She's not completely insufferable, he admitted to himself.In small doses.
The coffee maker gurgled its completion, and Alex poured two cups before he could talk himself out of it. He added extra sugar to one—she liked it sweet, he'd noticed—and carried both toward the couch.
"Hey." He nudged her shoulder with the back of his hand. "Wake up."
Lily's eyes fluttered open, unfocused and confused. "Wha—is the cabin on fire?"
"No."
"Is the island sinking?"
"Islands don't sink."
"Then why are you waking me at—" she squinted at the window "—oh God, is that the sunrise? Alex, the sun isn't even fully up yet. This is inhumane."
"I made coffee." He held out the mug like a peace offering.
She stared at it, then at him, suspicion creeping into her sleep-soft features. "You made me coffee? Voluntarily? Without me begging?"
"Don't make a federalcase out of it."
“You’re a freaking ray of sunshine." But she sat up, accepting the mug and wrapping both hands around it like a lifeline. After a long sip, some of the suspicion faded. "Okay. You have my attention. What's happening?"
Alex hesitated. This was the moment to backtrack, to tell her he was heading out alone and she should entertain herself for the day. The words were right there, sensible and safe.
Instead, he heard himself say: "There's a sea turtle nesting site on the other side of the island. I need to check on it. The eggs might be close to hatching."
Lily's eyebrows rose. "And you're telling me this because...?"
"Because I thought you might want to come."
The words hung in the air between them, more significant than they should have been. This wasn't like dragging her along for fruit gathering out of necessity. This was an invitation. A choice.
Her face transformed, surprise melting into something that looked dangerously like delight. "Dr. Carmichael, are you asking me on a field trip?"
"I'm offering you an educational opportunity," he corrected stiffly. "Don't read into it."
"I'm absolutely reading into it." She was grinning now, that megawatt smile that did unfortunate things to his pulse. "Give me ten minutes to get ready."
"Five."
"Seven."
"Fine. And wear actual shoes this time."
She snapped a salute, already scrambling off the couch. "Sir, yes sir."
Alex retreated to the porch, coffee in hand, wondering when exactly he'd lost control of his own life.
It's just practical, he told himself.An extra set of eyes for the nest check. Nothing more.
Even he didn't believe it.
True to her word, Lily emerged in six and a half minutes, wearing shorts, a loose tank top, and—miracle of miracles—she was wearing the hiking boots he’d offered previously. They'd been left behind by some previous researcher, probably years ago based on the state of them, and Lily had initially rejected them as "war relics" and "crime scene evidence." Apparently desperation—or curiosity about sea turtles—had won out over fashion.
"Don't say anything," she warned, catching his glance at her feet.
"I wasn't going to."
