His profile is gorgeous, his cheekbones sharp enough to cut. The line of his jaw is stubbled, his sorrowful eyes fixed on the bear like the bear is the only safe place to put them. There's a scar on the inside of his forearm where his sleeve has ridden up. It’s shiny. Raised. I don't look at it long.
“It's okay,” I say. “Really.”
“It's not. But thank you.”
We stand there in the silence for long moments, but it's not uncomfortable anymore.
“I'll come back,” I say softly. “Tomorrow. For Peanut.”
“He'll be glad.”
I snort. “Will he?”
“He likes you.” He tilts his head. “You spoke quietly to him.”
“I speak quietly to all of them,” I assure him.
Rowe looks at me then. Full on. And I'm blushing again, but this time it's not shame or me feeling self-conscious.
“I noticed,” he says.
I pick my kit up. God, I am not equipped for this man.
“Tomorrow, then,” I manage.
“Tomorrow.”
He walks me to the edge of the lot, hands tucked into his pockets, careful to leave a foot of space between us the whole way. At the gravel where my car is parked, he stops.
“Drive safe.”
“I will.”
He doesn't move until I'm in the driver's seat with the door shut.
I sit there for a minute with my hands on the wheel, the kit on the passenger seat.
Paige is going to lose her mind when I tell her.
I'm not sure yet what I'm going to tell her.
I put the car in drive.
5
ROWE
The ceiling of my trailer has a water stain shaped like Idaho, and I've been staring at it for forty minutes.
The show was good. Caesar hit every mark. Brutus did the bit where he sits up on his hindquarters and pretends to wave, which always makes the kids in the front row lose their minds. Rome held court like the old emperor he is. The crowd roared, the lights flared, and Elias cracked his cane against the boards and said something charming about beasts and the men who tame them, and I walked off into the dark and stripped down to my boxers and crawled into bed.
That was an hour ago.
I haven't moved since.
The wall behind my headboard is thin. Logan's trailer is parked close enough that the awning slats almost touch mine, and the woman he found tonight has a voice that carries.
She's loud.