Rae held up her hand, blocking the offer. “We don’t need it. I don’t need it. And if it helps, think of it as a coupon. You’re still paying me for our services. This could go to that. I know things are tight because of how long you’ve been working on reopening the ranch.”
My throat tightened at the thoughtfulness. I wrinkled my nose and looked away from her for a second.
“Thank you, Rae,” I murmured. “I really…thanks. I appreciate the help.”
“I’m not the only person who’d do it, you know,” she said gently. “Help you here.”
My forehead wrinkled as I met her gaze again.
Rae jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. “Everyone I spoke to in there seemed thrilled for you and Elmwood’s opening. A couple of us were bouncing around ideas with Wilson for Halloween events. I think I have a few event and marketing ideas that could boost visibility during youropening month…all of this would obviously take place an appropriate amount of time after we fix everything.”
I laughed, my cheeks hurting from smiling at the excitement rolling off her. “Of course. And that would be great, thank you.”
“It’s my bread and butter.” She shrugged. “They’re nice here.”
“You’re nice,” I corrected. “And good with people. Them. They love you already.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know whatever it is that’s got you locked in that beautiful head of yours. But I promise you, I’m not doing anything special. Alpine’s a nice community. You chose well.”
“I chose Elmwood,” I reminded her, pausing for a second when a couple of guys stumbled out of the bar. They started down the street, singing and swaying as they walked home. “And it’s not exactly a winner.”
“Once I’m through with it, it will be.” Rae smiled.
I couldn’t help but smile back.Her gaze flickered to my lips for a second, lingering on them as she spoke.
“Back to fun. Do we have a deal?” She stuck her hand out for a shake. I hesitated to accept it, feeling self-conscious about my calloused hands scratching her soft palms.
“Deal?”
“A canoe date.”
“Right,” was all I could say as my mind scrambled for reasons not to say yes. To not want to close the distance between us and bury my face into Rae’s collarbone like I’d wanted to when she held me against her in the salt circle. Except this time, I wouldn’t be looking for just comfort.
“Octavia?” Rae asked, brow pulled down and wrinkling her smooth forehead.
“A date,” I squeaked, trying to rid myself of the image of her hips on mine underneath piles of sheets. “Sure.”
TWENTY-ONE
“Isit too late to mention that I don’t know how to swim?”
A fog hung in the air from last night’s cold front. It weaved through the tall pine and fir trees and hovered over the lake. Octavia and I had woken before the sun peeked over the horizon. We’d done our best to tiptoe out of a quiet house full of four hungover adults.
Octavia was up first, naturally, and had already done her morning chores and taken Frog and Kat out of the stable to graze in their pen. I watched her come back from the routine; she floated out of the mist like someone just becoming. The cold made her lips chapped but didn’t dry out the curious look in her gaze when she had said, “Good morning. When do you want to head out?”
She gazed at me as if cataloging my every move. Before today, I thought she’d always been doing that, keeping a mental note of what I did to add to her list of reasons I was a con artist.
But now, with my necklace still dangling around her neck, Octavia watched me with evolved interest. I couldn’tconfirm how she used her data now, but I enjoyed being under her watchful eye. I bloomed in the spotlight.
“Would you like to learn?” I bit back a laugh when her eyes went big and tore to the lake. The water was still, a deep blue dotted with clusters of lily pads.
“Not now,” I promised. “Not here.”
“Oh, well, in that case,” Octavia said. “No.”
I released my laugh and then tugged off my coat. Despite the morning chill, I sweated underneath my multitude of layers. The coat I wore was mine, something I had to hunt for in the back of my closet. But the sweater that nearly hung off my shoulders was Octavia’s. After she’d seen my thin, long-sleeve set-up, she’d grumbled and disappeared to find me something “decent” to wear.
I’d accepted her offer with a little too much excitement. Because it wasn’t every day I got an excuse to be this close to her smell. I could pretend she’d slept next to me and that was the reason the scent imprinted onto my skin.
