“You mean when you impulsively blurted it out in the most ‘Ryder’ way possible?” After I feigned offense, he added, “I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Shi balked at us as I lowered myself into the chair next to James. “Whoa, so I crashed your engagement night? Fuck, I’msosorry, I’ll just?—”
“Eat, Shiloh,” James urged. “Please.”
Something in his voice must have calmed them, because they reluctantly took a bite of the toast that James slid their way.
“Trust me,” I said, “there’s been no shortage of celebrating around here.” At that, color flooded their face, and the smattering of freckles across their cheeks disappeared. “You clearly needed someone last night, and we were happy to give that to you.”
Shi took another experimental bite of their toast, obviously deeming it too much for their undoubtedly sensitive stomach because they returned it to the plate and swapped it for a glass of water. “The last thing I remember is opening the bottle…”
“And your brother?” I pressed. “You don’t remember him showing up?”
Another shake of their head, and Shi pulled their phone from their pocket. “He’s called me a million times. He actually camehere? To Salem? To your house?”
“He did,” James said. “He was pretty concerned about you.”
“I should probably talk to him.” But they didn’t seem very interested in doing so.
Carlos chose that precise moment to scream at the back door, and to my surprise, James rose to his feet to let the creature out. Shi grimaced at the noise, rubbing their temples, and I left the table long enough to get the bottle of painkillers. When I sat back down, it occurred to me that James was still missing. A moment later, the reason dawned on me: Shiloh trusted me. Despite whatever strange feelings were happening between the three of us, Shi was still intimidated by James. Then again, I supposed most people found their bosses a bit frightening.
Once he was out of earshot—as far as Shi knew—I slid across to James’s seat, which was directly in front of where they fidgeted with their uneaten breakfast, staring into their plate. “What happened, Shi?” I asked softly.
For a moment, I thought they might actually tell me. Their leg bounced beneath the table, lip trapped between their teeth. They opened their mouth to speak… and then their phone chimed. Whatever was on the screen had them second-guessing it.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” they muttered, snatching the device from the table as if it had personally offended them. “I should g—fuck!”
James had re-entered the room, seeming to materialize out of thin air. “Is everything okay?”
Shi clasped their chest, gasping for breath. “Yeah, sure. Heart attacks are nothing to worry about.” When James quirked a bashful grin, one that gotmyheart racing, Shi continued. “Any chance you two need some extra hands tonight? I know I’m not scheduled, but I can come in.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve,” I scoffed. “I don’t think there are enough hands in the world.”
“But you should rest,” James added. “You’re not scheduled for another week. You should take that time.”
Shi’s attention flickered between the two of us. Emotion flashed over their pretty eyes, so brief that had I not been studying them so closely, I would have missed it. Their stoic front wavered, but only for a millisecond. “That’s very kind, but I’d rather have the distraction.” Another chime from their phone, and they rubbed their forehead again. “I should go. I need to handle this.”
Tension lingered, but before James or I could question them further, Shi stood up. “Thank you for everything.”
“I have to open the bar,” James blurted. “Can I drive you home?”
More hesitation, more unease—but then Shi’s shoulders slumped. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
That, at least, helped James relax. He enjoyed being helpful.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, accepting the chaste kiss he pressed to my lips. Then, because I knew it would help him feel better, and because I just couldn’t help myself, I added, “I love you.”
If the way he swayed on his feet was anything to go by, I’d hit the right nerve. “I love you too.”
Throughout the afternoon, the mark on my neck didn’t seem to get much better. The blue faded, but it still lingered. I was inspecting it in the bathroom when I heard the front door shut.Confused, I went to the living room in time to see James kicking off his shoes.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, unable to help the smile that curled my lips at his early return.
“I forgot my laptop.” His eyes sank to my neck. “Still don’t feel anything?”
Shaking my head, I scrubbed the mark. “How am I supposed to hide this?” I teased. “It might be your best work yet.”
“There’s no need to worry about that, love. It’ll appear as nothing more than a hickey to everyone else.”
