Page 57 of The Pretenders of Copper County
“You are insane,” Reed pronounced. “Insane. It’s not lovely, Chris. I get that everyone means well, but we’re supposed to be laying low and hiding out here. Now every single person in Copper County and most of the folks in O’Leary know you. They knowme. Small towns are the worst hiding spots ever?—”
I shook my head. “They don’t know you.”
Reed rolled back to his side so he could glare at me more effectively. “I beg to differ.”
“I mean, they know your name, but they don’t knowyou. They don’t really know me either… yet. They don’t know that you’re a Division agent, and they don’t know what brought you here.”
He pursed his lips. “I guess.”
“They don’t know if you like football or what your favorite movie is. They don’t know that you’re bossy and grumpy—well, maybe they’ve figuredthatout—but they don’t knowwhy. They don’t know where you went to school or what your hobbies are. They don’t know why you’re ridiculously overprotective, or how you got your job, or whether you like white or wheat toast, or what your favorite smell is—mine is jasmine—or why you’re so overprotective.” I laughed a little. “I mean,Idon’t even know those things, and I’m your husband!”
“Chris,” he began. His voice was gentle, so gentle, and cautious. A tone that meant he was about to let me down gently by reminding me about his job and my uncle and danger and possibly—very likely—adrenaline.
I forced myself to laugh again. “Fake husband, obviously. Fake and temporary husband.” I swallowed hard but kept my voice light. “I-I’m just saying, don’t knock small towns entirely just because you didn’t fit inoneof them.” I shrugged. “People in the Hollow think they know you because they used to know you, and they don’t anymore—not the real you, anyway. So I bet being there feels like… like putting on a sweater from when you were a kid. It’s too big in some places, because someone knit it for you to grow into and you never did, and too tight in other places no matter how much you stretch it out. Beinghere, though…” I leaned forward and put a hand on the rain-damp sleeve of his shirt. “That’s a whole other thing. In Copper County, nobody has any preconceived notions about you. You can let people get to know the real Reed Sunday. Knit yourownidentity so youknowit’ll fit.”
Reed’s green eyes fixed on me so intently it felt he was trying to read my mind. I really, really hoped that wasn’t one of the skills the Division had taught him because if it was… well, he’d be able to see all kinds of things. Things that would freak him out.
And I wasn’t just talking about my plan to google my uncle.
I squirmed slightly. “So, um, now that I’m feeling better, maybe we could—” I cleared my throat, which made me cough, which made me sniff loudly.
Reed huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, you’re totally better… from that sickness you absolutely didn’t have.” He did an ab roll and got to his feet in a movement so smooth I could never copy it, even if I practiced for years. “We are not messing around again?—”
Before I could even process the disappointment of that, Reed continued. “—tonight.”
That waswayless disappointing.
“Stay here,” Reed instructed before striding out into the main room of the cabin. I scooted to the edge of the bed and swung my legs over, but then he was back, carrying…
“Is that a… a TV?” I demanded.
“Yup. Did I not get to the part of my day where Watt—your new super-bestie—accosted me on my way out of the grocery store and insisted that I follow him back to his house so he could give you an ancient fucking television/DVD player for you to use during your recovery?” Reed rolled his eyes. With one hand, he opened a folding tray table, then set the small TV on top and knelt to plug it in. “He also gave me this.”
He tossed a reusable grocery bag on the end of the bed, and a bunch of DVD cases spilled out.
I gasped. “Is that…”
“Seasons one through three ofJohn Ruffian: Pretender? Yes.” Reed pursed his lips like he was tasting something sour. “Watt may have mentioned bringing the other seasons over at some point so you could watch them together.” Heset his hands on his hips and gave me a narrow-eyed glare. “But I told him you needed to rest because you had a near-fatal lung infection, and that’s nothing to mess around with.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it and nodded. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think Reed sounded… jealous? But that couldn’t be right.
Reed glanced at the floor. At the door. Out the window. Then at the empty side of the bed where he’d slept last night… and all the nights since we’d gotten here nearly a week ago.
“I suppose…” he began slowly. “I’vealready been exposed to you.” His eyes met mine. “If I was going to get sick, it probably already would have happened.”
Though I was almost positive that wasn’t true, I nodded again eagerly. “Absolutely. Yes.”
“So maybe I could heat you up some soup and then sit with you while you eat it.”
“While we, um, watchJohn Ruffian?” I felt light-headed in a decidedly non-head-cold sort of way. All my favorite things at once? If I was still asleep, I had no interest in waking up.
“Sure.” Reed rocked up and down on the balls of his feet. “I mean, it would probably be good for our cover story if I at least knew what the show was about. If we were really married, I’d have seen the series three times. That’s what people in lovedo, from what I’ve seen.”
“Yeah.” Overwhelmed, I could only nod once more. “G-good point.”
He nodded once and headed toward the kitchen, but he stopped in the doorway and turned back.
“Cars,” he announced.
