“What does he do?”
She shook her head slightly. “How do you know we’re on the verge of anything, much less a construction boom?”
“Trade secret.”
“In other words, you’re not going to tell me.”
“You tell me something about your brother, instead of avoiding it, and I’ll tell you about G&G.”
Darby stopped, pointing at the restaurant sign. “Well look at that. We’re here.”
Garrett wrapped his palm around her slender finger, feeling the little jerk she couldn’t hide. Darby no longer looked like she was going to pass out, but she was far from relaxed, despite the effort she’d been making to convince him otherwise. “You’re shivering.”
She looked up, above their heads. “We’re standing in the shade.”
“Don’t do that, Darby.”
She slid her hand out from his, her fingertips fluttering nervously to her throat. “I was just a little unnerved in the elevator. That’s all.” She tried to step around him toward the rustic-looking restaurant, but Garrett shifted, blocking the path.
“Unnerved. Seems a puny word to me. You got claustrophobic. You don’t have to hide it.”
“I’m not. I just…just— There were so many people inside the elevator. I…I was fine when we arrived, you know.”
He wouldn’t go quite that far, but it was true enough. She hadn’t been ready to climb out of her skin. “There were only a few people on the elevator when we took it up to the courtroom,” he allowed. “So it’s just overcrowded small places that get to you?”
Her cheeks were red, her eyes embarrassed. Evasive. “Something like that.”
Embarrassment he could understand, even though it wasn’t necessary. The evasiveness was another matter.
“Does it have anything to do with this?” He rubbed his thumb gently over her throat, and he felt her nervous swallow. “The injury to your vocal chords?”
“Why does it matter?”
“It still affects you.”
“So?”
He kept his patience with an effort. “So I’m interested in—”
Her eyes widened.
“—in your…welfare,” he finished, taking his hand from her smooth neck and pushing it into his pocket. Everyone was entitled to their privacy, he reminded himself. Wondering when the hell he’d forgotten it. “You’ve helped me out. I owe you.”
“No.” She shook her head, her expression growing even more pained. “You don’t owe me anything, Garrett. You really don’t.”
She might as well have posted Keep Away banners around herself. Unfortunately, Garrett couldn’t remember why he should be glad of that.
He looked at her mouth. What he did remember was the way she’d tasted. Of sunshine and cold water from the hose. Of smiles and laughter from kids who were hardly even old enough to know they had little reason to laugh.
“Well, I hope that doesn’t mean you’ve decided against lunch.” He lifted his chin toward the restaurant. “Now that you’ve made me hoof it all this way.”
“Made you—” Her mouth snapped shut. “You’re teasing me again,” she finally said.
“Maybe.”
She sighed noisily. But he could still see the twitch at the corner of her soft lips. “Why?” she asked tartly. “Why do you do that?”
He shrugged and nudged her toward the restaurant. “Because I’m beginning to think you have had as few smiles in your life as I’ve had in mine.”
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