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Dumbfounded, I watched her hips swagger for a few moments.
She was coming. This was exactly what I’d hoped for—with just one problem:
Her conditions.
The whole reason I snapped at Rosabel the way I did was to hide my feelings for her. And she wanted me to stop? The notion made me nervous.
What was going to happen when I didn’t employ my usual tactics to push her away?
TEN
rosabel
Duncan was harderto read than Egyptian hieroglyphics. I thought he wanted me on this trip. Why, then, did he glare at me any time I spoke or all but ignore me the rest of the time? He’d even denied my request to leave the address of this house of his with Sarah. Like our location was some big secret.
I was seriously questioning my decision to come with him.
I read up on the Ozarks and Eureka Springs during our flight and found I was actually excited to see a town so quaint and so packed with history. I was ready to take in the sights firsthand, so when we landed in Fayetteville, while he was busy on his tablet, tapping away and scribbling across the screen with his stylus, my attention gravitated to the window and the view outside.
The sun added its golden luster to the farms and fields—many of which harbored a stereotypical red barn. The scenery reminded me ofOklahoma!, with its fields, blue skies, and corn.
We passed another farm where I could fully believe an elderly Aunt Eller figure would step out onto the house’s wide porch wearing an apron and set a pie to cool on the windowsill.
During the entire flight in the seat across from Duncan, I’d relived our conversation and mulled over what to have him do for an act of service. Serve dinner at the homeless shelter? Tie quilts at a humanitarian center? It had to be something to reallygetto him. Something that would really make him think about others.
I also worried about Dad. This was the first time he’d be fully under someone else’s care twenty-four-seven. Not that I didn’t trust Sarah, but it was a big responsibility. I sifted through the names of the other nurses once more, trying to ease my worries.
A new text tinkled, taking over my screen. I swiped to read it before realizing who it was from and immediately wished I hadn’t.
Isla:I just heard something super interesting. Care to confirm?
I groaned. That was something I was NOT going to miss. Couldn’t they give it a rest?
“What?” Duncan muttered from his side of the car.
“Nothing,” I said, not wanting to reply.
I knew exactly what she was going to report to me. The gossip mongers were probably having a heyday over the fact that I was currently on my way to Arkansas with my uber-hot and extremely grumpy boss.
Not to mention that Isla was the worst of them. Replying to her could inadvertently give her all kinds of fodder to spread around the office.
She went on without a reply from me.
Isla:Gale said she drove past and saw Duncan at your house last night. She said the two of you were getting friendly on your front porch.
My vision went red. Gale lived on the same street. I should have known of all the people to have seen Duncan and me together, it would have been her.
Me:I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Did these women have nothing better to do with their time? I stuffed my phone back into my purse and stared at the headrests of the seats in front of us. If I was going to keep getting messages like that this whole time, this was going to be a long trip.
“How far is Eureka Springs?” I asked, needing to get my mind off of whatever the women in the office were stirring up now. It was none of my business. And it was entirely untrue.
How dare they keep this up? I’d told them I wasn’t sure how many times that there was nothing between Duncan and me.
There was a time I’d wanted something more with him. When I’d first started working, he hadn’t been quite this cranky. He’d been decent. He’d been thoughtful, and I didn’t mind the attraction that flared between us anytime we were in the same room together.
But then I’d started dating Pete—and things had changed.
