“Not in the least, sweetness.”
She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, Steel rejoined me. “They’re still talking. I thought I’d keep you company.”
“Appreciate that.”
“You wanna tell me what went down?”
“How long will she be?”
“Long enough for the short version.”
Steel was shaking his head when Rebel came back to the table.
“What did I miss?” she asked.
“Not a thing, dollface,” he answered. “We missed you, though.”
She rolled her eyes and punched his arm. “You were always such a flirt.”
As I watched and listened to them banter, I realized that the Rebel seated beside me tonight, was likely the woman she’d been when her mother was still alive. Before the overdose, before Possum, before vengeance poisoned her beautiful soul. She smiled easily and laughed with her whole body. I’d seen so little of her this way. She was right when she said I didn’t know her.
Rebel nudged me. “Why so glum?”
I shook my head. “Not glum at all. Just so bloody happy to see you smile.”
She leaned in closer to me so only I could hear her. “You really do care about me, don’t you, Edge?”
“More than you’ll ever know.”
“I hope that isn’t true.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to know that you care about me.”
“I do, sweetness.”
“I have something to tell you.”
I laughed. “You look like the cat who ate the canary.”
She leaned closer still and whispered, “The pastry chef wants me to come back for an interview. To be her apprentice.” Her face lit up like the thousands of Christmas lights we’d seen.
“That’s fantastic!”
“You think so? I mean, what about Tee-Tee?”
“Discuss it with her. You should have no doubt that she’ll be honest with you.”
Rebel laughed out loud. “You have her pegged.”
Thoughts raced through my mind. Would she have to move away from the ranch? Live in Austin full-time? And more worrisome, was there a connection between her former attorney and the threat the now-dead ranch hand had delivered?
“This is like a dream come true,” I heard her say under her breath after Ste
el left us alone. “And all because you brought me to Austin.”