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“Let me handle it? Please?” His gaze met mine, an unspoken plea that I couldn’t deny, even if my pride would rather keep protesting. I nodded, and Keely smiled, relief clear in her hazel eyes.
“There will be a lull this afternoon while we get set, so perhaps Avery can even catch a nap.”
“Doubt I’ll need one, but I’ll keep that in mind.” Avery sounded as dismissive about the nap idea as I would be.
“Knowing you, you’ll probably use the downtime to hang out in wardrobe.” Giggling, Keely patted Avery’s left shoulder.
“What do you mean?” He went from Mr. Helpful to sullen in a single question. And his attitude was reason nine hundred why our talk about returning to LA could wait.
“Nothing bad.” Keely held up both hands. “Liam says you have a real gift for dressing extras and an eye for detail.”
“Funny, every teacher I ever had prior to the navy said I lacked focus and attention to detail.” Avery continued to bristle at any hint of a suggestion that he wasn’t a poster child for manly aspirations.
“Well, maybe they were wrong.” Keely stretched like Avery’s resistance was boring. “Or maybe you’ve found your true calling?”
“In fashion? Nah.” But a flush spread up his neck, heading to his cheekbones which stood out starkly on his pale face. Oh, Avery. Who would he be if he ever fully got out of his way?
“What do you need me for today?” I asked Keely, both to avoid thinking about how Avery made my heart hurt and to appear helpful. “Anything I can do to lessen Avery’s load tonight?”
“Don’t worry. I don’t have horse duty for you.” She laughed lightly before pulling a sheet off her clipboard. “And actually, that’s the second favor I need. We’ve got a very expensive shipment of flowers to pick up in downtown Denver. They were supposed to be delivered, but there’s been a mix-up, and we need them for the scenes tonight. Most of us ended up with teeny rentals, but you guys got the SUV.”
“I’m on it. I’ll get your flowers for you. And I’ll be available if you do need extra help tonight.”
“Thanks.” Already distracted, Keely was onto the next item on her agenda quickly, leaving Avery and me to finish our food.
Avery scowled at me. “You will not.”
“Will not, what?” I played dumb, which I knew full well wasn’t going to work.
“You won’t help tonight.” He lowered his voice, but the look he gave me was plenty loud. “You need to take your meds on time and get your regular number of hours of sleep.”
He wasn’t wrong, but I still groaned. “It’s bad enough Duncan wrote that into the contract, but do you have to baby me too?”
Avery recoiled in his seat like I’d taken a swing at him. “Not trying to. And for all you know, that’s standard language in the security contracts. Protect all of the workers, not just you. That’s the sort of clause Harley would demand, and you know it, or you would if you stopped being stubborn and thinking you have to do everything yourself.”
“I don’t…” I trailed off because he was one hundred percent right. If clients thought they could work people long hours regularly, they would take advantage. And hadn’t I learned enough while caring for the horses with Cole? It wasn’t a personal failing to need what I needed, even if it felt like that sometimes. Avery wasn’t out of line here. “You’re right. I’m being an ass. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Avery sighed like this was an ancient argument, and maybe it was. “Just let me do this for you? Please?”
“Because you need to be the nice one?” I tried to make myself smile, but I wasn’t sure I succeeded.
“Because I care about you.” Looking down, he toyed with a sugar packet.
“Oh.” My heart threatened to pound its way out of my chest. I hadn’t known how much I’d wanted him to say something like that until he did, and now I couldn’t muster a decent response before Keely was back standing in front of our table.
“I’ve got the address to the flower place for you to put in your GPS.” She grinned because, of course, she had no clue she’d interrupted one of the most important declarations of my life. Avery was now hurriedly gathering our plates and trash, and I had no choice but to let him go.
I spent the whole drive to Denver trying to decide how to apologize to Avery for being resistant to his help and how to best tell him I cared too. Because I did. So much. And luckily, I made decent time on the drive and arrived before the flowers were ready, so I took a little detour downtown to Delectable. After all, I owed Avery a pair of panties.
