Page 29 of Deal Breaker
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Awkward. Tense. You could’ve made the entire trip miserable, and you didn’t.”
He doesn’t answer for a second. Then, quietly: “You think I want it to be miserable?”
“No,” I say, just as quiet. “I don’t.”
The conversation stops there—unspoken things suspended between us—until the Cove building comes into view and we’re back to reality.
By the time we step into the office, I’ve built my walls back up just high enough. I head to my desk and drop my bag. Before I can even take off my jacket, Becca’s up from her chair and walking towards me, eyes wide.
“Did you just walk in with Ford?”
I nod. “We were at the site.”
Marco’s leaning against my desk three seconds later, coffee in hand. “I thought I saw you leaving with him earlier, but I figured I hallucinated it.”
“He took her to the site,” Becca stage-whispers. “Like the actual site.”
“Yes. I was there. And look—I survived!” I laugh, shaking my head.
“He only takes his brothers to the site. Like,ever,” Marco says, eyes narrowing like he’s trying to solve a crime. “Seriously. Even then, Jesse had to talk him into taking Wes.”
“I didn’t realize it was a big deal,” I say, feigning nonchalance. “We had to look at some layout stuff. It was fine.”
“Fine?” Becca nearly chokes. “This is Ford Winters we’re talking about, right?”
“Yeah, ‘fine’ doesn’t track, Landyn. The guy is intense as fuck,” Marco adds.
I think back to the way he gently held my elbow as I teetered on the loose gravel. His easy smile when I teased him at the diner. The way he looked at me like I mattered. “It’s not a big deal,” I say, pulling off my coat and draping it over my chair.
Becca and Marco exchange a look but don’t push. Instead, Becca tips her head. “So, Landyn. Tell us more about you.”
I smile, carefully. “Which version do you want? The one that sounds good on my resume or the one that’s half-coffee, half-chaos?”
Marco grins. “Chaos. Always chaos.”
I laugh softly. “Well, I’ve been in marketing for about eight years. I was living in Alberta for a while but moved back to Deep Cove recently. Fortunately, this opportunity at Cove came up so it was good timing.”
“Alberta?” Becca asks. “What brought you back here?”
I hesitate, searching for the right words. I’ve never been someone who shares much about my private life. We’re still not sure what’s happening with my mom’s health. If it turns out it’s something serious, I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle it. “I moved back to be closer to my family. The job posting seemed perfect for me too, and I just felt like it was the right time to return home.”
Becca nods, like she understands that pull too. “Your parents live here?”
I glance down at my water bottle, twisting the cap. “Yeah. My mom and dad live here. And now my daughter and I do too.”
Marco blinks. “You have a kid?”
“Her name’s Poppy. She just turned six. That’s part of why I moved back—it’s been just the two of us for a long time, and I wanted her to have more family around. She loves her grandparents. I want them to have a relationship. I know it sounds cheesy, but that kid is my whole world.”
Becca smiles. “Not cheesy at all. I feel the same way about my own kids. Is she in school here?”
“Grade one. She goes to Bayview. I was a bit worried about uprooting her, but she’s already made so many new friends. It’s amazing how resilient kids can be.”
Marco leans against the edge of my desk. “So, you’re doing this job, raising a kid, and still managing to look like you’ve slept in the last decade?”
I shake my head, grinning. “It’s all smoke and mirrors. And caffeine. So much caffeine.”
“And is there a partner in the picture?” Marco asks, eyebrows raised. “Husband? Boyfriend?”
