Bikram blinked at her, then shook his head. “No.”
Jas grunted, a warning grunt, and Bikram straightened. “No,thanks. Bye.” He walked out the door, tromping across the grass to get to the front of the house.
Katrina made a face at Jas. “Does your brother dislike me? For something more than startling him?”
Jas went to the sink to wash his hands. His shirt and jeans were pristine, even though he’d been up a tree. His brother looked like a rugged farmer. Jas looked like a model on a shoot where he was playing a farmer. Both men were making those looks work for them.
“How could he hate you?”
“Uh, well, I said dislike, not hate. You think hehatesme?”
He turned off the faucet. “He neither hates you nor dislikes you. He literally met you five seconds ago.”
That made sense, and she tried to shake off the vibe she’d gotten. A couple of times she’d asked Jas if his family would like to come for dinner, but he’d declined, so she hadn’t pressed, unwilling to violate his boundaries.
Has he told them I’m a terrible boss? Or friend? Or human?
Nope. Jas would never do that, he was far too steadfast and loyal.
She had enough things on her plate. She’d shelve Bikram’sodd attitude for now. She started unpacking the bags. “I saw you outside setting up the cameras.”
“Yes. Can you give me your phone? I’ll add the surveillance app to it.”
She handed him her phone and got to work putting the produce away, but not before admiring the lettuce. “So fresh.”
“Almost everything is locally grown.”
“When you told me all those years ago that you’d grown up on a farm, I pictured cows and horses, not peach orchards.”
“Prunes, too. Or plums, I mean. I don’t know why, we call them prunes whether they’re dried or not.”
She smacked her lips. “My favorites. I would have made you bring bushels back every summer.”
“I thought mangoes were your favorite fruit.”
“I have multiple faves. What’s your favorite?” She asked the question casually.
He considered that with great gravity, like she’d asked him to pick a favorite parent instead of a favorite fruit. “I should say peaches out of loyalty, but I very much like strawberries.”
She filed that tidbit away. Seriously, like a slow drip, getting stuff out of him. “Ooh, look.” She waved a jar at him. “Canned peaches.”
“We don’t lack for preserved peaches, for sure.” He held her phone out to her, his face expressionless. “I think you got a text.”
She navigated to her messages, and nearly dropped her phone.
Is it cold? Is the place nice? Is your hot bodyguard keeping your body warm?
Oh holy hell. Jia, to their group chat.
Her face flaming, she glanced up at Jas, but he’d turned away to put the rest of the groceries away. Normally she preferred doing that, but she was too mortified to say anything now.
Hot bodyguard. Oh, for crying out loud.
Her clumsy fingers managed to type one word, her cheeks aflame.Jia.
What? See the man without a shirt on and then get back to me.
Katrina narrowed her eyes at the screen. Rhiannon beat her to a response.When did you see Jas without a shirt on??
