Nora joined me after she left the register and nudged her shoulder with mine. “You look very serious. A serious lumberjack, even with the beard and plaid.”
“I’m thinking.” I frowned, scrubbing a hand over my face, and when I gazed directly into her eyes, I forgot what I was going to say. Every single thought just evaporated out of my mind when her expression was curious and kind. Her full lips were so inviting I just wanted tokissher, to thank her for inspiring me. For lighting that flame that had been extinguished a year ago.
“You’re giving yourself worry lines. Not that it matters to you, but I try not to frown that much so my forehead doesn’t wrinkle.” She reached over and smoothed my forehead down. “Why are you stressed out? Could the Carters give you time off?”
I tensed. She still didn’t have any idea who I really was, and the momentary gratitude I had disappeared. She didn’t know the real me because of the marriage deal, and suddenly I was irritated. Privileged Nora didn’t worry about her future. She didn’t have to.
“How are you so damn sure what you want to do? How is that even fair that you have no real experience yet know exactly what you want out of life?” I fired at her, my envy turning to jealousy.
“Because it’s where I’m happiest.” She sucked one side of her cheek into her mouth, and a dark cloud crossed her features. I’d put that cloud there. I regretted snapping at her. These were my own issues, not hers. I relaxed my face and gently squeezed her forearm.
She stared at where my fingers touched her skin and spoke without looking at me. “When you go through what I did…finding comfort and feeling safe to be yourself is everything.”
“Wait, what did you go through?” I racked my brain trying to recall a conversation with my parents about Leanora Atwood, an accident or something horrible. Nothing. Her words felt like a punch to the gut. She sounded…sad. Upset. Hurt.
I didn’t like it.
“Let’s not cloud this wonderful morning. Another time.” She smiled again, this one a little forced, and she patted her front pocket. “I have five dollars to spend, and I’m going to use every penny. Just think of all the souvenirs!”
She walked off again, leaving all my questions unanswered.
I grinned, for real. The heiress was excited about five dollars. Who would’ve thought we’d get to this point?
Chapter Ten
Gilly:I ran into David at the wine store and he’s PERFECT for Nora
Fritz: you think?
Gilly: YES! Set them up! Do it! Do it!
Gilly: I’m coming over tonight, by the way.
Fritz: Sure, invite yourself. It’s your world, I’m just living in it. Not like I have plans.
Gilly: You don’t. I checked your calendar.
Fritz: Boundaries, Gil. Jesus.
She replied with a cringe emoji, and I laughed. My sister was a lot, but also my favorite person on the earth. It had been three days since the farmer’s market, and if Gil came over, it wouldn’t be a horrible idea to chat through this insane idea with her.
Putting people in contact with the right people. It’d use my privilege for good. Green start-ups that gave back to the community. It’d be risky, from all the research I did all damn day. But I found a place and reached out to them, setting the scene for them to talk to Carla. It wasn’t a no, and if I could somehow help them, God, it’d feel good. It sent an explosion of excitement through me to the point my heart raced thinking about the potential.
I paced my living room, making sure not to disrupt the plants that now seemed to fit in there, and let my mind wonder with the possibilities.
My blood hummed with the fantasy, and I was about to get out my computer to do more research when someone knocked on my door. Nora. It had to be. No one else got into the building without being let in, and my sister would’ve let herself in. I already changed into sport shorts and a T-shirt, thankfully. I opened it, and Nora stood there in a plain black dress and sensible black shoes.
I did a double take and not in theis that blouse see-through?kind of way. “Why are you wearing that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is there a funeral?”
“I look professional,” she fired back, her brows drawn together with worry. “I wanted to impress people at the foundation today and wore a power dress.”
“Nora, you look like a storm cloud.” I shook my head and hated to admit I missed the bright colors already. “You aren’t someone who’s meant to fall into the background or shadows. You have plenty of outfits that would’ve worked and fit you.”
She opened her mouth a few times, but said nothing. Her cheeks got rosy for a second before she exhaled and ran a hand through her short hair. “You, the scruffy chauffeur lumberjack, are giving me fashion advice?”
