Page 68 of Secrets in the Deep

“I’m not sure. Tell me you make a good double shot vanilla latte and it may be for a while.”

“I don’t like to brag, but it’s the best in Deep River. Possibly the best in the state.”

Nora grinned. “I’ll set up camp.”

“I’ll have an Americano,” Ryan said, before handing over cash.

“She seems nice,” Nora said, when they sat at a table near the window.

Ryan gave her a look. “What are you doing here, Nora?”

“I told you the school was making budget cuts. I got the ax. Where else was I supposed to go?”

“They just let you go?”

“From what I was told, they couldn't wait until the end of the year. They were facing financial pressure and needed to make staffing changes immediately.” She frowned, emotion cutting across her features. Including some sadness. “I barely got to say goodbye to the kids.”

He noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Her slightly hollowed cheeks. Had she lost weight? “And how areyou?”

There was the tiniest flare of…something in his sister’s eyes. Most would have missed it. He didn’t. He clocked everything about her. He also knew she didn’t sleep well. Never had. While he’d been able to process and let go of the shitstorm that’d been their upbringing, Nora had always kept it inside her.

“I’m fine.” She ran her finger along the edge of the table. “I’ll find a new job and somewhere to live?—”

“Somewhere to live?” Polly interrupted as she set two mugs on the table. “I have a place.”

Ryan shook his head. “No. Thank you, Polly, but Nora, you’re staying with me.” He needed her close so he could make sure she was okay. She clearly wasn’t resting or eating enough.

Nora laughed. “I amnotstaying with you. Emi was wearing nothing but your sweater this morning.”

“What?” Polly gasped.

Great. Now word was going to spread like wildfire.

Nora cringed. “Sorry. I thought people knew.” She looked at Polly. “You kind of knew though, right?”

“Oh, we absolutely knew.”

Nora laughed, and as the two women chatted, Ryan took out his phone and sent a text.

Ryan: You get to set okay?

They’d changed the random number her mom had put into Emily’s contacts back to Ryan’s real one, and she’d unblocked it.

Emily: I did. I haven’t seen my mother yet, but I will.

Ryan: She’ll probably pretend like nothing happened.

Emily: Well, the woman does like to live in a perpetual state of illusion.

Ryan: Is Ethan there?

Emily: He is. Much to Roscoe’s dismay. You’d think the guy would have gotten used to your team by now.

Ryan: And how are you?

This time, there was a small pause between responses. The three dots came up, then disappeared, before her text finally came through.

Emily: I’m trying not to overthink things.