I open my eyes to meet Calder’s warm gaze. “No. I needed some quiet, but you’re the exception.”
He sits sideways, his legs bracketing me. “What’s wrong?”
I curl my hand around the glass of beer he brought me. I don’t have to ask or taste it to know it’s Honey Creek. The light straw color is ingrained in me. “You mean, other than having a week to decide if I want to sell and move away from my home?”
“Denver’s my home.”
“Is it?” I shake my head before he can answer. “That’s why I’m in here. I don’t want to think about it, but it’s hard to be out there, around everyone. They think it’s all going to stay the same, but it’s not. No matter what, it’s not. In a week, your brothers are leaving.”
His hand lands at the small of my back. “I will be too.”
My heart trips over itself. “What?”
“A client is flying into town Tuesday. One of my account managers made a mistake, and my client’s upset. He’s been with me since almost the beginning.” An apology I don’t want shines in his eyes. “Bowen and Landry need a ride to the airport, and if I take off from there, I’ll arrive with plenty of time to catch up in my office and save that account by Tuesday.”
“Oh,” I say on an exhale. How convenient. I’ve been agonizing over the decision, but he’s going about business as usual. “Well, I said I’d give you guys until Saturday. Guess we’ll all know the answer before you leave town.”
I drink down half my beer.
“Meredith—”
“You know what my favorite color is?”
He blinks and goes quiet, thankfully not finishing whatever he was going to say. “Blush, like your cheeks?”
My face warms to the color he just referred to. He trails a finger along my jaw.
“Oh, wait. That’s my favorite.”
That line could forever work on me.
“The green of the pastures in June.” Before he thinks I’m trying to wield nostalgia against him, I smile. “June because of the spring melt and the rain. It’s before the heat bakes a brown hue onto everything. I don’t remember a lot of Rolla, and it’s only four hours away, but I know it was green. Lush and brilliant. I see that here. But only in June.”
“Or if July or August are wet months?”
“True. But there aren’t any oil wells in Rolla, and a few more trees.” I run my thumb along the cool glass. “What’s your favorite movie?”
“I don’t watch TV, rosy.”
“Don’t you go to a movie?” When he shakes his head, my eyes widen. “What do you for a date night?” I hold up my hand. “Don’t answer.”
His chuckle is soft. “I suffered on date nights. All I wanted was physical release, but I had to gut through dinner and a performance of some sort.”
“The opera? A play? How awful.”
“Smart-ass.”
Grinning, I hold my glass up like I’m toasting. “Last year, I went to the high school play, and I sat next to two middle-schoolers. They were holding hands.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Not when it’s more than I’d done for years.” I giggle, and my breath catches when he laces his fingers through mine.
“What’s your favorite movie?” he asks softly.
“My favorite was Holly’s favorite.While You Were Sleeping.” When there’s no flicker of recognition in his eyes, I nod. “She takes tickets in the subway, and she’s in love with this guy. Hegets knocked out, and she helps him, telling the hospital she’s his fiancée so she can stay with him. Well, his family believes the story, and she doesn’t want to hurt their feelings with her lie.”
“And he wakes up and they fall in love?”
