Page 68 of Handle with Care
“We’ll get this sorted out. It’ll be fine. I insist.”
At last, Will relents for a moment, giving me a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”
I brighten. “Of course I am. Listen. Create a diversion. I’m sure Lily’s too distracted to know—does she know?”
“No. She doesn’t know yet.”
“Good. We can look tomorrow. We’ll find it then.”
“This whole place is filled with boxes and crates.” Will shakes his head, glum. “It’s like a needle in a haystack.” He closes the binder with a heavy thud. If only it didn’t sound so ominous.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The breeze off the Thames helps take the edge off the day’s heat. Even so, the air’s still muggy and close. Will and I have walked together down the waterfront path from the museum mostly in silence. I tried cracking dumb jokes while he worried about work and the missing exhibit. At least I think he’s worried about work. He may well be worried about introducing me to his brother.
“It’ll be fine,” I whisper to him as we reach the restaurant and head to the riverside patio to meet Gray, who’s already there.
Gray rises as we reach the table, wind tousling his blond hair. He smiles broadly at us.
“Gray, this is Dylan. You probably remember more about meeting each other a few weeks back than I do,” Will admits.
I shake hands with Gray. His grip is firm, and he meets my gaze. “Good to see you again, Dylan. And thanks again for taking excellent care of Will that day.”
I smile back. “No problem. I would do it again. Except I don’t want Will to have more migraines if I can help it.”
Gray chuckles. We all sit down again. I look at Will, who also has the breeze tousling thing going on with his hair. I can’t helpbut want to run my fingers through it, massage his temples so he can relax. He looks pensive.
“It’s high praise that Will let you drive his SUV,” Gray says. “I don’t think he’d let me drive it. Except that one day, briefly. Out of dire need.”
“C’mon, Gray. You know I would,” Will protests, at last coming to life. He gives his brother a wry smile. “You only need to ask.”
“How many times have I driven it? Precisely zero, aside from that emergency.” Gray laughs, looking unbothered.
“I haven’t driven your car,” Will points out.
“We’ll need to swap sometime,” Gray teases his younger brother.
“Can’t. Yours is a stick. I can’t do the clutch without an adaptation.”
“Then”—Gray shrugs easily—“I’ll pretend to drive your car. Anyway, enough about cars. How’s your day?”
“Great,” I say brightly, while Will groans.
Gray looks from me to Will. “Mixed reviews, then.”
I look at Will, not sure quite what to say about our day. I stay quiet to see what Will’s going to say about the afternoon to his brother or if he brings up the missing items.
Will shrugs in the end, frowning slightly. “It’s very busy. There’s a lot to keep track of. I suppose I let the stress get to me today.”
“It’s stressful right now,” I acknowledge. “We have a lot of exhibits coming in and going out since we have a short closure for the show changeover at the museum.”
“And we’re used to working together.” Will looks at me.
“And that.” I smile warmly at him.
Then it dawns on me belatedly that probably the last two days have been very hard on Will, who likes to have time to prepare for things and read up, especially without havingthe security of a museum education. Not that I have heaps of experience either. But I think I deal with on-the-spot stress better than he does. Which might be a personality thing.
“You’re not working together anymore?” Gray looks surprised. “That would be a big change.”
