“Anything else?”

“Anything you want to deny so far?”

“Oh, no,” he assured her. “Gossips have the story absolutely straight.”

“They usually do,” she said without missing a beat, and finally turned her head to face him. “So I might ask you what your real story is. Sometime. If it’s something you’re interested in sharing.”

“I was going to make the same offer. To listen if you needed an ear.”

She turned quiet, the devilment in her eyes fading. A moment ticked by, then another. The bustling noises inside the house had faded into the single noise from a television. Lamplights had turned on throughout the neighborhood.

The sun had taken its lazy Southern time going down, but it finally ebbed out of sight, nothing left but a deep violet haze beyond the trees and rooftops.

He didn’t realize how much time had passed, how late it had become…but it seemed as if she suddenly did. “You know what?” she said.

“What?”

“I’m glad you stopped. You didn’t need to. It was beyond kind-particularly for a man who seems to have a mighty reputation in this town for not caring much about others. You keep that kind streak really well hidden, I gather.”

“I’m not kind.” Sheesh. It was like being accused of larceny or something. No guy liked to think of himself as kind.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I won’t tell. I just brought it up because I didn’t want you to think I needed looking after. I knew coming back here would be tough. I’m all right.” Rather than leave it on a heavy note, she came through with a grin and added, “Except, of course, for dying of the heat.”

She uncurled her legs and started to clean up the spoons and ice-cream container. Griff didn’t need a bat over the head. It was time for him to go.

Heaven knew what sparked the impulse to visit to begin with. The buzz of gossip coming from Jason had just nagged on him. The sound of the fire truck siren had annoyed him further. He just kept getting some stupid, uneasy feeling that Lily was alone in town and in trouble.