Page 24

I squeeze his fingers. “Ozzie, you didn’t fuck up at the lake. You are good at your job. And I feel really lucky to have you on my team.”

His face softens. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t realize couples were allowed to be on the same shift,” comes a sharp, almost furious voice to my right. I freeze because I know it. The voice I’ve been wanting to hear for almost a week now. And of course he’s pissed.

“Uh…what?” I blink at Rune.

He gestures almost furiously to where Ozzie and I have joined hands. “Fucking that.”

“We’re not—” Ozzie tries.

“Save it,” Rune spits. He looks exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, and I swear he’s lost weight. “I just hope you make it easy on Camilo.” Then he looks at Ozzie. “Figures someone like him would turn your head, though I’m surprised that Easton would trade in his straight card for you, of all people.”

He’s gone before I can react. Ozzie snatches his hands back, his face blooming red. “I…we’re not…”

“It’s okay,” I tell him quickly.

He stares down at his lap. “I mean, we’re not, but I didn’t think he would be so angry about it if, you know, we were dating or whatever. I mean, I know I’m not a great catch, but…” He trails off and hunches his shoulders.

Part of me wants to go punch Rune in the fucking dick for ruining the progress I’d just made with Ozzie’s self-esteem and his ability to believe he belongs here. But the other part of me knows Rune is going through hell.

“Can you watch my sandwich and not throw it into the pond?”

Ozzie’s eyes widen, and his face blooms even darker red.

“I’m joking. Do me a favor and wrap it in some of that paper North left. I’m going to see if I can help dislodge the stick up Rune’s ass. He owes you an apology.”

As I push away from the counter, Ozzie makes a grab for me. “Wait! I don’t…it’s fine. I don’t want to be a problem.”

I’m already halfway to the door, but I stop and turn. “You are not the problem here. And it’s not fine. I’ll be right back.”

It takes me five full minutes to find Rune. He’s outside sitting on the grass near the little pond, watching the ducks introduce their babies to the water. It hasn’t rained in a bit, so the water’s shallow, and I have a feeling if we don’t get a decent downpour soon, they’ll be moving on to greener—or wetter—pastures.

That makes me sad, even as my fury is simmering under my skin, and I walk up to Rune and give him a swift but dull kick against his thigh.

“Ow.” He shifts away, but I very much doubt my sorry-ass kick hurt.

“You’re a dick.”

His eyes shift up toward me. “What’s new?”

“I mean, nothing, I guess. Except you’re not usually an epic asshole to Ozzie. He’s a marshmallow. Not even toasted. Soft and squishy and right out of the package.”

“Is that how you like your shame fucks?” he asks.

Heat rises in my chest. “Okay, seriously, Rune. What is your problem?”

His mouth opens, then shuts, then he drops his face into his hands, and his shoulders begin to shake. For a second, I think he’s laughing. And then I hear the quiet sobs.

I act before I can stop myself, and it’s an almost out-of-body experience as I drop beside him and wrap an arm around his shoulders.

“Fuck off,” he hisses.

“Yeah, no. You’re being mean to the sweetest guy who works here, and now you’re sobbing in front of the baby ducks. I don’t think you actually want me to go.”

“I want,” he says viciously, then suddenly stops and shakes his head. “Fuck. Is Ozzie upset?”

“Yes,” I tell him, and he cries a little harder. “You hurt his feelings pretty badly, but he’ll get over it. It was just bad timing.”