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He stood still for a moment, appraising her in a way that made her feel like he was seeing deeper than her skin. The silence made her unbearably uncomfortable, and she was about to say something else, when he spoke. “Miss Sullivan?”
“Yes?”
“Did you think that I needed pointers on how to cut wood?”
“I thought you might like it to be easier.”
His mouth twisted upward into an approximation of a smile and he made a hard, grunting sound that may have been a laugh. “Ma’am, I prefer things to be harder. I like life to be a punishment, actually. So that I never slip into a false sense of security and believe it might treat me kindly. It hasn’t yet. I don’t like to be caught unaware.”
Quinn always knew what to say. Speaking was a natural gift. She opened her mouth, and words poured out. But she had no idea what to say to that. “I see.” She paused for a beat.
“I’m not sure you do.”
And that was it. No questions about her, no nothing. It was like trying to get blood out of a stone. But that was fine. Quinn knew how to fill a silence.
“I feel that we got off on the wrong foot.”
He simply stared at her.
“And I would like to see if we can find...a right foot.”
He looked down, then back up at her. “I have a right foot all on my own, but thank you.”
“That isn’t what I was talking about. I’m almost certain you know that.”
“Almost. Okay.”
She cleared her throat. “I came here to talk to you about a business proposition.”
He looked up and she felt compelled to follow his gaze. There was nothing there but the tops of the evergreens.
Finally he looked back at her. “A business proposition. How interesting.” He did not sound interested. In fact, all he did was set up another piece of wood, raise that blasted axe of his and bring it down hard onto the log, splitting it as effortlessly as he had done the first two.
She pressed on.
“The permits got denied.”
“I’m shocked to hear that.”
He was obviously, patently, not.
“You aren’t. You told me they would be.”
“Ah, so you were shocked to hear that. Even though you did hear it from me.”
Irritation crept up her spine. “Yes. That is true.”
“So what exactly do you mean by coming here and telling me you have a business proposition?”
“You’re our last hope, Levi.”
“You’d have been better off if Obi-Wan Kenobi were your only hope, Quinn. Sorry to tell you.” He turned away, like he was dismissing her.
“Levi,” she said. “Please hear me out.”
He turned back toward her. The way that he moved, the way he paced himself. His words, everything else... It threw her off. The other night, he’d been angry. This morning was even worse.
He was dismissive.
