“Okay, we need to talk to Spencer,” Zander said, shoving his chair back from the table.
“Yeah, you and I need to have a chat,” Knox said, stepping toward Fiona.
“We do?” she asked.
“Yep. Let’s go.”
It didn’t take a guy who read romance novels to understand the sexual tension between them. It was palpable. Zander wasn’t so sure anything had actually happened between them. Yet. But it seemed inevitable.
Fiona stared Knox down for about ten seconds. Then she rose.
It was then that Knox noticed the ankle brace she wore.
“What the hell is that?” he demanded, frowning. His arms dropped to his sides and he took a step forward.
“I twisted my ankle,” she said, lifting a shoulder.
“Doing what?”
“Work.”
Knox sighed. “Fi, what happened?”
Yeah, he liked her. A lot. The nickname slipped out when he was concerned or feeling protective. Zander had enjoyed feeling smug and teasing his friend about it. Knox always shut it down with a “Shut the fuck up” pretty quickly but it had been funny to see the big grump getting twisted up over the pretty brunette.
Now Zander felt a lot more sympathy. Caroline’s scent drifted up to him and Zander felt a stirring that was a combination of desire and resignation.
He owed Knox an apology.
“I was trying to get out of the way of one of the giraffes and I stepped in a shallow hole and twisted it.” She shrugged. “Just an accident.”
“You were at home?” Knox asked.
“Yes.”
“You weren’t rescuing something?”
“No.”
“You were just doing regular things? Well, regular for you.”
She grinned. “Yep.”
He studied her, but seemed to decide that she was telling him the truth. “Why didn’t Colin fill the fucking hole in?” he finally asked. Grumpily.
Fiona rolled her eyes.
Zander almost laughed. Knox was protective of Fiona so he couldn’t not be pissed about her ankle even if it was a normal, everyday routine thing that had caused it. Which meant, lacking anything else to blame, he was going to blame her friend and business partner, Colin.
“Colin isn’t responsible for what happens with my holes, Knox,” Fiona told him.
Knox froze and there was a beat of silence before there were a few snorts around the table.
While Knox was clearly still trying to figure out how to respond to that, Fiona took his hand and started toward the back door, limping slightly.
After three steps, Knox seemed to snap out of it and he bent, scooped her up, and carried her out the door.
Caroline turned wide eyes to Zander. “What’s with them?”
“That is a very…big question.”
“Zander! Finally!”
Zander looked over as Spencer stepped out of the kitchen.
Zander blew out a breath. That was good. He was glad to see his cousin. Spencer was going to take care of…all of this…and Caroline could hit the road. Tomorrow. That was good.
No matter how it felt.
“Hey, Spence,” Zander greeted, rising as his cousin came to the table. They shared a quick one-arm hug, then he gestured toward Caroline. “This is Caroline Holland.”
“Hi, Caroline,” Spencer said, offering his hand.
“Hi.”
They shook hands and Spencer gave Zander a quick glance.
It was the same knowing look Donovan had given him. These guys thought they knew him so well. And they did. In other aspects of his life. He trusted Spencer with his actual life. But they couldn't just look at Caroline and know Zander had feelings for her. He didn’t have a type. He did, however, have an aversion to getting worked up and turned upside down for no reason. Which was very much how this all felt, and he was sure looked from the outside.
He resisted responding to Spencer's look.
“Where do you want to go to talk?” Spencer asked.
Caroline scooted back from the table and Zander had to clamp his mouth shut to keep from pointing out that she had barely eaten anything. That was none of his damn business or his problem. She was a grown woman who would be out of his life as of tomorrow morning.
“We can go to your office, right?” Caroline asked, looking at Zander.
“I was thinking we’d head to the rehab facility. That way you can hang out with Donovan and the lion after you tell Spencer what you know.”
“Donovan won't mind waiting around?” Caroline glanced at the wildlife rescuer.
Zander gave her a smile. “It won’t be long. You don't really have that much to tell Spencer.”
She blew out a breath. “You’ve got a point.”
Spencer arched a brow. “Don't tell me I drove down here for nothing.”
Ellie smacked him on the back of the head as she came up behind him with the coffee pot. “You had breakfast.”
Spencer chuckled. “Best I’ve had in a long time,” he agreed.
Ellie gave him a grin and a wink as she went to refill mugs around the table.
Donovan held up a hand as she reached for his. “I'm good. Looks like I'm heading out.”
“All of you?” Ellie asked as everyone started getting to their feet.
“Yep, see you later,” Charlie said, dropping a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek.
“’Bout time. I didn’t think I was gonna get these dishes done by lunch,” Ellie said, watching them all gather their things and start for the front door en masse with a look of affection.
Zander looked down at Caroline. She was frowning, watching them all go.
“What’s wrong?”
“I hope I'm not inconveniencing everyone.”
She was inconveniencing him. But he liked it.
He shook his head. “They're fine. And Donovan would be going to the rehab center anyway. Come on, I’ll take you up there.”
“Okay, let me just duck into the ladies’ room.” She headed for the restrooms at the back of the bar.
“Please tell me she really does have some useful information,” Spencer said.
“You’re just going to have to—”
“Excuse me!” a voice called, cutting off Zander’s reply.
A stranger was striding through the bar, toward them. Her red hair was swinging as her ankle-high black boots hit the wooden floor with intent. She was slim and wore a sleeveless black blouse with a short black and gray plaid skirt, yet Zander had the impression she was willing, and maybe even able, to kick somebody’s ass at the moment. She looked completely pissed off.
Both he and Spencer straightened. It was their natural instinct to react to anyone being upset but yes, women probably caught their attention a little more easily.
Maybe especially gorgeous redheads.
Spencer took a slight step toward the woman and Zander glanced at him. Zander couldn't help but smirk after all the shit Spencer had been giving him about Caroline.
“Can I be of some assistance?” Spencer asked.
“If you can tell me where my friend is. She checked into the bed and breakfast, but she isn't there this morning and no one seems to know where she is or when she left. All her stuff is still there. Including her phone. She never goes anywhere without it. So anyone want to tell me where she disappeared to?”