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“Of course. What can I do?”
“I know the wholesnowbound with a hot guything is intriguing, but you know Sam.” Brooke glanced at the store, where Sam’s tall figure was visible through the window as he paid for his purchases. “He’s private. He doesn’t want anyone digging into his life. He’ll hate knowing that people are gossiping and speculating about what happened at the cabin.”
“What, exactly,didhappen at the cabin?” Aria asked.
“Nothing!” Brooke suppressed a surge of guilt over lying to her best friend. “We just sat around, bored out of our skulls. He played solitaire, and I read novels…and really, the most interesting thing that happened is that the ladder to the loft broke. Other than that, it was totally mundane. Nothing romantic or sexy happened. We are not together. Please,pleasetell people that. Squash the rumors. Eighty-six the tall tales. Get me and Sam off the Gossip Train.”
Aria was silent for a second, as if she were processing Brooke’s dramatic pleas. Finally she said, “Okay.”
“Please.”
“I got it.” Aria’s tone turned brisk. For all her sweetness and warmth, Aria Prescott was a woman who got shit done. “I’ll call your mom and let her know what’s going on so she can douse the flames. Callie and Rory will get on it, too….Rory’s helping Grant at the Mousehole this week, so she’s in a great position to play defense.”
The tension in Brooke’s shoulders eased. “Thank you.”
“You and Sam are nothing but casual acquaintances who had a little adventure together,” Aria said firmly. “That’s the narrative we’ll spread.”
Casual acquaintances.
She ignored the pang in her chest. “Okay. Thanks.”
“But, girl, when you’re settled back in, we’re going out for drinks,” Aria said. “And you’re going to tell me whatreallyhappened.”
“Considering nothing happened, that will be one boring happy hour.” Brooke forced a laugh. “I gotta go. Love you, Crazy Cat Lady.”
“Love you back, Dogged Newshound.”
After thanking her friend again, Brooke ended the call. She watched Sam leave the convenience store. He paused to hold the door open for a woman entering. A breeze rustled through his dark hair.
She’d keep her promise. She wouldn’t even tell Aria what had really happened. She and Sam would go back to the way things had been for the last year.
Even if she couldn’t help wishing that he would go forward with her instead of back.
He reached into a bag as he approached her car. She rolled down the window.
“I’ll fill the tank, and we’ll get going.” He handed her a bottle of lemon-cayenne iced tea and a box of Barnum’s Animals crackers. “We should be back before dark.”
He strode toward his truck, the bag cradled loosely in the crook of his elbow.
Brooke set the tea and crackers in the console. After Sam had paid for the gas, he climbed into his truck. The entire drive back to Bliss Cove, whenever she glanced in the rearview mirror, he was there.
