Only His (Fool's Gold #6)(61)

“Nevada?”

Cat didn’t look the least bit upset. If anything, amusement teased at the corners of her mouth.

“I, ah, have to go,” Nevada stammered. “I have to be somewhere.”

She should probably say something else. Offer a less lame excuse. But her brain wasn’t working, so she turned and took off at a run.

“IT’S NOT FUNNY,” Nevada insisted, pacing the length of the trailer, which, considering how small it was, wasn’t very satisfying. “It’s not funny at all.”

Tucker sat on the corner of his desk, watching her. He was grinning like a sheep and really starting to piss her off.

“It’s a little funny,” he said. “Come on. Cat coming on to you?”

She spun on her work-boot heel and glared at him. “Are you saying I’m not worthy?”

He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “No. Of course not. I’m saying Cat is firmly in the guy camp. Trust me. I have proof.”

“I’m sure you do and I know what you’re saying makes sense.” She stared pacing again. “It’s just I would swear…”

She shook her head. Maybe she was going crazy. Maybe she’d misunderstood. But it hadn’t felt like a misunderstanding. It had felt as if Cat was going to kiss her. Right there in front of Starbucks!

After their encounter, Nevada had gone back to her apartment, only to find she was too restless to stay there. She’d phoned Montana and had been thrilled to learn that Simon had been called into emergency surgery. That made her a hideous person, because that meant someone was hurt.

Telling herself she wasn’t responsible hadn’t helped much, but spending the evening with her sister had. They’d packed up most of Montana’s small house for the impending move to Max’s place. She’d gotten home late and exhausted, and still hadn’t been able to sleep.

“We were talking about her,” she said, going over the material for the four thousandth time.

“It is Cat’s favorite topic.”

“You’re not helping.”

“Sorry.”

He didn’t look sorry. He looked like a man trying not to laugh.

“I could kill you, you know,” she told him. “This is my town. They’d help hide the body.”

“You’d miss me.”

“Not as much as you’d think.”

He crossed to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “I think Cat was just being her normal, narcissistic self. It was all about her, and somehow you read that as something else.”

“Maybe.” She’d been so sure at the time, though. Scared, even. “You weren’t there. She keeps talking about being in her feminine phase. Maybe this is part of that.”

His mouth twitched again. “Were you tempted?”

She slapped his hands away. “Did I mention I hate you?”

“Can I watch?”

“Yuck. What’s wrong with you? I have a serious problem.”

“A beautiful woman wants you. That is a problem.”

She grunted in irritation, then stalked to her desk. “You’re not taking this seriously.”

“And you’re taking it too seriously. Even if she did try to kiss you, this is Cat we’re talking about. She was just being her usual attention-seeking self. It doesn’t mean she’s serious about wanting to have sex with you.”

At last he was making sense. “I can buy that,” she admitted. “I was being sympathetic. I’m sure that’s all it was. Her responding to that.”

“Right. And if it turns out she is serious, are you making a video?”

She picked up the folder on her desk and opened it to study the compaction report inside. “Are you talking? All I hear is a buzzing sound. It’s the strangest thing.”

He crossed to her, turned her and kissed her. “I’m sorry she upset you. I’m sorry you were uncomfortable.”

She leaned against him. “I don’t have anything against girl kissing,” she whispered. “In theory. I just don’t want to share in it.”

“Cat was playing. She’ll have moved on to something else by the time you see her again.”

“I hope.”

“Trust me.”

WHEN A DAY OF MOVING lumber and walking the site that would be blasted didn’t make Nevada feel any better, she gladly accepted an invitation to join her friends at Jo’s Bar after work. Heidi had promised to call Annabelle and Charlie, and the other women were waiting when Nevada arrived—as was a very tall, very cold vodka tonic.

“You read my mind,” she said, slipping into the seat they’d saved for her. “Thanks.” She took a sip. “How are things with everyone?”

“Good,” Heidi said with a grin. “No recent goat escapes, which is working for me. And the feral cows are keeping their distance.”

Annabelle laughed. “You’re the only person I know who’s frightened of cows.”

“I’m not frightened. They’re a bad influence.”

Annabelle shook her head. “Keep telling yourself that. I’m fine, too. Loving the library, loving the town. Did you all see the leaves over the weekend? Talk about beautiful.”

“Leaves catch fire,” Charlie grumbled.