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“Nothing happened.” Cleo waved the idea off, but even she knew her voice sounded hollow. “We’re coworkers. I take that very seriously. I don’t need the kind of reputation that comes with—”
“Hey,” Ronnie said, her face falling serious. “I know my sisters are in Boston working hard with the Kinross company. Everything is so legit and formal. You take your career really seriously, and I respect the hell out of that. But that’s not what this is.”
“What do you mean?” Cleo couldn’t follow where Ronnie’s fluttering monologue was trying to take her.
“This,” Ronnie said, pointing frantically between the two of them. “You and me talking, it’s just the two of us. I’m not asking as some person associated with a business you work for. I’m asking because I’m happy for you.” She crinkled her face up. “And I’m nosey. And a little bored. I know something happened with you two, and I’m dying to hear about it.”
“I don’t want it to get around,” Cleo whispered. “I really try to make sure of that.”
“You can trust me,” Ronnie pleaded. “I hope you know that. You’ve done so much for us. I would never do anything that would hurt you or your career.”
Cleo wanted to believe that. Ronnie was a loyal person. Everything she’d done in the last month showed that. It was still a gamble though. Telling anyone she and Nick were sleeping together could change everything. But she’d been dying to tell someone, and if there was anyone to gamble on, it was Ronnie.
“Okay, so he absolutely drives me nuts.” Cleo turned and curled her legs up on the couch in the mandatory girl-talk position. “And I was reluctant to go away together because I knew something was going to happen.”
“You’d either kill him or kiss him.”
“And he’s very much alive still.” They laughed and covered their mouths to keep their secrets quiet enough.
“And now what?” Ronnie asked, slapping her knee excitedly. “Are you two dating now? What about when this is done and Portland?”
It was sweet. The simplicity of it for Ronnie. “It’s nothing like that. We’re just killing time. Having some fun. He’s not looking for anything serious, and neither am I.”
“Are you kidding? You do see how he looks at you, right? He’s been looking at you that way from the first time you walked on this land. And when you pulled that gun down from the barn and chased off Bill, that was the moment he really fell for you. I was watching. It was like slow motion.”
“Nick is not falling for me,” Cleo said, cutting her hand through the air.
“You’re right. He’s already fallen. That man is in deep.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not like that. We make a good team. We get the job done. And sure, we laugh a lot, and it makes the work easier. But we fight like angry dogs half the time.”
“That fight can be the good stuff.”
“I—well. It’s not—”
“I think it is. And I like it.” Ronnie craned her neck and peeked toward the kitchen. “You two are a great pair.”
“It won’t make any sense once we’re done here. We’re going to Georgia. That’s where the next lead is taking us. Eventually, we’ll settle everything, and there won’t be anything keeping us together.”
“Oh, there will be something,” Ronnie threatened playfully. “There is always something.”
“You’re just caught up in your own fairy tale with Carter. It makes everything look all dreamy and special.”
“This is special,” Ronnie said. “Just wait. You’ll notice soon enough.”
“Oh yeah? What am I looking for exactly? Nick is not the kind of guy to make some grand gesture and have a billboard put up with some proclamation of his love.”
“Good, because that’s never the kind of thing that lasts. You should be looking for the pepper shaker.”
“The what? Girl, you have my head spinning tonight.”
“Carter does all these little things that let me know he loves me. Sure he uprooted his whole life, and he’s here raising Sammy with me. That’s the obvious stuff. But in the morning, when he makes breakfast, he figured out I like a really specific amount of pepper on my eggs. It’s neurotic, I know. But now, when he brings the eggs to the table, he just carries over the pepper shaker so I can do it myself. The way I like it.”
“That’s incredibly sweet, but Nick and I don’t have that. He’s not going to start doing things like that for me.”
“Dinner is ready,” Nick said, poking his head into the living room, and Cleo snapped her mouth shut suddenly, quickly enough that it was undeniably awkward.
“Hey Cleo,” Nick said casually, “I know you like that iced tea they have but unsweetened, so I made a little pitcher. Once you pour a glass, I’ll doctor it up for everyone else.”
