Page 45 of Love Me Again

“What makes you say that?” Shane asked. His tone was devoid of any kind of reaction, so Josie couldn’t quite read what he thought about Cora’s very correct presumption.

Cora shrugged. “The way he looks at her.”

“He’s been mooning over Lindsay since they were in high school,” Boone replied. “There’s no way you can tell by a look.”

Cora looked over her shoulder at Boone, one elegant eyebrow raised. “You want to make a bet?”

“We are not going to bet money on if my sister is getting engaged before the year is over,” Shane said resolutely.

“Of course not money,” Cora replied. “Diaper changes. Babysitting. Something along those lines.”

“And what about if I win?” Boone demanded.

“You won’t,” Cora replied with the wave of her hand. “But for the sake of argument, you can win an IOU. But he is proposing before the new year. I guarantee it.”

Boone leaned forward toward the middle console. “You said Christmas. Not New Years. In order for you to win the bet, he has to ask her by Christmas day. And there’s no way Cal Barton is moving faster than the speed of molasses.”

Josie snorted, which earned her curious looks from everyone. Boone and Cora straight on and Shane through the rearview mirror.

“What was that snort about?” Boone demanded.

“What snort?” Josie replied loftily.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You know something.”

“How would I know anything?” She looked resolutely out the window.

He leaned close. She could feel the flutter of his breath over her ear. “I don’t know how, but you do.”

“Make the bet, Boone,” she replied sweetly. She looked at him and smiled. “I dare you.”

Boone agreed to the bet, but he already knew he’d lost. Whatever Josie knew, however Josie knew it, Cal was going to propose.

Boone just couldn’t resist a dare. Or how victorious Josie had looked. Much better than the disappointment he’d seen on her face after Mom had gone and she’d scolded him for not telling people about the surgery.

Josie didn’t understand. He’d already worried his family enough over the years. He was done adding on. That was why he was even getting the damn surgery—so they’d stop worrying about his limp and his pain.

Didn’t mean he needed them fussing over him during his recovery. He wanted it to be as low profile as possible.

Maybe you should figure out why that is.

He pushed that voice out of his head.

When Shane pulled to a stop on the lane in front of the foreman’s cabin, Boone got out at the same time Josie did. She scowled at him.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“Mom wanted me to pick up that Tupperware from yesterday,” he said innocently enough. Lies had always been fairly easy to come by when he wanted to do something he shouldn’t. Boone turned to Shane and Cora’s concerned faces and smiled. “You guys can go.”

Both Shane and Cora looked dubiously at Josie’s retreating back. Before Shane could open his mouth to say something, Cora reached over and put her hand over Shane’s. “Good luck, Boone,” she said.

Then Shane nodded. They drove off and Boone followed Josie to the cabin. She stalked right inside, leaving the door open behind her.

He’d take it as an invitation. She was in the kitchen when he got inside, jerking the dishwasher open. She pulled out the Tupperware from yesterday, pushed the lid on, then stalked right back over to him and shoved the container into his chest.

Like a challenge.

He took it, but he didn’t look away. “Did you have a good time today?”