Chapter 7
WILL COME OUT
“That flight was better than I thought it’d be,” Spencer said on Monday when they departed the airplane. They moved to the rental in Bangor and he stood in line.
“I guess. I’ve had much worse. Much better too.”
He’d been trying to make conversation with London since they met up in the airport at seven this morning. Nothing he said was getting her to talk.
If she wanted to be that way, it was fine with him.
Silence never bothered him.
When he got to the window, he gave his name, pulled out his corporate card with his driver’s license and handed it over.
“I want to be on it too,” she said, pushing her driver’s license across the counter. “If I need to drive for some reason.”
Once the keys were handed over, he turned and said, “Do you want to drive to the plant?”
They’d get there before lunch, get a start on things this afternoon and then go check into their hotel later.
She pulled the fob out of his hand. “Don’t mind if I do.”
He shrugged and pulled his suitcase behind him. If she thought she’d get a rise out of him over that, she had another thing coming. He didn’t drive much now and didn’t care if he did here or not.
She probably drove more than him, living in Florida.
They got to the SUV, she hit the fob and the back released, lifting, and they put their carry-ons in there. He’d pull out his laptop when they arrived, and he was sure she’d do the same.
Once she was in the driver’s seat, she plugged in the address to the plant and they were on their way.
Ten minutes went by with nothing more than the robotic voice of Google Maps telling them when to turn before she was reaching for the radio and trying to find a station.
“Good luck,” he said.
“Are you fussy with music?”
“No.”
“Are you fussy with anything?”
It was the dry, sarcastic tone he was coming to expect from her. He just didn’t know what he did to be the bug that seemed to crawl up her ass all the time.
“Do you want me to be?”
“There you go, throwing your lawyer games at me.”
“No games,” he said. “Unless you’re familiar with them. I’m assuming your father being an attorney and all you’d be comfortable around them.”
Her head swiveled fast in his direction. “Who told you?”
“Do you really think I wouldn’t know?” He put his hand up. “And before you ask, it wasn’t from Braylon or West. I’m good at my job. Though this wasn’t hard to find or figure out with your last name and West’s first.”
She sighed. “We don’t want anyone to know and think this was given to us.”
“I can understand that more than you realize. It won’t come from me, but it will come out.”
“I know. Paris is surprised it hasn’t already.” There was another minute of silence. “Why is it you can understand? What you said just now.”
He sat back. Maybe if he gave her something, she’d loosen up a little.
As patient as he was, he wasn’t one to play games. Maybe that was why he struggled so much at his last job. He didn’t think he was cutthroat enough.
He could be. He just didn’t enjoy it.
“I’m sure you know it’s difficult to get hired by your cousins.”
“Yes. But many will say if you’re family it isn’t,” she said. “Which isn’t true. I feel as if there is more to prove because of that.”
Interesting. “Is that why you’re soooo...”
“Intense is the word used to describe me,” she said, laughing.
She almost sounded proud of it. He’d have to store that away.
“Which means it’s not recent.”
She turned and matched the grin he had. When she did that, her features softened. Her sharp cheekbones didn’t look so strong. Her jaw relaxed, her lips spread wide, her teeth nice and white.
Even her eyes were showing the humor.
Maybe they were finally getting somewhere.
“It’s not. And since you know who we are, you know I’m one of nine kids.”
“Are you the oldest girl or is Paris?”
“Me, by nine minutes.”
“And that weight is on your shoulders. I’ve got a younger sister, I get it. She’s six years younger than me. She had a heart condition and we thought we were going to lose her. Once she had her open heart surgery as a teen, I got to be even more overprotective of her.”
“I’m sorry about that. What I feel for my siblings is nothing like that, I’m sure. I hope she’s okay now. Like there is a happy ending here?”
“A great ending. She married my best friend from college. Guess she had a secret crush on him for years and I was too blind to see it. So was he.”
“Or you just never saw her that way. My guess is you were thrilled over it.”
He coughed in his hand before he could snort. “No. I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not one to overreact.”
“Duh.”
He laughed. “You’re trying, aren’t you?”
“It’s just in my nature.”
Good to know.
“That might be the one time I lost it. When I found out they were dating, it was the same time they said she was pregnant.”
“Ouch.”
“You’re telling me. She’s a dentist on Amore Island.”
“Hey,” she said. “Small world. Charlotte’s sister lives on Amore Island. She’s married to Drew Bond. I met him at Foster’s wedding.”
He cleared his throat. “Since I know your secret you can know mine. Angel, my sister, is Angel Bond now. She’s married to Coy. Drew’s younger brother.”
“No shit,” she said.
He laughed. She had no filter.
“I can’t make that up.”
“Ohhhhh,” she said, drawing it out. “And someone put a good word in for you to get this job?”
“I knew that it made it to Foster that I was looking to leave my last place. I had already applied but didn’t expect to get a call. I’m positive that’s how my resume got put to the front.”
“Braylon and West don’t hire anyone without doing a thorough background on them. Even if they do great work, personalities play a part.”
“And here I thought you didn’t believe I have one.”
“Not one that appeals to me,” she said. “But I’m sure it would with West. Probably Braylon too. I heard you like to follow the rules.”
He was trying to pick his ego up off the floor of the SUV before it seeped through the metal to the concrete and got run over some more.
“So noted,” he said. “And yes, I follow the rules and I already can tell you don’t.”
“It’s not that I purposely break them. I’ve never been in trouble with the law.”
“I wouldn’t think so. My point is, we are like night and day.
But I understand some of what you’re saying.
Do I think Coy being my best friend and now brother-in-law influenced me in getting hired?
No. West has never met Coy. I know Braylon did a thorough background on me before I even stepped foot in the door for the interview. ”
“He would have,” she said. “Just like I know he talked to every client of mine and Paris’s before we went much further.
I’m sure you know West invested in my brother’s business.
Phoenix didn’t want to ask. He hated that he needed the help, but he’s thriving right now.
More than he ever would have without West’s help. ”
“I know those things. Or I’m catching up with as much as I can.”
“So you get hired and you’re out to prove that you’re worthy,” she said.
“Just like you, only slightly different.”
“I won’t tell on you if you don’t tell on me.”
He turned when she said that. “Meaning what?”
“Meaning that I won’t complain when you get on my nerves for shoving rules down my throat if you don’t tell Braylon I’m stepping out of line.”
“Sorry. I don’t answer to you. If you step out of line I’ll be there to advise you to get your butt back in it.”
She growled. Actually growled at him. He didn’t know why that sound turned him on.
He had to get his mind out of the gutter and on his damn job.
“Now you’re sounding like my father.”
Not much better than the shot about her not liking his personality.
“Do you listen to your father?”
“Sometimes,” she said, lifting her chin. “Paris is the good twin.”
“I see how you two operate. There isn’t anything wrong with that.”
“It works for us.”
“But gets tiring getting the blame for it all, doesn’t it?”
She stopped at a light, turned and stared at him. It seemed like minutes rather than seconds, but he could stay like this for days. “Sometimes,” she mumbled.
Maybe they had more in common than either of them wanted to admit.