Page 37 of Words of Love
“I’d rather not get into it.” His tone came out colder than he’d intended.
Brooke drew back, and her eyes clouded over. Smothering his guilt, Sam shoved the manuscript into his backpack and zipped it up.
“You came here to work.” She eyed his laptop. “Are you on a deadline?”
With a short nod, he glanced at the clock on the wall. Irritation speared him. He didn’t have a minute to spare if he was going to make his deadline, but he’d been letting himself get distracted by Brooke with her blanket forts and snuggling.
Hell, he’d beenenjoyingit. Way too much.
“Yeah, I need to get some work done,” he muttered.
“Okay.” She indicated the table. “I’ll just…um, stay over here so you can write in peace.”
He groaned inwardly. She must think he was a jerk, which wouldn’t be far from the truth. “Look, about the Sam Harris thing…”
“I know, I’m not supposed to know the truth.” She started toward the kitchen. “I won’t tell anyone, even if this is the biggest news story Bliss Cove has had since the high-school football team won the regional championships.”
Sam sank into the chair and rested his elbows on his thighs. A headache pressed against his temples. He knew Brooke wouldn’t intentionally tell anyone, but things had a way of slipping out. He didn’t care how the revelation would affect his career—but he dreaded the idea of people digging up his family history and reviving all the shitty gossip.
“You don’t believe me.” She studied him, wariness rising to her eyes. “I’m a reporter, but I don’t compromise my integrity or sell people out for the sake of a story.”
Of course she didn’t. Reporter or not, Brooke was…good. Too good forThe New York Times. She was the hometown girl whose positivity and charm deserved a much better place in the world.
“I would never do that to you,” she added.
Sam pushed to his feet and went to put his boots and parka back on. “I’m going to shovel some more.”
“It’s snowing again.” She gestured to the window. “Besides, you can’t go anywhere.”
He grabbed the shovel and walked out the front door. Even if he couldn’t leave, he needed as much distance from her as he could get.
He no longer thought he was in trouble. He knew he was.