Page 170 of Rhodes

He studies me for a second. Then his mouth tightens like he is deciding whether to say something.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Cooper.”

He looks toward the kitchen.

“Rhodes said he loves you.”

My stomach drops so fast it makes me dizzy. “He said what?”

Cooper glances back at me. “He said he loves you.”

He watches me. “You didn’t know.”

I stand before he can decide what that means. “I should go.”

“Tilly.”

I turn. His anger is quieter now.

“You okay?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

I nod. “I’m sure.”

He looks at me for another second. Then he says, “I’m trying.”

“I know.”

He walks me to the door. When he opens it, cold air comes into the room. I step onto the porch.

He watches me for a second, then pulls me into a quick hug before I can object. I hug him back.

THIRTY-SIX

Tilly

Phasing: Large restorations are permitted and funded one phase at a time, and nobody signs for the whole building at once. The work still gets finished. It gets finished by people who agreed to the next part only after they saw how the last part went.

Sunday afternoon, I fly back to New Orleans with half my brain on school and the other half trying not to replay everything Cooper said.

By the time Jo picks me up, I have mostly succeeded.

She spends the drive from the airport complaining about Ford's work schedule and a professor who assigned a reading project that is going to take her the rest of the semester. I let her talk. It helps.

Monday afternoon, my phone buzzes while I am sitting at the kitchen table with my laptop open. I open a text from Rhodes.

First load made it to Oak Moss without a hitch. Dale signed off on everything. I'm working with him now on scheduling the second shipment for next month.

I read it twice. There's no mention of Friday or the kiss. And there’s no mention of Cooper.

I type back.