Page 16 of Just a Plot Twist
“Okay, okay, you need to save your breath. And please, anytime you need to take a break, just put me down. I’m sure your arms are getting tired.”
He gives a slight shake of the head, his focus straight forward, sorting out any knob or rut that could send us both flying. A quick shiver travels down my spine. I grasp the neckline of his shirt.
“I don’t need to put you down. I’m in the zone and we can’t interrupt that.”
How is he so jovial? Like helping me is making his day?
“Right,” I say. “But if your arms start to swell…”
“My arms are fine. The only thing swelling up is your ankle.”
He has a point. His arms look entirely fine. Bulged, sinewed.
So, see?Fine.
“You’re probably right.” It hurts pretty bad. And as careful and gentle as he’s being, the jostling of every step isn’t exactly easy on my injury.
“So, anyway, um, like I said before, I’m the assistant city manager of Longdale, and I’ve worked in the city offices, in one capacity or another, for nine years. And Rich? Well, he wants to become city manager, but I do, too. We sort of have a rivalry going on. In the most professional, adult ways. It’s a thing, but it’s barely a thing.”
“I gathered that,” he says with a grunt.
“What? You could tell? Am I that easy to read?” A lock of my hair has escaped my ponytail and sealed itself to his collarbone. I pull it away gingerly, careful not to mess up his groove as he traipses.
He doesn’t respond either because he agrees with me or he’s just out of breath. Let’s be real, it might be both.
“Okay,” I continue. “Note to self: tone down the rivalry with Rich McClain. Got it. Although, to be fair, it’s usually him that’s so precious about it, but I won’t get into that.” I lower my voice. “Especially since he’s on this hike right now.”
I should shut up about Rich. Ugh. And I really should finish my application for the city manager position. I’ve started on it, but I keep redoing it and my resume. Tweaking. Perfecting.
“Anyway, another thing about me is I’m obsessed with my niece, Elizabeth.” I try to smack my forehead, but I don’t want to let go of Benson and fall off. “But of course you know that. She’s your niece, too. Isn’t she the cutest little thing?”
When he grunts his agreement, I go on. “The family has grown. It’s not like I spend much time with the Tates since it’s Sophie’s family, not mine. But yeah, they’re great.”
I wait and then remember it’s inadvisable for him to speak, so I go on. “Sophie and I were raised by our grandparents after our mom passed away. Yesterday would have been her 56thbirthday.”
His grunt is softer, sort of like an apology.
“I barely remember her now. She’s been gone a long time. I miss her, but our grandparents are great. They and Sophie haven’t always gotten along too well, but things are better now. Getting married and giving them a great-grandbaby has helped a lot.”
Which is interesting. For the longest time, I was the one who was close to them. We had fun together. Playing rummy and Hand and Foot. Traveling to Yellowstone in their Winnebago. Going shopping. All the things.
I’m not a contrarian like Sophie. I’m a people pleaser and my favorite people to please are my grandparents. But lately? They’ve been asking me about my career, and they usually mention a city admin job opening in Boulder or ask me to join the campaign team for a local politician, for, as they say, “research for the future.” My future is always on their mind.
Which is hard. I put enough pressure on myself, I don’t need it from them, too.
I doubt they’d ever want to know that, deep down, I just want to find a nice, sexy man to marry and have babies with.
I want that. I do. I’m not ashamed to admit it, even though my grandparents have so much more on their minds for me to do and be.
Except, the realization hits me. I don’t want toadmitthat’s what I want. It’s too vulnerable to put myself out there, to say to the world,yes, Claire Lawson wants to find a man and settle down.Because it hasn’t happened.
It’s just easier to pretend that my grandparents’ dreams for my career and my life are my own.
“This is kind of an awkward question.” Benson pauses to breathe, “But do you have a boyfriend?”
“Whoa. That got personal real fast.”
“No, I mean, am I going to have to apologize to someone about being so…up close and personal with his girlfriend?”
