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.“You’re not kidding.” Tess handed him her credit card, feeling hollow at his words.A world away and not the world she wanted to be in.She sighed, unbuttoning her beloved wool coat and folding it carefully for Harris to put in the shopping bag.She slid her arms into the new parka, vowing to smack Slaid if he tried to help her into it, and ignoring the tiny twinge of disappointment that winged through her when he didn’t.Zipped into the fluffy down, she was incredibly cozy, but all that puffiness felt a bit like she was wearing a spacesuit—as if she needed another reminder that she was in an alien environment.But as soon as she stepped outside she was grateful for the down barrier between her and that crisp cold.They started along Main Street, back toward Tess’s little cottage.“I’m a little apprehensive to continue our meeting,” Slaid said.“It seems as though when I’m around you, my foot goes in my mouth and I say the wrong thing.I’m sorry.”“Let just focus on work,” Tess said.“Let’s forget about that night two years ago.It doesn’t matter, it’s irrelevant.”“Right.” Slaid nodded, but he gave her a slightly quizzical look.“Completely irrelevant.”“Yes.” She hoped she could follow her own advice.His moments of kindness and humor had her a little worried, too.She couldn’t afford any complications.Succeeding at this job required all her focus.And she could already tell that Slaid had the ability to make things a lot blurrier.“So—” Slaid slowed his stride to match hers “—to sum up our meeting, strictly business now, Renewable Reliance wants to put a wind farm here.And you get to be their spokesperson.What happens next?”“I’ll get all the informational materials together,” she answered.“Make some pamphlets, translate the environmental impact report into clear talking points and make a video that we’ll have available for people to download or watch at the library.”“All in a month?”“If I’m lucky.I think a month of exile in Benson is all I can handle.”Slaid laughed.“Is that how you think of this? Exile?”“Pretty much,” she answered, glancing at him.When he really laughed it was low and deep, as if he was truly enjoying himself.“You know,” he said, his eyes still crinkled with humor.“A lot of people would consider you in paradise, not exile.We get tons of tourists out here to hike, mountain bike, camp, fish, rock climb, horseback ride.”“None of which I have the slightest interest in.”“What are you interested in?”Tess opened her mouth to answer and shut it abruptly.She thought quickly, mentally trying to pick apart her life in San Francisco.“Work, mostly.I shop.Go to the gym.Spend some time with friends.” She suddenly wished she’d made time to take up a hobby.“Huh.” That was all he said—but it said a lot.When she looked at her answer from Slaid’s point of view, her life, which she always tried hard to portray as glamorous and fascinating, actually seemed pretty boring.Then he spoke.“How about you try a few of those things I mentioned while you’re here?”“You mean fishing? Hiking?”“Why not? If your boss sent you out to live in the middle of nowhere, why not use a little of the time to try something different? I’d be happy to show you around, strictly as professional colleagues, of course.Maybe I could teach you a few new skills.”She flushed at his choice of words.He actually had taught her a few things during their night together.She was pretty sure she’d taught him a few, as well.“Not like that.” How had he read her mind? “Not to be crude, but I don’t think you need much tutoring in that area.”Heat flooded her veins and lit up every nerve.“Slaid, I think it’s best that we agree not to talk about that topic.We need to pretend that Phoenix never happened.”“Maybe.” There was a pause and she glanced at his profile as they walked, trying to read what that maybe meant.He didn’t elaborate.“I’m here to work,” she reminded him.“I have to be professional or I could compromise my credibility.And I’d hate to do anything to damage your image as mayor.”“And how might you do that?” He was looking down at her with a half smile.“You don’t really strike me as the kiss-and-tell type.More like kiss and leave.”“Trust me, Mayor Jacobs.I was doing you a favor by stepping quietly out of your life—I won’t apologize for that.And I told you yesterday, if you insist I stay on this project, I will, but that’s the only thing I’m here for.”“Work isn’t everything, Tess.And if you get to know the area, you might think twice about destroying it.”So that was his motivation.She shouldn’t care, but for a moment she’d thought he really wanted to spend more time with her.And even if it was out of the question, it had been an enticing thought
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