“Do you need me to go over any of it with you now?” she asks David.
“No, I’ll look it over and call you if I need anything else.” David smiles. “Oh! I almost forgot. Can you bring something back to Sherman for me?”
“Of course,” she smiles.
“I’ve got it on my desk,” David says, turning to walk into the office.
Carli trails behind him, head held high, in full inspector mode.
I pull out my phone and pivot away from the other guys on my crew.
Cody: You look amazing. And very professional. Impressive.
A few moments later, Carli and David walk out of the office, back into the bay. She holds her phone up and looks at me discreetly.
I smile at her from across the bay, and text her again.
Cody: I’ll be outside at the back of the building. There’s some trash that needs to go out right away.
She glances down at her phone, smiles softly and gives a barely-there nod in my direction.
Greyson’s already settled back into his recliner in the kitchen-dining area. Dustin’s playing a game on his phone. Patrick’s talking with Captain in the bay. Carli’s standing with them, but her eyes meet mine when I step out of the kitchen carrying a tied-off, half-full trash bag.
“Good to see you, Carli,” I say.
“You too, Cody,” she says, glancing at me briefly.
I hold the trash bag up in the air a little. “Just taking the trash around back.”
She smiles. I don’t hear what she says to Captain and Patrick, but I toss the trash bag into the dumpster, then I walk a little distance away from it and wait. My nerves buzz like a kid skipping class. Every sound and shadow is amplified. Footsteps approach, and I brace myself. Then Carli rounds the corner.
“Hey,” she whispers, a careful smile on her face.
“Did anyone see you?” I ask, my voice low and quiet.
“I don’t think so.”
She steps into my arms and I tug her close. She doesn’t have to go up as high on her tiptoes because of those heels she’s wearing. She wraps her arms around my neck and I lean in to kiss her. She presses into me, running her hand through my hair and holding on to my neck. Our kiss deepens. I can’t get enough of her and I don’t even know when I’ll see her again for more than a stolen moment. Our day together yesterday didn’t ease the ache for her. If anything, spending more time together only intensified my longing.
Carli pulls away quickly. She steps back just a half step and smooths her hand down her blouse. Her eyes search my face, and she reaches over and wipes my mouth with her fingertip.
“You’ve got my lipstick …” she whispers.
I wipe at my mouth with the back of my hand. “We’re ridiculous,” I say.
“We are,” she says through a smile. She reaches up and pushes a lock of my hair off my forehead. “I miss you.”
“Yeah. Me too. What has it been? Fourteen hours?”
She giggles and shakes her head. “Something like that.”
“When will I see you again—actually?” I ask her, not caring if I sound as desperate as I feel.
“I’m not sure,” she says. “Text me. Okay?”
“I will.” I look around, and I’m about to kiss her one more time when the siren sounds—loud and piercing.
Carli’s hand drops from my shoulder and I step back, running inside with only one quick glance back over my shoulder. She waves and I dart through the door into the bay to put on my turnout.
