Page 41 of Fierce-Baker

“What’s not right? Being attracted to a single man who shares the same with you? He is single, by the way. No way Jolene would consider anyone who wasn’t.”

“I know. And you know my trust is very fragile. I told him that. I didn’t explain why. I told him Micah’s father is off the table in terms of a conversation.”

“How did he take that?”

“Well. He said something that I won’t share. It’s not important other than I think he let it slip and then I questioned him and he didn’t want to share. Something about trust too. So that is off the table too.”

“Seems fair for now, but it can’t stay that way forever if you want this to materialize into anything.”

“That’s the thing. I proposed it as us both dipping our toes in. No commitment but exclusive.”

“Friends with benefits?” Margo whispered. “I never thought you’d do something like that.”

“We aren’t. Not really. I don’t know if it has a term. I think it’s that maybe we both have some hesitations. Neither of us is the type we normally both go for either. And I don’t want him to meet Micah or be in his life right now, so that limits things.”

“Makes sense. He was okay with that?”

“Yes. So it’s kind of a weird situation. The kiss was to see if there was even chemistry.”

“Sounds to me like you almost blew up the lab with that kiss.”

“I don’t know why I thought it’d be otherwise. I’ve noticed him for weeks. He said he did the same as me. Now we live close to each other. Just one of those other connection things.”

“So tell me this. What’s the next step?” Margo asked.

“That’s the problem. I just don’t know. We had no answer other than we exchanged numbers. We’ll chat casually at work, but anything more will throw up flares and I’m not ready for that.”

“But you said Mason and Ben know what Jolene is doing. Even Gavin. And I find that whole thing funny with Gavin, but he’s a riot when he gets involved. He had a lot to do with Faith’s setup.”

“You told me.”

“Jolene was so mad about that, so Gavin gets his fun in too.”

“In his way,” she said. “I don’t think this is part of it, but it sounds like Gavin really likes Baker a lot.”

“Gavin loves his liquor and that the business expanded into that,” Margo said. “I know he spends almost as much time with Baker as he did Mason early on.”

“I hadn’t realized that. I’ll keep that in mind.”

And that Baker had slipped and said something negative about his father.

“You still didn’t say what the next step is.”

“Because I just don’t know. I guess we’ll find out together.”

Which almost made the anticipation just as great. At least she hoped so.

12

KEEPING THIS LIGHT

“Hey,” Baker said to her on Friday. He knew her schedule this week. Knew she had yesterday off and today was her last day of her four-day week.

No weekends, just four days Monday through Friday.

He knew her shift started thirty minutes before the first tour would take off to get people paid and ready to go, and that she always got here earlier to put her things away, fill up her water bottle or even get a coffee.

Maybe he felt like he was stalking her a bit. Stupid on his part, but it was the only way he saw her unless he went up front.