“I didn’t think you’d get her to do that,” Kayn said.
“Nah. It wasn’t me.” Rafe looked at his friend. “It was Ma.”
“Now we’ll see if she’ll ever do it again.”
“Next,” the guide said.
Rafe stepped up and took the familiar position. When it was time, he heaved out a breath and launched himself from the platform, embracing the thrill. As he sailed over the canopy of bright green forest, he listened for the rustling of the trees over the sound of the zip line. He wondered if Ahri had been able to hear it with all her screaming.
She waited for him on the platform, almost dancing with anticipation as he approached. He landed easily, and the guide unhooked him from the zip line and reconnected him to the tree wire.
“You didn’t die,” he said.
Ahri threw her arms around his waist, and he embraced her. She trembled, but he didn’t know if it was from excitement or residual adrenaline.
“I thought I was going to a couple of times.” She looked up athim. “It was epic and one of the most frightening things ever.” She blinked, seeming to realize what she’d done. Her cheeks colored, and she moved to step back. He didn’t want to let her go but did.
“Now just six more to go,” he said.
Ahri groaned.
16
“ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS and you’ll be back here full time.” Ahri snuggled Cass’s infant. Every time she saw her, the baby seemed to have grown even more. “I don’t know how you can leave her behind.”
“Didn’t you know?” Cass asked, scanning through the final plans for the Midsummers Eve Cosplay event. “Rafe’s letting me do up that little office as a nursery.”
No onehadmentioned that to Ahri, but she shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d agreed to do something like that. They already had an in-house daycare center. He and the guys spent a lot of time making REKD Gaming a good place to work. When her brother had talked about his part in the business, she hadn’t paid that much attention.
However, since working here, she’d been reading articles about the company online and was impressed, especially since they had such good employee candidates. REKD was listed as one of the best companies to work for, and lots of talented people vied for positions with them. It came as no surprise that Rafe had made sure his assistant, who faced leaving behind her first child,had someplace for the baby until she was big enough to go to the daycare.
Ahri’s rescuer crush hadn’t eased off at all since that first incredible moment in the garden. If anything, it’d gotten stronger. The more time she spent with Rafe, the harder she was falling. He’d been gone more than a week, and she couldn’t believe how much she missed him.
Sunday’s dinner hadn’t been the same, and the weekday evenings felt flat without him there to play board games, or garden, or go hiking with. Since he’d been gone, the guys hadn’t had their Friday game night. He’d return on Thursday, and the big event was Saturday.
And then she wouldn’t work here anymore.
Rafe had become such a good friend. Herbestfriend, if she was honest. She hadn’t had one of those in a very long time. Before he’d left, his behavior had confused her, touching her tenderly one moment and then pulling back. She’d caught him watching her a few times. If she’d seen that look on the face of a man she was dating, she’d know he wanted to kiss her. But she wasn’t dating Rafe.
“You seem a little preoccupied.” Cass left her chair to stand by Ahri and said in the high-pitched voice adults tended to use with babies, “Is my little precious distracting you?”
“Not exactly.” It did drive home to Ahri how unsettled her life still was, and she was sick of it.
“What’s troubling you then?”
“I’m not sure where I’m going when you return.”
The baby started to fuss, and Cass took her back. “I think you should stay right here in Boone.”
“I’ve been checking for positions at the university.” Ahri went to stand by the window with a view over the REKD campus. She recognized most of the faces now.
“Why not take another job at REKD?” Cass, rocking the baby in her arms, came to stand beside her.
“The competition is fierce, and there aren’t that many openings.”
“Before I left, Rafe and I were discussing the possibility of hiring a third assistant. You’ve done a great job.” Cass kissed the baby’s forehead. “You should apply.”
“I don’t want to work for Rafe.” Ahri’s whole body flushed with frustration that threatened to burst from her.
