Page 64 of Amber Gambler

“It’s like a boyfriend but with more bird,” Josie said helpfully. “It means you’ve got a thing for my sister.”

“A thing for her?” He sounded thoughtful. “I did give her a tree.”

“No, no, no.” She stomped around, probably shaking muck off her boots. “I mean you like her.”

“I do like her.”

“No, like youlikeher.”

“I dolikeher.”

“Not like her, like her, butlike-likeher.”

I pictured Kierce tilting his head as he worked through a chain of logic I wasn’t sure I could have parsed if I wasn’t fluent in Josie. I liked that he was trying, though. I liked that he was so frank about it even more.

“Okay.” She gave it some thought. “It means you want to do more than hold hands with Frankie.”

I was going to kill her. I was going to die of embarrassment first. Then I was coming back to kill her.

Understanding dawned as his breaths grew louder. “You mean physical intimacy.”

A cringe made me grateful he couldn’t see me as I withered away from this invasive line of inquiry.

“Eww.” She chuckled, making me wish I could see his expression to read it for myself. “But also yes.”

That was as much as I could take, so I hightailed it to the bench before I overheard something I couldn’t unhear. I swapped my mucky waders out for the clean sneakers I left there earlier then climbed on the backseat of Carter’s giant black truck since Harrow occupied the front seat beside her.

“You’re up early.” Carter tossed me a white paper bag that rattled. “Those are for yesterday.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I peeked inside and caught a whiff of buttered popcorn. “I see you heard about apology jelly beans.” I pulled out a clear plastic bag full of yellow and white-speckled ones. “I stand by my statement. You didn’t have to do this.” I removed the metal twist tie and tossed one in my mouth. “But I appreciate the gesture.”

“You’re welcome.” She unflinchingly held my gaze in the rearview mirror. “Thanks for giving me another second chance.” She shifted in her seat. “I’m not sure I would have in your shoes.”

“I’ve been judged for what I am, what it took to survive, all my life.” I slanted my eyes away from Harrow when I said it. “We’re square. As long as you keep trying, I will too.” I grinned to let her know I was really okay. “You’ve met my siblings more than once, so you know I have infinite patience and boundless stores of forgiveness.”

“You two have been bonding,” Harrow remarked, glancing between us.

“You’re the one who nudged me to go out and make new friends.” I pointed at her. “Behold, a friend.”

“She’s my training officer,” he began then seemed to think twice about what he was going to say.

If the denial of a friendship between them hurt Carter’s feelings, she didn’t show it. I wasn’t sure if there had been a kernel of potential for more there pre-Lyle, but I sensed any bonds they’d forged had broken. I entertained the notion Harrow was frowning because he had wanted to cut her out of his life whenever he was approved for solo work. Contact with me past that benchmark, if we weathered this latest storm, would make avoiding her impossible. But maybe I was reading into things.

“You’re afraid us girls will gang up on you.” I played it off. “I get it.”

“Yes.” He turned his gaze out his window. “That’s what worries me.”

Many awkward minutes later, just as I was about to crack, an incoming text from Josie distracted me from the silence stuffing the cab.

>>You’ve met Business Kierce, Luau Kierce, and Vintage Vibes Kierce, but have you met Kountry Kierce?

“Oh God.” I scrolled down to the images she had sent. “I’m going to kill her.”

The attached photos showed him wearing overalls and waders.Shirtless.A straw hat cast his face in shadow, but I could just make out his frown. He posed with a pitchfork in one hand and Badb on his left shoulder. And then I noticed the pièce de résistance.

A long grass stem clamped between his lips, its droop confirming he was indeed frowning at the camera.

>He’s not a Barbie. Quit playing dress up with him.

---