He found it exhausting. Add in cousins and aunts and uncles and you had forty people body slamming each other for the check. It could get rough. But he was the expert, which meant he planned to pay. “It’s a game. And you can’t win it.”

She made a humming sound. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“We can have dinner ten times and I will win every time.”

Her eyebrow lifted. “That’s a lot of nondates.”

Right, because they weren’t dating. Neither of them wanted that. “But I don’t hear you saying no.”

“I don’t like to lose.”

This he could handle. A healthy rivalry that ended with lemon chicken. “But you will.”

“We’ll see.”

Chapter 9

The rain stopped its on and off spurts during the two hours in which they ate and drank coffee. After a bumpy start, the conversation flowed. She avoided talking about his sister and what she suspected was a severe case of unresolved grief on his part, and really avoided any talk about her life. They stuck to Whitaker gossip and landmarks around the island, places he should see and the ones he should avoid.

Connor proved to be charming and kind of adorable whenever she joked about his early morning handyman date with Paul. The whole idea of it made her smile. He could have said no or made a scene with the older man, but he hadn’t. He accepted Paul’s order to be at his house and took the whole muddled mess in stride.

She found that way more attractive than she wanted to admit.

After they finished eating and walked through the dining room while everyone gawked and more than one pointed, Maddie debated taking advantage of the break in the weather and walking home. The mix of air and quiet sounded good until she remembered the newest threatening note. So when Connor made it clear he’d abandon his car and join her on the walk, she agreed to a ride. Now they walked the last few steps up to her front porch.

The air carried the scent of pine and wet grass. Water splashed as she tapped her boots in the puddles on the rough stone drive leading up to her house. She could walk around them, but why?

“You could have dropped me off,” she said without looking at him.

“Just slowed down enough for you to jump out the window?”

She smiled in the darkness, comforted that he couldn’t see her do it. “You know what I mean. I’m guessing this is another family tradition. Some form of required chivalry.”

“It’s about safety.” He zipped his jacket up high against his neck. “I don’t take risks.”

Well, crap. She’d managed not to step on this mine all night and now she tripped headfirst into it. “Right. I didn’t mean—”