortable situations.” More than anything, Glory had wanted to take Nell’s hand, lead her outside, and sit and chat. Abouteverything. Life, dealing with family, being a woman... All the things she and Callie had grown up discussing.
Pinning her with a stern frown, Kam discounted everything she’d just said. “None of that should have kept you from standing up for yourself.”
There it was. The worst of the insults. Glory fought back the hurt and glared at him. “Liz took me in when I had nowhere to go. She gave me everything she could. And now she employs me.” Shoving her door open, she stepped out into themuggy night. At nearly 8:00 p.m., the sun was a fiery yellow ball resting on the horizon, turning the sky a dusky orange. Pretty—but not enough to lift her sudden ire.
She spun to face Kam when he strode toward her with a purpose. “Why haven’t you brought your cat home?”
That drew him up short. “What?”
“Percy is your cat, right? Yet, you’ve...” She couldn’t sayabandoned. “You left him behind.”
“Case you haven’t noticed, I’m not settled into my apartment yet. Addie insisted he should stay with her until I am. Besides, he’s bonded with Blu. He and that dog love each other.”
That made sense, but she wasn’t ready to be reasonable, not after the nasty things he’d said to her. “So you’re happy to dump one more responsibility on Addie?”
For a long tense moment, he studied her, then the heat left his eyes. “I would never do that.” He approached cautiously, like he thought she might flee.
And damn it, she felt like it. She hated being weak, hated letting Liz walk all over her. And she especially hated knowing she’d never been loved. Not by her parents, not by Liz and Frank.
Only Callie had ever truly loved her, and now Callie had a husband. A wonderful husband. The perfect man for her.
It was only right that he’d take precedence. Glory wouldn’t have it any other way. Sooner or later, she’d get used to the new dynamic of being... less important. Again.
God, could she be a more selfish bitch? Almost hating herself, Glory deflated. Especially because she’d taken out her pity party on Kam, and he didn’t deserve it.
Faking an intense interest in the sunset, she kept her gaze averted. “I’m sorry.”
“Ah, babe.” His strong arms came around her, crossing overher breasts as he snuggled close behind her. “You stole the words right out of my mouth. I deserved to be blasted.”
“No, you didn’t.” Resting her hands over his forearms, she dropped her head back to his shoulder and simply relished his nearness, the delicious scent of him, how his touch energized her and comforted her at the same time. “I think Liz just has that effect on everyone.”
“She’s fine when she isn’t nettling you.”
Meaning they all got along well when Glory wasn’t around? Great. One more way to make her feel—no. Damn it, she would stop being pathetic right now.
“She sure had Addie riled,” Kam noted.
The corner of her mouth quirked. “I’d like to know how Addie came up with all those silly compliments so quickly. I think she praised everything about me, including my eyelashes.”
“They’re pretty eyelashes,” he said, his voice huskier. “So you know, Percy is my cat, but I guess he’s Addie’s, too. He’s always lived in that house, and when I was away at school or work, Addie was there with him. Blu, too.”
“It’s a big wonderful house. I’m glad Callie decided to move in with them so they could all stay together.”
That observation was met with silence. Glory turned to face him, spotted Nosy Old Lady Simmons peeking at her through her curtains, and decided it was time to head in. “Come on. We’re entertaining the neighbors.”
“Simmons?” he asked, keeping her in place.
“She thinks she’s being sneaky, but I can see her.”
Cupping her face, Kam whispered, “Then we might as well give her something to gawk at,” right before he put his mouth over hers in a kiss guaranteed to send her foul mood packing for good.
7
“Titillating the neighbors is nothing new for me.”
“No? But I thought you didn’t have any close neighbors, just Callie’s uncle on one side.”