His laugh transformed his face, making him appear more open and, if possible, more handsome. The sound rolled over her, making her warm from the inside out despite the chill outside. “I’m an open book. Ask me anything you want to know.”
She widened her eyes. “Anything? You realize that as a journalist, my whole job is to ferret out the story I’m looking for. This is a dangerous proposition for you.”
“I think I can take it.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. No evading, Porter. You have to answer honestly.”
He shifted in his seat a little, but his gaze never wavered from hers. “Do your worst. Just remember, turnabout is fair play.”
She weighed her options. She had no life to speak of besides the magazine, so he could ask her whatever he wanted. “Fine.”
He leaned back to make room for the waitress bringing them their coffee. “Shoot.”
She opened her mouth, but decided to take a sip of coffee first. Sighing in contented bliss, she put her cup back down. When she looked at him again, he was staring at her, his green eyes now hot and dark.
“What?”
“That look on your face. It’s sexy.”
She blushed, but would put down money saying he couldn’t see it. “I see you’re starting with the flattery.”
“Or truth.” He shrugged.
Nomi laughed. This felt like...flirting. Or maybe you’re woefully out of practice. “You were super smart. I figured you’d go off to law school or something, like the rest of the prep school set, or bum around Europe. What are you doing back in Faith?”
He opened his mouth, then a light flush stained his cheeks, but he answered her. “I did all that. Transferred every AP credit I could and busted my ass to graduate from Carnegie Mellon in three years. Travelled some, came home. Not much to the story.”
“Now, why don’t I believe you?”
Her flashed her another grin. “I did graduate from CMU. Have the diploma to prove it.”
“You know what I mean.” She changed tactics. “You could do anything. Go anywhere, be with anyone. Why here?”
“Dad got sick, and the way I figure it, there’s plenty of time for me to go do other things. Mom has needed more help at the winery.”
“Are you happy?”
A shadow drifted across his face, but then his good-natured smile was back in place. “Right in this moment, yeah. Good food in the company of a beautiful woman.”
Her heart rate picked up in response. Easy does it. We’re here to work. Not flirt. For the rest of breakfast, she kept things on safer topics—catching up on some of the people she’d known, local gossip, her job and their favorite places to travel.
He relaxed her and made it easy to forget where she was, but a flash of red hair outside the window was all the reminder she needed. Amber. She was going somewhere in a hurry, and Nomi didn’t have time to sit here on a leisurely breakfast date. “I see my competition is already up and at ’em. Do you think we can head to Jilly’s now?”
He made a poor attempt at hiding his smile. “Sure, let me get the check.”
“Oh, I can’t let you do that. You’re doing me the favor, remember?”
“I insist. I’ll add it to your tab. Why don’t you get the car warmed up.”
While he flagged down the waitress, she headed out to start the car. She climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV and leaned over to stick the key in the ignition. Maybe if she’d been more alert, better mentally prepared, or hadn’t wasted part of the morning pretending she was on a bed-and-breakfast date, she would have noticed the woman coming out of the post office four doors down.
With her smooth chocolate skin and high cheekbones, she was the picture of Nomi in another twenty years. Nomi froze, not sure what to do. She hadn’t called her parents and hadn’t planned to. But still, she couldn’t ignore the twinge of pain in her heart at seeing her mother again.
Adrenaline spiking through her blood, Nomi knew she had to make a decision. If she didn’t move, then her mother would see her.
For several loud, pulsing heartbeats, she stayed like that, but then her brain kicked in. Just as her mother was about to look up from her bag, Nomi ducked. She’d call home. Just not right now. Later. Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Definitely before she left...maybe.
The driver’s door swung open and Linc laughed. “What are you doing?”
Sheepish, she sat up. “I, uh, thought I lost an earring.”
His brows rose. “Did you find it?”
“Yep.” She pointed at her ear. “Put it right back.” She could tell that he didn’t believe her, but she did not want to get into some long conversation about why she was hiding from her mother.
By the time they reached Jilly’s gallery, she felt more at ease. Linc’s sister had always been exuberant. It was no wonder she’d been a part of the pep squad at school. “Nomi! It’s so good to see you.” She bounded up to her and enveloped her into a warm hug.
Nomi squeezed back and let herself settle into the feeling of being home. She’d missed Jilly. Her bestie had been out to LA frequently to see her, or they’d met in places like New York, DC or San Francisco.
“Oh my God, Nomi, you have to tell me everything. Start talking. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there yesterday, but Linc came to the rescue, right? He wasn’t late, was he?”
“No, Linc was perfect.” Damn, why did her voice sound so husky? She cleared her throat. “I didn’t recognize him at first.”
“He’s changed a lot, huh? Sometimes I can’t even believe it. You would think he’d have a girlfriend, but for some strange reason he doesn’t. If you ask me, he’s carrying a torch for someone.”
Linc’s brows rose, then he coughed. “Enough, Jilly.”
Nomi resisted the urge to shiver while she glanced between brother and sister, trying to figure out what the sudden note of tension was about. “Jilly, we have so much to catch up on.”
Her friend squeezed her hand. “We will find a way to make time before you go, okay? In the meantime, I know you didn’t come all this way for a snow fix. What do you need?”
“Even if it’s at midnight. We’ll figure it out. So, your gallery has showed some work of one of my favorite photographers.”
Jilly nodded, understanding. “Nolan Polk.”
“Is there anything you can tell me about him? What he looks like? Any places he might frequent? Even better, where he lives? It’s important I get a hold of him.”
Jilly bit her lip. “Have you tried his agent? She might know how to reach him best.”
Nomi rolled her shoulders. “Yes, repeatedly. I’ve tried everything. I keep getting the ‘Mr. Polk doesn’t take unsolicited requests’ message. I’m sort of desperate. We’re looking to put his photographs in our twentieth-anniversary issue featuring beauty around the world. I think some of the portraits he’s done around the world would be ideal.”
“Well, he is extremely talented. No doubt about that. But unfortunately, I can’t tell you much about him.”
There was something about the way Jilly slid her gaze away when she said that. “Look, I get it. You’re protecting