Page 60 of The Pretenders of Copper County
I nodded.
“—right before you asked me to turn on the next episode,” he concluded, smug as fuck.
“Only because I wanted to see about the dog!” I insisted, pulling into a diagonal parking spot half a block down from the library. “Not because I like the show or anything.”
“No, I would never think that, Reed,” he said sweetly. “Not when you’ve made it so clear that you were only watching for my benefit last night. And every night. For the past three nights.”
Reluctantly, I laughed. “Fine, maybe I don’thateit.”
“I know that, too,” he said saucily.
But when he reached for the door handle, my laughter fled, and I grabbed his sleeve. “Just… promise me you’ll keep your guard up, okay?” I glanced up and down the street, where cheerful moms in knee boots and sweaters pushed baby carriages, two older gentlemen, both on walkers, chatted as fall leaves swirled around them, and a hand-chalked sign outside Nickerson’s Books n’ More announced it wasMystery Monday, All Mysteries Half Off!“I feel like there’s something going on. Something I’m missing.”
To my surprise, though, Chris’s good humor fled as quickly as mine had. He letgo of the door handle, but only so he could turn toward me, arms folded over his chest. “Do you honestly think something’s going to happen to me, Reed?Here?” He waved a hand toward the sidewalk.
Someone walking by mistook his wave for a greeting and waved back enthusiastically.
Chris tilted his head as if to say,See?And I did see. But also…
“Look, O’Leary and Copper County seem safe enough, I grant you. But I thought that about the flamingo house, too, and there was a fucking gun battle on the side lawn?—”
“And we still don’t know if that had anything to do with us. We don’t,” he insisted when I opened my mouth to argue. “No one followed us, and no one knew we were there. Yoususpectit was related because you look for the danger in everything. And I understand it, sort of—that’s your job, right? But you have no proof.” He tilted his head. “Just like I haven’t seen a single shred of proof about my uncle, even though we’ve been in Copper County for a wholeweek. I’m trusting you completely, Reed, and you promised?—”
“I know.” I clenched the steering wheel with both hands. “You’re right. I need to message Janissey again and?—”
“Andreally push the issue this time?” He cast his eyes to the roof of the car. “Because that’s what you said two days ago, but then you got busy and forgot?—”
“Because I reallywasbusy! I cut down all the trees and grass that were choking the RV parking areas, I got the electric and water hookups working, I helped you paint the interior of Cabin 7 that Peace Yellow color you like, which took two coats, and I… I ran to town for supplies so you could make the butter board from the magazine—which was delicious, by the way.”And I am trying toprotect you because when you see the proof, it’s going to hurt you.
My excuses sounded pitiful to my own ears, though, and clearly, Chris agreed.
“What happened to this work being only a cover?” he said, and though his voice was quiet, I knew an accusation when I heard one.
“I already agreed you’re right,” I said grudgingly, watching the older gentlemen inch down the sidewalk. I blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. Really. You’ve been more than patient. You deserve to see the proof you asked for. I’ll get someone to handle it today. I swear.”
“Okay,” Chris said stiffly. “Thank you.” He hesitated a moment, then blurted, “Look, I don’t want to argue with you?—”
I turned my head toward him and lifted an eyebrow. “Because you hate arguing?”
His lips twitched, and his shoulders loosened a little. “Yes. That. Although, with you, I don’t actually hate it. It’s even sometimes kind of fun because you don’t get angry about anything except my safety. But I also don’t want to argue because I know you’re still worried about John Ruffian’s dog. Spoiler: Lola lives.”
I snorted. “Thanks a lot, husband. You’ve just ruined the whole series.”
“The thing is,” Chris continued in a more serious tone, “I’m an adult, Reed. I can take care of myself.”
I lifted the other eyebrow.
He blushed a bit. “In any situation that doesn’t involve guns,” he conceded.
I lifted both eyebrows.
“Or… sudden, completely unpredictable outbreaks of beer-fueled aggression,” he added.
I curled my lip.
Chris huffed. “Fine,orunexpectedly deep bodies of water. But I’m not very likely to encounter any of those things in the library, am I? And the thing is…” He ran a hand through his hair, disordering the damp strands, then bent his knee up on the seat so he could lean toward me. “Reed, you know how much I love my uncle, right? How grateful I am for everything he did for me?”
“Yeah, I know.” I closed my eyes briefly. “You need to think the best of him. I get it?—”
