Joss is thumbing at his phone screen, a deep and unnatural frown marring his face.
I want to nudge him.Use your damn words.“Are you really googling haddock?”
“Hmm?” Joss shifts his gaze to me, and the intense concentration softens.
Did he forget I was here?“What are you doing?”
He holds up his phone. “Tanner’s boss emailed me a brief about the kind of menu he wants. Told me to be as Vermont about it as I can, but still have it reflect who I am. What the fuck does that mean?”
At that, I smile, and it feels strange on my face when my insides are so churned up. “Harrison’s cryptic sometimes, but he means the best. It’s just his way of telling you to enjoy it and not worry too much about the details. Tanner will let you know if it’s not working out.”
“Are you related?”
“To who?”
“Harrison. You’re both Fletchers, right?”
“We are, but we’re not related, he...”
I trail off as I realize Joss isn’t listening.
He’s eyeing me, his crystal gaze flicking between me and the half-eaten sandwich on my plate. “You like Branston pickle.”
“How can you tell?”
“You’re not screaming.”
He’s kidding, but I wonder if he knows that I was before he walked up on me in the kitchen. “It’s okay.”
“Uh-huh.” Joss goes back to his cracked phone, glowering at it.
Something drives me to my feet and back to my bedroom. I dig around under my bed until I find the bag I shoved beneath it months ago and haven’t thought about since. Boots, maps, bad-weather gear. I push it all aside and reach for the iPad I rarely had cause to use.
I take it back to the living room and hold it out. “Save your eyes.”
Joss snorts. “Trust me, you don’t want my bad habits in your search history.”
“Freaky porn?”
“No, more like it’s just too fucking bizarre to explain to anyone. You know how many attempts it’s taken me to type what I actually need into the search bar?”
“Um…no?”
“Read it and weep.”
Joss swaps the iPad in my outstretched hand for his phone.
Curious, I tap into his search history and my eyes bug out. Yeah, okay. This is a trip into the weird and wonderful and none of it is about haddock. “Whatisthe difference between alpacas and llamas?”
“I don’t know. I forgot to look. I have a brain like Jarlsberg.”
“Swiss cheese?”
Joss swivels to face me entirely. He has long legs encased in sweats so weathered they’re a work of art. “What did Jax tell you about me?”
I finish my water and reach for the rest of my sandwich. Still not hungry, but eating it is as compelling as he seems to be. “Nothing until yesterday. What did he tell you aboutme?”
“I haven’t seen Jax yet. But Tanner said you were nice. And that it’d be you keeping me up at night, not the other way around.”
