“His ex, didn’t he tell you?”
“I don’t know why he’d tell me about his dating life. We’re working on ad campaigns.”
He ignored her attempt to deny an attraction that was evident in less time than it took for a NASCAR pit crew to change a tire.
“He was with Tish forever, and then… he lost interest. He dumped her. She said it was like she suddenly didn’t exist. And here I thought they’d get married. My brother can be a bit mercurial.”
Caleb was warning her.Mercurial. She felt a pang, having no right, yet imagining Phoenix’s attention shining on her, and then withdrawing. “I’m just lucky to get this assignment. Hopefully, it’s my ticket to China.”
“China. Why would you want to go there?”
“I’ve never been. If my mom were around, I think she would’ve wanted me to see her home country.” Her voice caught over a memory of her mom teaching her to count in Mandarin. She breathed deep and ticked off four beats silently in Chinese.Yi, er, san, si.
A little of Caleb’s hard edge softened. The coiled hold of his muscles practically melted to human levels. “Sounds like it’s my turn to be sorry.”
She waved off the pity she usually detested. “Just so you know, I’m not taking advantage of your brother. I want to do good work for him. And hopefully learn from him too.”
Caleb watched the racers with hands on his hips. “Learn from him. It’s what everyone always wanted from him. In school, I could tell which kids were really his friends and which just wanted to cheat off him.”
Orchid felt her nose wrinkle. “That must have sucked. Like I said, I don’t want anything from him.”
“Just more time. To learn.”
“And go to China,” she said, hoping that the consistency of her story could convince herself as well as his brother, who was reading her too easily.
“Well then, you should come to our family thing over Fourth of July.”
“I told you, this is just a work thing…” Her voice trailed off as she perceived him sweeping a gaze over her outfit, reminding her they were at a competition. On a Saturday.
“Exactly. There’s a parade with military personnel. Dad used to take us kids. It’s probably where my bro first started caring about veterans. Perfect place to research your ads.”
“I guess if he asks. And he’s not going to. It almost killed him to bring me today.”
“Why’s that?”
“His business partner made him.”
Caleb snorted.
“What about you?” she asked, eager to change the subject. “Are you married?”
Caleb ejected air, full of disdain. “Marriage isn’t for me.”
“No?”
“Girls seem to think it leads to kids.”
“And?”
“And there aren’t any ankle-biters in my future.”
Caleb ambled towards a pylon with a digital clock that timed the racers.
Orchid followed, stopping with him in the shade of a grove of trees where the finish line was visible.
“How about you?” he asked. “You want kids?”
“I don’t know,” she said softly, thinking how she’d been the curse that had snuffed her parents’ lives. She turned the focus back to him. “Why don’t you?”
