Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
What had he meant when he’d said he would take care of everything?
Lord knew.
Brody frowned. “Why the hell would he be getting you to sign an NDA now?”
“He said his lawyers advised him to get me to sign it as he’s running for senate.”
“Ew. Him as our senator?”
She agreed. Total ew.
“And he was weird about Jake. He’s a friend of Mrs. Ellison. He visits occasionally and was over the other day when Brad saw him.”
“That’s odd. Do you think he knows him?”
“I doubt it. They wouldn’t run in the same circles.”
Brody drew off his sweater and she smiled at today’s T-shirt.
Who needs good looks when you have brains like these?
But he was good-looking.
Adorable.
“Can I see the paperwork?”
“Yep, I’ll just have to find my handbag.”
“I’ll go get it. You keep eating.”
She ate some more soup, but she was feeling full now. Taking her plate and bowl to the sink, she turned the coffee machine on.
Brody gave her a disapproving look, but didn’t say anything as he walked in with her handbag. She’d only said she would think about cutting down.
She grabbed out the pieces of paper for him and he started to scan them while she willed the coffee machine to move faster.
“This is ridiculous. It basically covers all the time you were together until about a month after you were rescued. This is about more than just work confidentiality.”
“What? Really? Why would it cover all that time?”
“I don’t know, but you’re not signing it. We’ll send him an email saying that.”
“He’s got a virus. I’ll text him.”
“A virus, huh? Perfect.”
She gave him a surprised look, but didn’t say anything.
“This is so bizarre. What the heck does he think you’d say about him?”
She frowned, puzzling it out. “I don’t know. I mean, if I was going to say anything bad about him, wouldn’t I have said it already? He was a jerk to me. Demeaning and demoralizing, but he never harmed me physically. And it would be my word against his. Frankly, he comes across better in the media. So, I have no idea what this is about.”
“Unless it’s to do with his relationship with Laura.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “You mean the likelihood that they were having an affair?”
“Only you have no proof of that either. However, maybe he thinks you do. Or perhaps it’s simpler than that. Maybe it’s to do with the way he broke up with you.”
It was a lightbulb moment. Of course. “Because that wouldn’t look good, him dumping me while I was still in the hospital.” He wouldn’t want her telling the press about what a dick he was. Not that she would, but he didn’t know that.
“I’m honestly surprised he did that. It wasn’t a smart move career-wise.”
She winced at the break-up of her relationship being called a poor career choice.
Brody went pale. “Not that I . . . I didn’t mean to imply . . . crap. I need to think before I speak.”
She walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder and leaning into him. “I know you didn’t mean it like that and I get what you’re saying.”
“If you’d been in a different state or a different type of person, you could have made a fuss about that and put a dent in his career. Nobody would have sympathized with him.”
“That’s got to be it. What a jerkwad.”
“Definitely a jerk,” Brody agreed. Then he pointed at her. “You’re still in trouble.”
“I’m innocent of all charges.”
“You don’t know what the charges are.”
“It seemed prudent to protest my innocence anyway.”
He turned to face her, putting his hands on her hips to hold her in place.
“Uh-oh, your face looks very serious. Am I that naughty?” Sometimes her Little peeked out around him. Not often. But he was throwing off odd vibes.
“Just want your promise that you’ll tell me when he contacts you. And that you won’t see him again without me.”
“I promise.”
He looked relieved as he nodded.
“Can you stay or do you have to get back to work?”
“I can stay.”
“Yay! Wanna go play some Rocky?”
“Yep.”
“Race you to it!” she squealed, running toward the living room. She nearly crashed into a wall. “Shoot! Who put that naughty wall there?”
“I don’t know. It just appeared out of nowhere,” he said dryly, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Why don’t we walk there together.”
“But then I won’t be able to call you a rotten egg for being last.”
“I’ll still let you call me a rotten egg.”
“You’re the bestest, Brody-bear.”
He found her on the back porch, looking up at the stars.
A shiver worked its way over her and he slipped inside to grab a blanket. The boy was still snoring softly in her bedroom.
Then he returned to the porch.
“Not many stars tonight.”
She jumped, gasping and glancing over her shoulder at him. He wrapped the blanket around her.