“I’m sure they haven’t. They like to do a variety of things. Are they still out there?”
Scott glanced at the window. A light drizzle had begun to fall. “I dropped them off at your house after it started to rain.”
I took a sip of coffee before setting the cup down. “So any special reason that you asked me to join you?”
“Dad’s back from his cruise.”
“What did he say about your arm?”
“He’s more pissed that I didn’t tell him than he is about anything else.”
Scott didn’t act upset, so if there’d been an argument, it hadn’t lasted long. “I hope he was impressed with how well you managed things while he was gone.”
“Yes, and he’s especially impressed with how much we’ve done at the B&B.” His lips curved into a half-smile. “Grant gets most of the credit. He has a serious work ethic.”
“You do, too.”
He shrugged.
“Will the wedding site be done by August first?”
“Yeah, I think so. The gazebo has to be built. Several small things need finishing touches. But with a few days of good weather, I’m on track to make the Miltons happy. The only thing that I regret is...I really wanted to do the installation by myself. Literally get my hands dirty. And it didn’t happen that way. On the next sustainable project, there will be too many features where I won’t feel experienced.”
I was shaking my head during the last part of his speech. “Maybe your hands didn’t get dirty, but your boots did. You’ve been there every day and supervised every part. The whole thing will be your success.”
He dropped his gaze to the remnants of his milkshake. “Not completely true, but thanks for saying it.”
“Hey. About my mom,” I said and waited until he looked up again. “I plan to bring her out to look around next week, so we can brainstorm ideas. But she’ll probably want to see the gazebo before making final decisions.”
“Sounds good.” His smile lit up his whole face. “Thank you, Sara.”
“Sure.” It was my turn to drop my gaze. I’d enjoyed being outdoors. Changing a barren strip of ground into something beautiful. Seeing Scott glow with approval. And I’d miss that when it was over.
The Beings were in the sunroom when I arrived home. At the squeak of my shoes on the tile floor, they stopped their conversation and turned to me.
“How’d it go today?”
“Quite well,” Camarin said.
“Camarin is too modest. She utterly charmed the crew. I suspect they functioned at peak performance, simply to entice her praise.” He chuckled at her blush before saying, “Ladies, I shall see you in the morning.” He strolled into the house.
Camarin watched until he was gone, her face pinched with worry and something else. Yearning? Was she hoping for a different relationship with him? I could guess what kind.
“Does he ever just hang out with you when you’re in…?”
“When we are visiting League headquarters?” At my nod, her brow creased. “Even between cases, Grant remains deeply committed to improving his skills. His studies leave him limited time to socialize.”
“Is studying really the reason? Could he just be shy around other Beings?”
“I don’t think I would call Grant shy. It might be better to say he is reserved. Or perhaps he doesn’t perceive any lasting benefits from frequent association with us.” She met my gaze, her smile faltering.
“Can you ever be more?”
She didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Partnerships aren’t addressed in the League’s rule book. Certainly, Beings have been known to take on specific projects as a temporary team, but a long-term pairing is rare, especially for two who are on such different paths as we.”
“So when my case completes, it could be a while before you see him again.”
“Yes.”
