Thrill Me (Fool's Gold #18)(25)

“Ready to get back to work?”

He nodded.

She retreated to behind the camera. The red light was on, which meant she’d recorded the whole kiss. Talk about incriminating evidence.

She reached for the delete button, then reset the camera to record what they were here to do. She had enough memory to get through the shoot. She would deal with the wayward clip later.

CHAPTER SIX

THE COUPLE SITTING in front of Del had to be the oldest people he’d ever seen. Albert was ninety-five and his wife, Elizabeth, was ninety-two. They’d been married seventy-six years. Together they looked like those apple dolls, with wrinkled faces and tiny raisin eyes. They were small, bent and walked so slowly, Del wondered how they ever got anywhere. But despite their outward infirmities, they were both still mentally sharp and verbally outspoken.

Del sat on their front porch on the warm afternoon. The overhang provided enough shade for Maya’s liking. The C stands for the 3-point lighting she favored barely fit on the porch, but it softened the faces of the older couple.

He and Maya had already discussed the best way to handle the interview. They’d agreed that the technology might be intimidating and distracting. So they’d decided to simply do a two-camera setup and get what they could in a single long shot.

“Tell me what it’s like to be married for seventy-six years,” Del prompted.

Albert shook his head. “I know what you really want to know, sonny. Do we do it? You know what? We do. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Albert, he’s our guest. Be polite.”

“We do it,” Albert repeated. “A little slower because of our bones, but the deed gets done.”

Del held in laughter. He remembered he was on camera and kept his attention on the older couple. “Thanks for the inspiration,” he replied. “What’s the secret to a long, successful marriage?”

Elizabeth looked at him. “What makes you think our marriage is successful?”

“You haven’t killed him yet.”

She laughed. “You’re right. I haven’t.”

“She’s threatened to plenty of times,” Albert said. “But I knew she didn’t mean it.”

They sat next to each other on a padded bench. Their hands were clasped loosely together, fingers laced. Del wondered how many hours of their lives had been spent holding hands. Could it be measured in weeks? Months?

“Don’t take love for granted,” Elizabeth said. “Don’t assume he’s annoying you on purpose.”

“Talk a walk,” Albert added. “Clear your head. And don’t always have to be right.”

Although they were here to talk about romantic relationships, the last comment made him think about Aidan. Del wasn’t trying to be right, but he also wasn’t sure he’d been listening. While Aidan’s outburst had seemed to come from nowhere, he knew he’d heard the complaints in one form or another over the years.

They wrapped up the interview. Del thanked the couple for letting him speak to them, then he helped Maya load up the equipment. By noon they were heading back to Fool’s Gold. He’d driven his truck up the mountain and now she relaxed in the passenger seat.

“They were impressive,” she said, leaning back against the headrest, her eyes closed. “Married for seventy-six years. How did they do that?”

“They married young.”

“It was probably considered normal, back then. Today everyone wants a career first.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Female economic success is changing the social structure of our country.”

He grinned. “I heard that, and no.”

“What?”

“There was a challenge in your voice. As if you expected me to step into your trap. I’m not getting involved in a discussion about equal rights for women with you, Maya. I still have another interview to do, and I’m not showing up bruised and bloodied.”

She laughed. “As long as you admit I’d best you.”

“You’d hold your own.”

She relaxed against the seat again. “I’d win.”

She probably would, but he wasn’t going to admit that. Maya was tough when she had to be. Meticulous when it came to her work. Although it was the town’s win that she hadn’t gotten the network job, he thought whoever had made the decision not to hire her had been an idiot. She was obviously brilliant and a hard worker.

There was a lot about her he liked and admired. Which meant even as a kid, he’d had good taste. Because it was all about him.

He smiled as he drove, thinking that while his relationship with his family was totally screwed up, hanging out with Maya was turning into one of the best parts of coming home. They’d cleared the air between them. That was good.

Things could have been awkward after that kiss, but they weren’t. They’d said what needed to be said and now they could move on. The fact that he wanted more than a chaste kiss was his problem and not something he would share with her.

But ever since his mouth had touched hers, he’d been unable to forget the heat of her, the sound of her breathing. He wanted to do it again, only this time kiss her deeply. He wanted to taste her, to touch her. He wanted to make love with her until they were both satisfied.

Not going to happen, he reminded himself. Because they were friends now. Nothing more.