Page 49 of Breadwinner

“What do you think? Is this sweater the winner?” Nell smoothed her hands over her torso, looking at her reflection in the mirror before crouching down to nuzzle Mortimer, his raspy purr vibrating through him as she scratched under his chin. Oh, to be a cat.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said softly, before standing to head downstairs.

She found Nate in his office, poring over paperwork, looking up only when she cleared her throat.

“It’s the holiday weekend, Nate. No more work.”

“Someone needs to tell my employer that.” He winked, that boyish sparkle catching the dim light.

“Consider her informed. But out of curiosity, what is it that you’re working on?”

Nate smiled, knowingly, “I’m finalizing security plans for your trip to Las Vegas in a few weeks. I’ve been operating under the assumption that Sarah will be joining you for that trip as well.”

“You know what happens when you assume.” Her smile stretched wide, accompanying the familiar teasing tone she so often slipped into with Nate. “I haven’t asked her yet, but yourassumption is correct. I have a feeling she won’t say no to the invitation.”

Nate leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, assessing her. “You’ve got that look again.” His tone was singsongy in that way he knew annoyed her.

She arched an eyebrow, responding dryly, “I’m going to need you to be more specific.”

“That look,” he said, tipping his chin toward her. “You get this particular thing happening right about here.” He motioned in a circle around her face. “Like all the hard, pointy parts of you disappear. You relax when she’s around?—”

“Oh, please,” Nell scoffed, cutting him off, but he wasn’t letting up.

“That sweater’s a nice choice.” Nate eyed her as she sank into the chair across from his desk. “And no watch today? Interesting.” He shrugged and turned back to his paperwork.

“The watch is for business only. You know that,” she deflected, her fingers immediately ghosting over her bare wrist where her watch usually sat. “Am I that readable?”

“You have your tells. You get quiet right before you see Sarah, and it’s not your usual brooding kind of quiet. You’re less calculating, more thoughtful.”

Nell gave a short laugh, aimed to dismiss and deflect Nate’s absurd observation. “I do not.”

“You do. Trust me. I’ve been reading you like an open book since we were five.” Nate grinned, enjoying this too much. God, he could be infuriating. “Thought it was interesting,” he added, tapping his pen lightly against the desk, watching her closely. “Haven’t seen you like this since Stephanie.”

Her smile faltered slightly before she pulled it back into place. No need to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d thrown her off. It had been years since Stephanie had occupied any of her thoughts.

“That was a long time ago.”

“Didn’t say it wasn’t.” Nate shrugged, his eyes still fixed on her. “Just saying, it’s nice to see you lit up about something again, or should I saysomeone.”

Nell looked down, adjusting the cuff of her sweater like it needed fixing. “Put the book down, Nate. You’re reading too much into things that aren’t there.”

Nate didn’t push her for more, instead shuffling the papers on his desk, understanding the silence that followed as a sign to drop the topic.

“You want me to finalize the clearance list for Vegas?”

“Yes, please. Keep it lean.” She paused. “And make sure we have the private rooms secured at the casino.”

“Already on it.” He made a note in the margin of his tablet. “Security is coordinating with the casino. We’ll have private transport, back-of-house access, and I’ve flagged the press perimeter so no one catches anything they shouldn’t, especially given the activities you have planned for Saturday evening.”

“Perfect.”

He gave her a look. “You know I’ve got you.”

“I do.”

She paced the few steps to the window that overlooked the gravel drive in one direction and the sloping lawn in the other. She stood with her arms folded across her chest, unsettled slightly by the introduction of a part of her past she had quietly tucked away long ago.

“Do you ever think about how far we’ve come?” she asked, after a moment, still not looking at him. “Twenty years ago, I was breaking off an engagement, and you were?—”