‘Anyway, here I am spilling my deeply personal secrets with you and you’re giving me nothing in return.’
‘I’m not trying to be secretive, I just don’t like rehashing the past. I find it counterproductive.’
‘So you’re just going to stick with the whole mysterious vibe thing you’ve got going on. Gotcha.’
‘I have a mysterious vibe?’
‘Don’t act like you don’t know it.’
‘I didn’t, until you pointed it out.’
‘Yeah right. It’s like the plot of a romance book. Hot, broody, single guy moves from the city to a small town to help out an old “friend”.’
‘Why did you say “friend” like that?’
‘Like what?’
‘You know what.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘You had a tone.’
‘No, I didn’t. What’s your problem?’
He sighed. ‘It’s just… people like to gossip. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about Hannah and I.’
‘Number one, I’m not a gossip. And number two, whatisthe deal with you guys?’
‘There’s no deal. It’s like I told you, she was married to my best friend. He died. Now I’m helping her out with her business. That’s it.’
‘That’s it?’
‘That’s it.’
‘OK. I believe you.’
There was a brief silence and then he swore. ‘OK fine, that’s notallof it.’
‘I knew it.’
‘About eight months ago, when I first came out here to help her out, she had a bit too much to drink and she kissed me.’
‘Ah,’ I said. The proprietary looks Hannah had given me at the restaurant suddenly made sense.
‘That’s it? I open up to you like you wanted and that’s all you have to say? Ah?’
‘What did you expect me to say?’
‘I don’t know. Something other than, ah, I guess.’
‘It’s none of my business what you two get up to.’
‘That’s the point. There is no “us two”.’
‘And are you suresheknows that?’
‘Of course. That’s why I moved out here to the cabin. To put a bit of space between us.’
