“Remind me to never call a guest about something they’ve left behind.”
“That’s actually a good takeaway.”
“Did you suspect when they were here that she was his mistress?”
“I wasn’t around much that week.”
An easy silence passed as Lauren warmed her hands in front of the fire. “How did we become a couple?”
He barely stopped himself from rearing back at the question. She’d been pretty careful to avoid the subject. Maybe she was just tired of not knowing. Or maybe, now that she knew him better, she wondered how in the world she’d ever fallen in love with him.
Currently she avoided eye contact, as if afraid of engaging too much. “Is it painful to talk about?”
“No.” A smile formed of its own volition. “It was the best summer of my life. I guess it started when I apologized and started treating you like I should’ve. Your guard was still up for a while, but it slowly came down as you began to trust me. We became friends, I guess you could say.”
“But you’re my boss.”
“It didn’t take me long to see you as much more than a valuable employee,” he said dryly.
Her throat dipped with a swallow. “Then what?” she asked, almost reluctantly.
He decided to lighten the moment. “Oh, you know. I used my charm and charisma to win you over.”
She snorted.
“You just snorted.”
“I don’tsnort.”
“I didn’t think so either, but I know what I heard.”
She laughed. “You need to have your ears checked.”
The lilting sound of her laughter made his heart grow two sizes. “Now who’s lying?”
She went suddenly still. “Hey... listen. The rain stopped.”
She was right. Only the sound of the crackling fire was left.
They both got up and went to peek out the window. The gray clouds had drifted away, and the sun was trying to come out. Water dripped only from the trees and from the overhang of the roof.
Jonah glanced around the cabin, a little sad to leave their private little nest behind.
“We should put out the fire and be on our way,” she said.
Over the next few minutes they worked together to smolder the flames, playfully nudging each other out of the way. Warmth unrelated to the fire filled him from the inside out, bringing with it a burgeoning hope he couldn’t have tamped down if he tried. And he didn’t want to. This time alone with her had meant everything to him. She’d dropped her guard and been willing to talk about their relationship. It was a huge step forward.
“It’s good to hear you laugh again,” he said before he could stop himself.
She tossed a smile his way as they sat to put on their shoes. “You’re not half bad to be around when you’re not barking out orders.”
When her shoes were on, she grabbed her damp shirt and headed for the door while he set the screen in front of the smoldering logs.
“Hey, Wentworth,” he called.
On the threshold she turned with an expectant look.
“I did cut my hair for you.”
