Page 57 of Broken Vows

Just her fingertips at first. Barely anything. Then they slide over my bicep, like she’s testing the muscle for herself.

Every useful thought in my head goes quiet.

“You are strong,” she says, looking up at me. “I think you could manage it.”

I know what she’s doing. I know exactly what she’s doing. The problem is, she’s doing it very well.

“No,” I say again, but it comes out wrong. Less like a refusal and more like a man making one last pathetic attempt at dignity.

Her eyes sparkle.

Christ.

I’m in trouble.

“Please,” she says, soft as anything.

That’s it.

I drag a hand over my jaw. “Where do we get it?”

Her smile turns bright and victorious. My stomach does something stupid.

“The mall. Can we go now?”

“Now?”

“Unless you’re busy.”

I am busy. I have actual things to do. Serious things. Things that don’t involve buying a kid a basketball hoop because our pretty neighbor touched my arm and called me strong.

“Yeah,” I hear myself say. “Let’s go.”

Theo throws both fists in the air.

Carmen turns toward him, grinning, then looks back at me. “I’ll go get ready.”

I rub the back of my neck.

What the fuck just happened?

16

CARMEN

We pull into the driveway with the basketball hoop box taking up most of the trunk.

Levi had insisted on carrying it himself at the store, of course. I saw the strain in his jaw and the slight tremble in his injured arm every time he adjusted his grip, but he powered through by sheer stubbornness.

As soon as he turns off the engine, I climb out and move around to help him unload it.

“I’ve got it,” he says gruffly, already reaching in.

“I can help,” I reply, grabbing one side of the box anyway.

He gives me a look. “This thing is as big as you are.”

“I can still help.”