Cole’s mouth goes tight. “He’s an idiot.”
The words are matter of fact, but they land somewhere tender. I shrug. “He wasn’t wrong. I was convenient. Useful. Not…” I shake my head. “That’s too much information.”
“It’s not.”
“It’s definitely TMI for someone I just met.”
“You asked me about the Army. Fair’s fair.”
I huff a laugh. “I guess.”
“For the record, convenient isn’t the same as forgettable. Anyone who treated you like a placeholder is the problem, not you.”
My throat tightens.
“Thank you.” The words come out quieter than I mean them to. I blink fast and focus on my coffee, letting the warmth seep into my palms.
He stands. “Boots. You need better ones if you’re staying in Lush Hollow.”
“What’s wrong with mine?”
“Laces are frayed. Soles are worn. You’ll slip.”
“I slipped on the ice.”
“Because your boots are garbage.”
I laugh despite myself. “Tell me how you really feel.”
“I just did.” He grabs a pair from the closet. Heavy, insulated, barely worn. “Try these.”
“Cole, I can’t…”
“You can. Emma left them here.”
Emma. The sister. Past tense.
I take the boots like they’re fragile. “Are you sure?”
“She’d want them used.”
I slip them on. They’re a little big, but with his thick socks, they fit well enough.
“Good?” he asks.
“Yeah. Thank you.”
He kneels in front of me.
Heat crawls up my neck.
“Laces.” His fingers work the laces, pulling them snug. His knuckles brush the inside of my ankle, and the air between us shifts.
My breath catches.
He stills. Just for a second. His grip tightens on the laces.
I try not to move. Try not to breathe too loudly. But my heart hammers against my ribs, and he can hear it.
