The facts from their past were hard to ignore.
But here he was, ignoring like he’d never ignored before.
She caught his eye and wrinkled her forehead. “What’s wrong? Does your head still hurt?”
“It does, but it’s not as bad as it was.”
She twisted her lips. “It’s me, isn’t it?”
“No man in his right mind would ever say yes to that question.”
She didn’t smile at his lame joke. “What else did you find?”
He glanced at the others and shook his head.
She started to protest, but he raised his hand, and she paused on the inhale.
“Later.” He looked at his watch and then at the girls. “It won’t be long before they’re tucked in at Cal’s house with a movie.”
She huffed but didn’t argue. Another two minutes of silence went by before she scooted a fraction closer and leaned toward him. “If we aren’t going to talk about that, let’s talk about something else.”
He twisted until he faced her. “What did you have in mind?”
“We could discuss your weird coffee issues.”
That was not what he expected her to say.
“Or why a man who is practical about most things insists on driving a Jeep when it is not remotely practical or even comfortable to ride in.”
He gasped but didn’t try to hide his grin. Heavy conversations were coming, but she was clearly keeping it light. She wanted to play.
He could do that.
“Oh, I have another one. We could talk about how a manly man such as yourself has become, dare I say, addicted to that spa in Highlands?”
“Now you’re being ridiculous. I’m not addicted to it. And as a woman who had a massage yesterday, you’re in no position to throw stones.”
“Hot stones?” She arched an eyebrow and laughed at her own lame joke. But the humor vanished almost as quickly as it came. “You should get a massage soon. Your body has to be a mess.”
“It is, but I don’t want to freak out the therapist when I roll up in there with bullet holes.”
Bronwyn shuddered.
“Sorry.” He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Let’s move back to something light and fun. Let’s talk about why you need to change the coffee at The Haven to something more—”
“Not happening. We order our coffee from a small co-op in Guatemala. The proceeds go to a mission there. The people who pick the beans and roast them are all paid a livable wage. And it’s fresh and certified mold-free and all the other stuff coffee should be free of. We pay a fortune for it, and it’s worth every penny because it is delicious.” She pointed toward his home. “Unlike what I’ve heard about the stuff you keep over there.”
“So, since I know the CEO—”
“For today.”
“Fine, before you step down—”
“Or get fired.”
“Would you stop? Can you get me a bag?”
“Of coffee?”
