“Landon?Landon inventedthat?”
Parker laughs, apparently finding my incredulity amusing. “Yeah. That’s what his company does.”
The light turns green, and we start moving again. “I thought his company was all for show. Like some sort of tax write-off or something.”
“No. Prolimbinary makes prosthetics for kids. They’re cheaper than normal ones because of the way they build them, which is great because you constantly grow out of them. I was kind of like his…test subject.”
“And Landon invented the technology? Or he was, like, the money guy?”
“I feel like he would be offended if he heard you asking these questions,” Parker says with another snicker.
“When is he ever not offended, though?”
Parker snorts. “True. No, but he really did invent it. I was there when he was working on the prototype.”
I shake my head in disbelief as some of the pieces start fitting together. Landon’s dedication to his company, his protectiveness over Parker, Parker’s assurance that Landon’s a decent guy, their strange relationship.
“I’m just…wow. I had no idea,” I say, almost to myself. “Not a clue. Is it comfortable?”
“Most of the time. The hardest part was getting used to the light weight when I was skateboarding. Finding balance. The prosthetic I had before Landon’s felt like I had a block of cement strapped to my arm.”
“How does it work?”
“It reads the muscle data through sensors. Like if I clench my muscle like I’m gripping something, the prosthetic knows what I’m trying to do.” I glance over as he filters between a bunch of different grips and movements, then shifts in his chair, wincing as he moves his ankle.
I frown, looking back at the road. “We need to put some ice on that pronto.”
My mind turns in circles on the rest of the ride home, trying to process everything Parker told me, and by the time we’re pulling into the driveway, I’ve managed (just barely) to wrap my head around it.
“I’ll run in and grab your check.” I glance at his ankle. “And an icepack. Oh, and I baked a new batch of cookies I want you to try. Be right back.”
I dash inside, fill a plastic bag with ice, and wrap it in a paper towel. Then I fill a separate baggy with some more of the cookies I brought to the beach. I’m turning to grab the check off the counter when I run straight into a wall of hard-muscled male. I freeze, clapping my hand to my heart in surprise, and let out a slow breath. “Holy shit. You scared me. Again! I was spot-on about the whole secret agent thing.”
“Why the hell is Parker sitting in your car?” Landon demands. “Did we not just have this conversation?”
Any desire I had to learn more about Landon’s company vanishes.
I hold up my hand. “I know. I know. But he twisted his ankle at the skate park,” I say and shake the baggy of ice. “I’m giving him a ride home, but figured we’d stop to grab his check. I saw it on the counter this morning.” Landon opens his mouth, probably to yell at me some more, but I beat him to it. “Would you rather I left him there with a sprained ankle, lying on the ground, crying and writhing in pain?”
Landon frowns at me. “His ankle’s that bad?”
“No. Well, okay. That was a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point. I couldn’t just leave him there.”
His eyes narrow, that good-looking face glaring at me. Unable to help myself, my gaze roams over his perfect male features. God, it really is unfair. “What were you doing at the skate park, anyway?” he asks suspiciously.
I blow out a long sigh, totally over this interrogation. “I was on my way home, saw him, and stopped to watch. Have you seen him? He’s incredible. He was doing all these crazy flips, and that halfpipe must have been fifteen feet tall. It was super impressive. Well, until he wiped out.”
I don’t mention how his wipe-out was probably my bad for distracting him.
“Yes. I’ve seen him. He’s a talent,” he says a little haughtily.
My brows shoot up. Never in a million years would I anticipate Landon Blair givinganyonea compliment, and yet here we are. The sky didn’t fall and the earth’s still spinning.
“Yeah.” I nod. “He is.”
Our eyes narrow at each other.
His say,how dare you agree with me.
