“I know.” They were both tense and on edge but taking it out on each other wouldn’t get them anywhere. “It really wasn’t a big deal,” he added, arching a brow at Talon. “What does it have to do with Asher?”
Talon, who hadn’t said a word during Cameron’s retelling of the events, linked his fingers together and rested his hands over his stomach. “Probably nothing.” Heoffered a placid grin as he inclined his head. “The media is going to come at you from every angle, though, and that makes you fair game. They’re going to dig up everything they can on both of you and twist it into a story.”
Some part of Cameron had already known this, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. “It’s not just us, though, is it? They’re going to drag my friends and family into it.”
“I’m sorry,” Talon answered, and he sounded like he meant it. “You’ve spoken to them? They know not to say anything to reporters?”
“They won’t say anything.”
But there were plenty of other people in Mission Grove who wouldn’t hesitate to talk to reporters, if for no other reason than for the chance to gossip. Most of the residents had known him his entire life, and many of them had also met Asher during the Fall Festival. Cameron didn’t doubt that a few of them would show up in the gossip rags as “anonymous sources.”
“Neither will Luke,” Asher added.
“Lucas McKibbon.” Sitting up, Talon moved to the edge of his chair and reached for his notebook again. “He was there for the Faraday trial?” He said it as a question, but he didn’t wait for an answer. “I need to speak to him.”
Asher’s brow furrowed. “Now?”
“If he’s here.”
“He is.” His expression didn’t clear, but he did reach into his back pocket to retrieve his cell phone. It took him seconds to type out a message and send it. His phone chirped with a response almost immediately. “He’s on his way.”
A few minutes later, both of the library’s French doors swung open with a dramatic flourish, and Luke sashayed into the room wearing a smirk that tilted one side of his thin lips.
The black sweatpants he wore were at least a size too big, while the soft gray V-neck clung to his slender chest. His sandy brown hair had been artfully tousled, and he’d ditched his contact lenses in favor of a pair of glasses with thick, black, rectangular frames.
Padding barefooted into the library, he stopped beside Talon’s chair and stared down his slender nose at him. Unimpressed with what he saw, if the wrinkle of his nose was any indication, he turned his gaze on Asher and arched one perfect eyebrow.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Actually,Idid.” Rising from his seat, Talon extended his hand. “Thank you for coming.”
Luke stared at the proffered hand for several seconds before finally taking it. The contact was brief and awkward, but he didn’t step away when they disengaged. Instead, he tilted his head back, looking up at Talon with a seemingly polite smile that made Cameron nervous, nonetheless.
“What can I do for you?”
Cameron released the breath he’d been holding.
“That is,” Luke continued, “now that you’ve deigned to grace us with your presence.”
Dropping his head, Cameron groaned.
~
Asher knew his friendwasn’t entirely happy that Talon hadn’t dropped everything and rushed to their aid earlier in the week. He had even threatened to fly to Chicago and drag the PR rep back to Dallas. At the time, Asher hadn’t thought much of it. Hell, he’d even found it funny. Luke had always been a bit theatrical, and while he had many virtues, patience wasn’t one of them.
More than once, he had suggested hiring a different firm, or at the very least, a different representative. Asher had just assumed it was because he didn’t want to wait for Talon to get back into town. Watching the two men square off now, he had the sinking feeling there was a whole lot more to the story.
Luke’s smile never wavered, but palpable disdain saturated every syllable that left his mouth. His posture was casual and relaxed, but his eyes narrowed at the corners as he stared up at Talon. Every few seconds, his hand would twitch at his side, and twice, he swallowed hard enough to make his Adam’s apple bob.
“Uh,” Cameron interjected, “I’m just going to go make more coffee.”
Jumping up from the sofa, he grabbed the half-full carafe from the table, then froze, seeming at a loss for what to do next. His mouth opened and closed a few times as if he wanted to say something but then thought better of it. After a few moments of this, he finally gave a jerky nod and started for the doors.
Asher stood as well. Whatever was happening, he instinctively knew he wouldn’t want to be there when it finally came to a head.
“I’ll help you.”
As he passed, however, he slowed enough to catch Luke’s attention. He had the distinct impression that his friend didn’t want an audience, but if Luke looked even remotely uncomfortable, he’d stay.
