Page 58 of Level With Me
I sighed. I wished Griff was around so I could ask him to find out where he was—Griffin seemed to have mysterious resources to figure stuff like this out. But I hadn’t heard much from him either.
This morning, I vowed not to worry about my sister, trusting she had her reasons for partying, and heading off on my run, daring to take it down by the river again instead of on the trails around the resort as I’d been doing the past couple of weeks.
Blake and I were going to be outside today, checking out the outdoor amenities like the golf course and some of the outbuildings. The rain had let up over the last few days, but today the clouds hung low, heavy and gray once again and I knew it wouldn’t last.
We’d be riding in one of the golf carts, which would be fine if it was drizzling, but no good at keeping us dry in a deluge.
I picked up speed, hoping to beat the weather, and after a while, allowing myself to fall into the rhythm of my feet and heart beating in tandem. Nowthiswas good for clearing my mind. Perfect, actually, and the harder I ran, the clearer I felt. I was going so hard I almost didn’t notice when I reached the corner where I’d slipped in last time. I slowed down, careful to stay on the slope side of the trail rather than the river.
The county had set some cones out here to mark the edge of the path, and I focused on those, working hard not to look over at the island coming into view offshore. If anything could throw me today, looking at the place Blake and I first met would be it.
I was still looking down at the trail and riverbank a few minutes later when my eyes caught something shiny on the rocks further downstream. I slowed to a stop, squinting, and debated whether it was anything important or just a piece of trash. But something compelled me to check it out, so I climbed down to the bank. The river was lower than it had been when I’d fallen in, and there was now enough riverbank that I could easily walk along the water until I reached the brush I’d seen the glinting in.
I actually laughed out loud when I saw it. It was a fishing rod, and I’d bet money it was Blake’s.
A warmth ran over me at the memory of his accidental innuendos on that island about his rod. It seemed like so long ago. I picked it up and disentangled the line from the bushes and made my way back home.
* * *
“Morning,”Blake said, coming in with two coffees in hand an hour later. This had grown to be our routine over the past few weeks, though its days were numbered now given we wouldn’t be in the office all day as before.
My heart clenched as I smiled. “Morning, Harrington.” I was going to miss that moment he’d appear at my door, his smile wide, ready for another day together.
I’d asked Blake on our first week together if he bought coffee every morning for all his clients, and he’d shrugged. “Only the ones I like.”
I’d looked away to hide the pink in my cheeks, but I was sure he’d seen it. I hadn’t yet learned how to control the heat that arose around him, especially with moments like those—that verged on the edge of flirting. Did he talk to his other clients like that too, I’d wondered? A spike of something like jealousy had hit me, which scared me more than the other feelings. I had no right to be jealous of Blake and any imaginary woman he might be flirting with.
Now as I reached for the coffee, his eyes meeting mine, I’d thought I was over that feeling. I’d spent the past few weeks doing just fine with this sweet coffee routine. But this morning I was thrown back to last night, when I came against the wall of my shower, picturing him doing the same.
Could he see it on my face?
A spasm of heat shot through me now. If this was how the day was going to go, I was in trouble.
“Thank you,” I said. I cleared my throat. “I have something for you,” A distraction—that’s what we needed. “Before we head out.”
“Oh yeah?” Blake’s eyebrows went up. Behind him, the door to my office was open. That’s how we’d been leaving it all week, whenever he was in here. Wide open, like an insurance policy.
I reached behind my desk and paused. “Drumroll please?”
He set his coffee down and patted the desk in a two-handed rhythm.
I pulled out his reel.
His jaw actually dropped, and I laughed.
“You found my rod!”
This time I laughed so hard I threw my head back.
“What’s so funny in there?” Eli called from across the hall.
I bit back on my laugh, my stomach squeezing. I needed to watch myself. Not just because Eli might see, but for me. Last night had been a mistake.
Blake turned. “Nothing, man, just glad to be getting outside today. Going a little wiggy with all these numbers. Don’t know how you do it all day.”
“Me neither, honestly,” Eli called. Luckily, with the attention back on himself, he didn’t press. I appreciated that Blake hadn’t told him about the fishing rod. It felt like a private joke between the two of us, and I didn’t want Eli anywhere near it.
“Where was it?” Blake asked, holding it up in his hands and looking agog at the battered aluminum.
