A weary sigh escapes him.
“I was going to say that I don’t understand why you won’t stay at the cabin. You’re already there, and you can walk to work. A bonus is that it’s closer to my house when we want to see each other.”
I shake my head at him.
“I’ve told you I don’t want to appear as if I’m taking advantage of you. People will have things to say.”
“What people? And why do they matter? Our relationship is nobody’s business.”
“You know employees walk the paths that surround the property. Someone will see me coming out of the cabin, or my car parked there, and they’ll assume I’m getting special treatment.”
“You already know my theory about when people have shit to say about you or anyone I care about, remember?”
I roll my eyes at him because it’s not as easy as he makes it out to be.
“What’s your theory?” I’m surprised, but Lester’s joined in on the discussion. “I’ve got to hear this one.” A deep chuckle rumbles from him.
Lester pushes off the counter and stands upright, then folds his arms across his chest. He’s focused directly on Harrison.
Harrison shoots him a look that I think is an attempted evil eye, but there’s no weight behind it.
“Well, first, I don’t care what anyone says as you both may have figured out. But more importantly, if anyone has malicious things to say about Delaney, or anyone I lo?—”
Harrison’s eyes widen so much that it wouldn’t surprise me if his eyeballs flew across the room. I imagine I look the same way because I’m wondering what he was going to say. Lester, however, smirks.
Harrison clears his throat.
“Sorry, my mouth went dry for a second. What I was saying is that if someone says negative things about a person I care about, or another employee, then they have no place in our company. We don’t promote that type of culture.”
“Is that who you’re worried about?” Lester asks me.
“Well, yeah, sort of. I’m afraid people will think there’s favoritism because I’m an administrative assistant to the brothers. Or because,” I look over at Harrison and gesture to him with my head, “because I’m sort of seeing this one.”
“There’s nosort ofabout it. We’re together. You’re mine, and I’m yours.” Harrison’s words come out growly, and they should annoy me, but they don’t.
My cheeks heat, and I’m convinced they’re as red as the poppies growing wild in Lester’s yard.
“Okay, tone it down over there, buster,” I say.
I turn my back on both men and take another minute to peruse the place one last time. Then, I spin around to face them once more.
“Harrison, would you please step into the hall or outside while I talk to Lester?”
Harrison’s jaw drops, and he narrows his eyes. After a few seconds of gawking at me like that, he closes his mouth. “What? Why?”
“Because I want to talk rent with Lester, and that’s between him and me.” Harrison stands stock-still, a frown on his face. After about ten awkward seconds, Lester speaks.
“Come on, young man, go outside and give her some privacy.”
“Fine, but I don’t like it.”
“Noted,” I say with laughter in my voice. He walks over to the door and leaves the unit.
I turn to Lester. “He seems pretty comfortable with you.” It’s a statement and a question at the same time.
“Yeah, we hang out sometimes at my hardware store. He can be a stubborn ass, but he’s a good man. In fact, he’s one of the best men I’ve known in my lifetime, and I’ve been around a long time.”
“Wow, that’s quite a compliment.”
