Page 111 of Just One Little Bargain

“Maybe something’s standing right here.” Evie’s voice is pure false innocence. I look down at her, but she keeps her expression perfectly neutral.

She peels herself off my chest and steps aside. Cold rushes into the space she leaves. My hands follow on instinct, fingers closing on empty air where her waist was. She catches the graceless grab and lifts an eyebrow. I don’t bother pretending. I want her back against me, and her mouth twitches because she knows exactly what I was reaching for.

“You’re ruining my whole evening standing over there.”

“Needy,” she murmurs.

I open my mouth to respond, but Beck lunges at Priya from behind. The scream she produces is staggering. She wrenches free and shoves him so hard he careens sideways into Wilfred, who catches him with a single bracing hand.

Beck doubles over laughing, tears forming, while Priya lands punch after punch on his shoulder. “I’m going to kill you. I told you not to do that, Beck! Do that again and I’m walking home!”

My EMF detector continues its relentless beeping. I quietly switch it off and slide it into my pocket.

“Smooth,” Evie murmurs.

“That was your fault.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe the device was just picking up the atmosphere.”

“It was picking up me.”

“Sounds like a you problem.” Evie’s fingers find mine and she interlaces them.

Her hand settles into mine, warm and certain, with no bargain, terms, or obligation behind it. She chooses me this plainly because she wants to, and I can hardly bear how much that means.

Chapter 32

Milo

The visitor center door opens and Daisy steps out, her attention landing on our joined hands before lifting to our faces. The grin that splits her face is so wide and triumphant that I half expect her to pull confetti out of the pockets of her velvet coat.

I like her. The certainty of it is rare for me, because most of my feelings arrive tangled and require significant work before I understand them. But Daisy’s easy to like. She’s been my one reliable ally since I stumbled into her sister’s orbit, championing me with a persistence that bordered on a full-time occupation.

Evie’s grip tightens. “Don’t.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Daisy smirks.

“Walk,” Evie says. “Do your tour. Stop making it weird.”

Daisy mouths something at me over Evie’s head. I’m fairly certain it’s finally. She winks, then looks back at her sister. “So. Did you call him?”

Evie flinches against me.

“Call who?” I ask.

“Julian.” Daisy says it to Evie, not me, her eyebrows lifting. “The magazine man. Tell me you called him!”

“I did.” Her chin stays level. “He’s coming to see the inn tomorrow morning.”

Daisy makes a sound closer to a squeak than a word, and grabs Evie’s free hand, squeezing.

“Magazine man?” I say, because I’ve been left three steps behind and I don’t enjoy it.

Evie won’t quite look at me. “I’ll explain later.”

The guilty little tuck of her mouth tells me she forgot to mention this.

Daisy releases her and turns to the group.