He turned his head to look at her again. His eyes traveling the length of her.
He didn’t have to speak the words—his glance spoke volumes. Good enough for her.
Which was pathetic, but she’d take anything she could get.
“Do you need that?”
“What? Compliments? Don’t we all? I try to teach my students that they should always say something nice to people. The reward is worth it when they least expect it.”
“If you say so.”
Out of the water his line came again, then he tossed it back.
“Wow, I hadn’t realized that fishing was just a repetitive action with little reward.”
“Maybe you could compliment them for their avoidance tactics.”
Meredith burst out laughing. “Oh my God. Did you just crack a joke, Clay?”
She was moving her head side to side and watching his profile for any reaction.
He finally turned his head, a tiny lift of his lips happened.
“I’ve been known to from time to time,” he said.
She took the last bite of the apple, then looked around. “Can I toss it for the deer like we used to do as kids?”
“Yep,” he said. “Give it a big heave away from me.”
She arched her arm back, then followed through with all her might, hoping to impress him. It hit a tree and ricocheted back at his head and had him ducking.
“I’m sorry,” she said, wincing.
He put the fishing pole in her hand, then walked back to get the apple core, picked it up and underhand threw it to the right.
She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of that.
Because she wanted to prove she wasn’t a complete klutz. The first words out of his mouth were to ask how many times she tripped.
She was too embarrassed to tell him she lost count.
“I expect no differently from you,” he said.
“I came to get my clothes. I was rushing yesterday and forgot the bag on the bathroom floor.”
“I saw it there last night. It’s on my dining room table.”
“Oh, I could have gotten it. You know, if you’d just replied to me.”
“The doors are locked.”
“You unlocked them from your phone yesterday. Or did you want to see me again?”
They stood there in silence for ten seconds. As if he wasn’t sure what he should say.
“What do you want from me?” he asked.
Not what she’d thought would come out of his mouth.
