I shake my head. “You two are hopeless.”
Paige fans herself dramatically. “Hopeless and observant.”
“It’s funny just a few seconds ago you two were so tired you were just about sleep in your chairs and now you got nothing but energy.” I tell them.
“A fine man will do that to you. Hell your mama came out of retirement to cook full breakfasts for that man. Even she isn’t immune.” Paige tells me.
Lena whistles. “Miss Evie hasn’t voluntarily touched a skillet in months, and now she’s running a whole bed-and-breakfast for Mr. Levi’s and Honey Eyes.”
I keep my expression neutral, but they smell blood.
Paige grins. “So… what time are you ‘accidentally’ showing up at your mama’s house tomorrow?”
I don’t look up. “I always go check on her.”
“Mmhmm,” Lena says. “But normally around ten. I’m guessing you’ll roll up at, what…7:45? Maybe 8:02 if you want to look casual?”
“I am not timing my visit around a man,” I say, absolutely lying through my teeth.
Paige gasps dramatically. “Oh, she’s lying and she knows she’s lying.”
Lena taps the desk. “I put five dollars on Delta magically appearing on Miss Evie’s porch before the coffee even finishes brewing.”
Paige raises her hand. “I’ll match that bet.”
I start gathering my stuff to get the hell out of there. “You two are a hot mess.”
Paige smiles wide. “Maybe. But you’ll still be there bright and early.”
Lena winks. “And we want the full report.”
I stand up to leave before they can say anything else, but the grin I’m fighting gives me away. “Before I get out of here, is there anything else we need to talk about?”
Paige straightens a little. “Yes. We are officially starting Trace in equine therapy this week. We wanted to give him time to settle in, but he is good with the horses, and he actually seems to enjoy the work. Since we finally have an opening in the program, Cash and I agreed it is time.”
I nod once, absorbing that.
“And,” Lena adds, flipping through her notebook, “there will be an extra expense this month because we have to dig a pond for those damn baby ducks.”
I close my eyes for one long, steady breath that probably says everything without me saying a word.
“Great, well I am still tired, I am heading home so I can eat, shower, and go to bed. Good night ladies,”
Paige and Lena calling after me with a shouted, ‘Coward’ and laughter. I smile ’cause I love them and because they are right. I might just be a coward because, God help me I agreed with everything they said but they couldn’t have waterboarded that out of me.
CHAPTER FOUR
Trace
Miss Evie makesbreakfast like she’s feeding a small army, eggs, biscuits, bacon, gravy, the whole spread, she fusses over me the entire time even though I try to help. When we’re done eating, she points at a picture frame like it’s an assignment.
“Since you’re tall and useful, go on and hang that for me.”
I don’t argue, truth is, I like helping her. Miss Evie talks to me like I never broke, like the man I used to be never got lost overseas. Around her, I feel like the old version of myself for a little while, and I didn’t realize how much I missed feeling like that until she gave it back without even trying.
I’m tightening the last screw when the front door opens behind me and I hear footsteps and then her voice.
“Morning.”
