Page 73 of Silent Partner (Pine Falls 3)

“How soon is that?”

“I hope next week,” he said so tiredly.

“I know you can’t tell me who you’re representing or what you’re doing, but is there anything I can do to make it better?”

“You already are. Just seeing your gorgeous face and hearing your voice is the best medicine around.”

“You really know how to sweet-talk a girl.”

“I know how to tell a woman the truth,” he said seriously sexily.

I literally had to fan myself, making him grin.

“Kinsley, I may not have noticed you when you were sixteen, but given that I was twenty-three at the time, I’m counting that as a good thing. That said,” he got more serious, “I’ll never forget the first time we danced together at Jonah’s wedding. How amazing it felt to hold you in my arms. I should have known then I was no match for your charm. I also should have done a better job of staying away from you, knowing I could never have you. I apologize for being so weak.”

“Please don’t. You don’t know how much that memory of dancing with you, and our many runs, meant to me. How much they still mean to me. I can’t explain it, but I felt as if I had found myself during those times.”

“I feel the same. I only wish I had been smart enough to do the right thing then.”

“Grandma says it’s never too late to do the right thing.”

“Do you truly believe that?” He seemed desperate to know.

I nodded. “Yes. My mom,” I said quietly, like I always did when I said her name, “she once told me that she hoped I would know better, so I would do better than her. I think that’s what life is all about—figuring out what’s the best thing to do and then doing it once you know how. Some things just take longer to learn.”

Brant tilted his head. “Kinsley, you are an amazing woman. There is no doubt you are the best thing for me. I only hope I will be the same for you.”

I blew him a kiss. “I know you are. I mean, I did tell you about my Hula-Hoop and that I can wiggle my nose.”

He gave me a big smile. “How is the Hula-Hoop goal going, by the way?”

“I’m still at ninety-eight,” I sighed with an air of frustration.

“You know, once upon a time, you agreed to let me see you in action. I’m thinking now would be good.”

“You want me to get my Hula-Hoop out?” I laughed.

“More than you know.” He wasn’t laughing. In fact, he was quite impassioned about it.

“Okay, but no making fun of me.”

“I don’t plan on it.” Everything he said sounded so swoony, for lack of a better word. It was as if he were delivering a line in a romantic movie, but he was too sincere for it to seem practiced. He just embodied charisma.

I pushed myself off the bed, much to Oscar’s chagrin. He gave me such a look. Sorry, buddy, you’re going to have to share me, I thought. As I knelt to retrieve my Hula-Hoop, I heard the sound of Brant humming some soulful tune right on key. My head popped up. “Do you sing?”

“Perhaps,” he sang.

I was so in love. “I want to hear.”

“Hula-Hoop first, and then I promise to sing you to sleep.”

Oh yeah. I was done for. There would be no getting over him. Ever. “Deal.” I grabbed my purple Hula-Hoop before angling the phone so he could see me standing up.

“I love that view,” he groaned.

If it were anyone else, I would have been embarrassed to be found in my pj’s with a Hula-Hoop around my waist. But with him, I wanted to share all of me, even the silly parts. My soul demanded that he know all of me.

“All right. Here I go.” I made sure the Hula-Hoop pressed against my lower back and was parallel with the floor. I thought about pushing my stomach forward and backward. I placed one foot forward and went for it. “One, two, three . . . ,” I counted out loud. Brant joined in, and together we called out each number. When I dared, I caught glimpses of him smiling as the numbers and rotations went higher and higher until we reached the nineties.

“You got this!” he shouted.

“Ninety-one, ninety-two, ninety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five,” we shouted, getting louder and louder. “Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight . . .” I was still going and couldn’t believe it. “NINETY-NINE! ONE HUNDRED!”

The Hula-Hoop fell to the ground, making a loud clatter and once again disturbing my cat. I felt as if I could have gone on forever, but I’d reached my goal, and that was enough. More than that, I’d reached it with Brant. That seemed significant.

“You did it.” Brant beamed.

“Yes, I did.” I stood stunned with the Hula-Hoop lying at my feet. “Thank you.”

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