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There was a slight tremor through her body. She covered her mouth with her hand.
I maneuvered so I was in front of her. “Are you laughing at me?”
“You were trying to say shit.” She giggled, all of the stress that seemed permanently carved in her features gone.
“Yeah. Actually that’s exactly what I was trying to say.”
She snickered. “Seems appropriate.”
“I call it like I see it.” I peeled her hand away from her mouth and twined our fingers together. “And I’d still like to take you to dinner.”
Her face dimmed. “I’d like that too, but I can’t. This place takes all of me. There’s nothing left for anything else.”
Maybe. Maybe not. But she didn’t say no. So this day was already so much better.
Chapter Eighteen
Pepper
“Is Mr. February here for me?”
Miss Adeline flashed a come hither look at the man who entered the lobby. He couldn’t be Mr. February because he had on a three-piece suit and a cashmere overcoat, and it looked like every stitch of his clothing was tailor-made. Did tailors make underwear?
I shook my head to clear it. “I’ve told you, you can’t greet guests that way,” I whisper-hissed.
She waved me off. “They don’t mind. I’m just a harmless old woman.”
My brows shot up. Harmless? Not a chance.
Muffy sprinted toward him and jumped, nearly knocking the bags out of the man’s hands.
“Muffy! Off!” But there was no use. He had a mind of his own. How much did dry-cleaning a suit like that cost?
The man cut his eyes down to Muffy but said nothing. There was no need for words. The flat line and scowl spoke volumes.
“I was told I could find Teague and Beau here.”
I tilted my head. He was the brother. I didn’t know why I hadn’t immediately seen it. His eyes were icy compared to Beau’s and Teague’s. There was no warmth about him. But if what he told Teague on the phone about everything being on him was true, it made sense. When the whole load was on someone’s shoulders, there wasn’t time to be warm and fuzzy.
I was the living embodiment of that.
“You mean Adeline.” She fluttered her lashes at him.
I didn’t know whether to scream or laugh.
I rushed over to Muffy to try to get him off the expensive pants. “As long as you’ve got food, he’s going to be glued to you.”
“As long as he’s got on that suit, I’m going to—”
“I thought you were into firemen,” I said before she finished that sentence with whatever inappropriateness was about to come out.
“That was this morning. Now, I’m more of a men-in-suits kind of girl.”
“You’re breaking my heart, Miss Adeline.”
I whipped my head around as Teague emerged from the back. I hoped he hadn’t heard this whole conversation.
“You never bring any of your friends around. What am I supposed to do? I can’t wait forever.”
