Hell, yes, she was staring.
She took a quick shower and dressed and then followed the delicious aroma of coffee downstairs to find Harrison making scrambled eggs, Gizmo and Gabby eating kibble side by side, tails wagging.
Uh-oh.
He pointed with a nod of his head. “Look how well they’re getting along.”
She hated deceiving him. “Great. That’s progress.”
Kenzie and Harrison ate together—scrambled eggs, toast, coffee. They talked about her day and then his.
“I guess I need to write some kind of resume. Moretti says Ski Scarlet is hiring for Ski Patrol for the season.” He didn’t seem excited by the idea.
“Is that something you would enjoy?”
He tossed back the last of his coffee. “It’s a job.”
No, not excited at all.
He helped her clear the dishes from the table, and then it was time for her to go.
“Thanks for breakfast—and for last night.” She slipped into his arms, uncertainty niggling at her, taking the shine off the elation she’d carried with her through the night.
She had no idea how Harrison felt about her, whether this was a one-time hookup or whether he wanted more from her. She wasn’t sure he knew.
I’ve got nothing to offer you and no idea where my life is going or what the next few months will bring. I can’t promise you much, but I’ll never mistreat you.
She kept her next words light. “Can I entice you to come over for dinner? I don’t have any classes tonight.”
He looked down at her, the hint of a smile on his lips. “What’s on the menu?”
The tone of his voice left Kenzie no doubt that food was the furthest thing from his mind.
* * *
Conrad oughtto have noticed the green Subaru Outback parked on the street in front of the house, but his mind was filled with Kenzie, her sweet scent still on his skin. A stupid grin on his face, he parked in his driveway, climbed out, and walked around to the rear of the vehicle to retrieve Gabby and her crate—only to find a kid in a baseball cap and red parka standing there waiting for him.
The kid held up his cellphone to take a photo. “Hey, Conrad, man, I heard you were back. When did you get into town?”
Conrad didn’t recognize him. Was he a local? “A couple of weeks ago.”
Conrad opened his vehicle and reached in for Gabby’s crate, hoping the kid would leave now that he’d gotten his photo.
“That must have been one hell of an experience—almost dying on Everest, watching your entire team get crushed, waking up to find yourself hanging over that crevasse.” The kid wasstillholding up his damned cellphone. “What really happened up there?”
The question hit Conrad in the gut.
Was the bastardfilminghim?
Conrad stopped still, dangerously close to losing his shit. “Are you media?”
Didn’t reporters have a moral obligation to announce themselves?
The kid hesitated for a moment, then grinned. “I’m with Climber’s High. It’s a climbing webzine.”
Conrad had never heard of it, but he didn’t say so. He didn’t tell the kid to fuck off either. He’d learned the hard way that it was best to try to get along with reporters. Still, he didn’t have to put up with this. “I haven’t agreed to an interview, and you’re standing on private property. You need to go.”
There.
