“What do you know about bonds?” she asked again.
He cleared his throat, forcing his eyes back up to meet hers. “I don’t know jack about bonds. But there was one construction project a while back—remember when they had to change the gas station site because of flood potential?—there was talk of watershed back then, too. ”
“You’ll look into it?”
“If I say I will, I will. ” Of course he’d look into it—he wanted to do the right thing. He hated being the bad guy in her eyes.
If he could ditch this whole damned job just to make her happy, he would, but it wasn’t just his business at stake—it was Jack’s, and he owed Jack everything.
He wanted to get the woman’s mind on other things. Like on himself, for example. She was single-minded, and he had to wonder what it’d be like to have that kind of intense focus aimed at him. Would she ever see him for who he really was?
“I might be a Neanderthal, but I’m an honorable one. Despite what you might think. ” He polished off the rest of his sandwich and, standing, put his hand out. “But first you need to do something for me. ”
She was instantly on her guard. “What?”
“C’mon, I won’t bite. Yet. ” He grinned, and her responding blush gave him the guts to lean down and simply snatch her hand. It was so small in his, he had to force himself not to look at it, to press it to his mouth and kiss it. When she didn’t pull away, he dared give it a little squeeze. “There’s something I need to show you. ”
“I just told you, you have to stop work. Until we investigate. ” She stood, looking like a wary animal.
“Fine. ”
“That’s it? Just…fine?”
“Yeah, I told you. ” He gave her a tug, and she fell into step with him. He dared to sweep his thumb in a quick stroke along the side of her hand—how was it possible to have skin so soft? “But first I’ve been wanting to show you something. ” He grimaced to himself, hearing how ragged his voice had sounded. She was like a skittish colt, and he was going to scare her off.
Sure enough, she stopped in her tracks, pulling her hand free. “Edwin Jessup, you better not be up to no good. ”
“I’m all about the good, darlin’. ” But then what she’d said registered, and it was his turn to stop short. “Hold on, how’d you know my name is Edwin?”
“You are called Eddie, right? Duh. ”
“Yeah, but most people think it’s Edward. ”
A wicked gleam lit her eyes. “Ed-win doesn’t like his na-ame…” She’d said it like it was a grade school taunt.
Suddenly he was ten again. He looked back toward the ranch house, as though he might find Jack watching. “Did my brothers—?”
Laura actually smiled at him. “You forget, dummy. ”
“Dummy?” He grinned back. “You mean I’ve been upgraded from Neanderthal?”
She gave his shoulder a nudge. “I’ve known you since kindergarten, so I think I know your name by now. Besides, Edward is the name of a vampire, and sorry, but you are so not vampiric. ”
“Hey, that’s my line. ” He nudged her back. Who knew letting Laura tease him would be the way to break through her shell? “All right, Laura Edith Bailey. ”
“Ugh. ” She rolled her eyes. “That makes me feel like my mom. ” But then she stopped short, the laugh frozen in her throat. Her hand seized into a death grip in his. “What’s that?” she asked, staring at some greenery along the trail.
He laughed. “That’s a fern. ”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. ” He pulled her closer, tucking her arm in his, and she actually allowed it. “How’d you ever survive?” As they’d grown up in a small mountain town, the need for a basic understanding of the outdoors was a given. From a young age, they’d been taught how to build a snow fort, what to do if lost in the woods, all that. “How did you grow up in Sierra Falls not knowing this stuff? I mean, that was you I knew as a kid, right?”
“Yes. ” She gave him a snide look. “But don’t forget, that was also me who, pretty much from fifth grade on, was counting down the days till I could flee for the city. ”
He spotted a cluster of mushrooms at the
foot of a particularly big pine. “Wait, see those? Don’t ever eat those. ” Suddenly everything seemed potentially perilous for the city girl.