“Everyone has a joke inside them,” he insisted. “You just have to find it. Come on, I shared some of my best material with you.”
“Oh, wow,” I retorted, but my smile grew. “All right, all right. I’ll try. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I took a deep breath as I remembered something my daddy used to tell his buddies. “Why did the scarecrow get an award?” I asked.
Gunnar raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “I don’t know, why?”
“Because he was outstanding in his field!” I said even as I cringed.
Gunnar stared at me for a moment, and that grin—that gorgeous, carefree smile—broke out across his face once more. I caught my breath, shocked by how beautiful he looked in this moment. I’d never tire of seeing him like this. Never.
“That’s surprisingly good,” he said. “I’m impressed.”
While the storm continued to rage outside, we became two people sharing a moment of unexpected connection, bonded by the unending number of dad jokes in Gunnar’s arsenal. Somewhere in there I realized that when this retreat ended, I would miss this version of the Wildcatters owner, the unguarded, real Gunnar Evaldson, the most.
Chapter 13
Gunnar
The storm broke in about a half hour, and I regretted it hadn’t had the staying power of some tempests that hit the state. This afternoon spent with Zaila had been the most carefree I’d had in years, definitely since losing Karl.
“Thanks for the fun,” I said.
“This was fun. And you’re welcome,” Zaila replied with a pep in her step that faded as we walked out onto the steaming grounds and found many Wildcatters staff looking our way, eyes heavy with disapproval. Even worse, some seemed downright hostile.
“Ahhhh…” Zaila said, reaching up to smooth her hair, which likely made the whole situation seem more sordid.
“Janice and Laurie were sure they’d seen you two flee into the shed. Were they right?” Jay asked her.
“What are you implying?” I asked, my tone so cold, I gave myself goose bumps.
Jay took a step back, as if he’d felt the danger wafting from me. While I aimed for a contented workforce, I wasn’t one to suffer fools—or people who got in my way.
Most people understood not to push me, and based on Jay’s bobbing Adam’s apple, he’d figured that out as well.
Zaila stepped away, likely wanting no part of this confrontation.
Jay shrugged, shoved his hands into the pockets of his wet chinos, and whistled as he walked away. He seemed to feel he didn’t have to say anything further; his point had been proven just by me being here, next to Zaila.
Dammit. My fury rose, sizzling through the good mood that had been so fleeting. I met the eyes of those still lingering close, letting them feel the weight of my displeasure. We all headed back toward the main building, and when we entered, I kept to the back of the room, as far from Zaila as possible. I wouldn’t create more drama. Instead, I watched, impassive, even as my mind whirred.
I had to admit something I would have preferred to deny: each time I interacted with Zaila was better than the last. She relaxed the hard shell I’d coiled around myself and left me wanting to go loose. The feeling was freeing, like coming home. More and more, I’d come to miss the kid I’d been when Karl was alive. That Gunnar was affectionate and playful. Zaila brought those memories out of me, made those qualities seem possible again, and I could love her for it.
No, no, that was a big step too far. I appreciated her for bringing joy back into my life, just as I found her fascinating. If only I weren’t so much older than she was. Being that wealthy man who dated women too young for him gave me a severe case of ick. I hated that cliché.
As people milled around, laughing as they dried off with towels provided by the staff, I made a point of going over to Jay. “If you’re willing to use rumor and innuendo to destroy another person’s promising career, I don’t want you on my team.”
He held up his hands, palms out, but his mouth stretched into a grin that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “I didn’t do anything. Nor do I intend to.”
Brenda clapped her hands, trying to get people’s attention.
“I won’t have to,” he muttered.
“What was that?” I asked.
Jay blinked up at me, all innocence. I didn’t trust him, and I fought the urge to fist his shirt and threaten him. Instead, I inhaled slowly and exhaled even more slowly, a trick Karl had taught me that allowed me to stay calm even in dreadful moments like this one.
Brenda’s chipper voice came through her microphone as she called for attention, but I’d had enough. I spun on my heel and walked out of the building, out into the dusk, and away from Zaila Monroe.
