“If you keep that up, you’re gonna brush yourself bald.”
Olivia jumped at the words, her brush falling from her hands and landing on the sink with a clatter. Pressing a hand to her heart, she turned to see Fiona leaning against the doorway, like she’d been watching her for a while.
“You scared the crap out of me!” she accused, trying to slow her racing heart.
Fiona shrugged. “Didn’t mean to. I’ve been here for a while. Thought you’d notice me, but you didn’t.”
“Yeah, sorry. Just lost in thought.”
“I saw that,” her sister replied, arching an eyebrow. “I bet I know what you were thinking about.”
Rolling her eyes at Fiona’s taunting, knowing tone, her lips tugged up in a smile. “Oh? And what’s that?”
“The super hot construction guy who was here yesterday.”
Eyes widening, she watched as Fiona wiggled her eyebrows. She hadn’t known she knew about him. After he left, no one said a word about him, other than to assure Fi and Sierra that there wasn’t anything threatening about him.
Ha. If only they knew…
Carlie’s knowing eyes had followed her around a few times through the course of the day, and every time she met them, she saw encouragement in her brown depths. As far as she knew, though, no one spoke of him again, and she’d been relieved.
Joke was on her, she guessed.
“I didn’t realize you guys talked about him yesterday.”
Fi waved her hand. “Just a little girl talk. Paisley wouldn’t say much, but Carlie filled us in on the details. What I want to know is why you never thought to mention he was that hot.”
“You don’t know whether he’s hot or not. You didn’t actually see him, remember?”
“She told us exactly what he looks like. Plus, this is Carlie. She’s hard to impress. If he made that much of an impact on her, I believe her when she says he’s sexy.”
A little flare of jealousy sparked to life in her chest, but she quickly put it out. She had no reason, or right, to be jealous. The others had eyes. They could clearly see what she’d seen.
Most importantly, she had no claim on him. Hell, she didn’t even know if she was willing to spend more time with him, other than to talk about the renovation.
And despite what the others—and her dragon—said, she had no reason to believe he looked at her that way.
“I guess I just didn’t think it was worth mentioning,” she replied.
Her sister barked out a disbelieving laugh. “Sure. Incredibly hot guy is hardcore checking you out, and you didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”
Olivia’s eyebrows shot up. “She told you that, too?”
“Yep. And that she encouraged you not to keep him at arm’s length, or let your fear take over.”
“Never took Carlie for an over sharer,” she muttered.
Fiona’s eyes turned contemplative, with a hint of apprehension and sadness flashing briefly through them. “Is it because of what happened that got us kidnapped? Is that why you didn’t tell me?”
“What?” she asked, whipping her head toward her sister. “No! It has nothing to do with that. I didn’t tell you because I don’t even know if there is anything to tell.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Looking earnestly into her sister’s eyes, so like her own, she nodded. “Yes. I… I don’t know what to think of him or how I feel. Or if I even feel anything. I haven’t talked about it to anyone, because I don’t know what to say. Carlie doesn’t even really know how I feel. She’s basing everything on supposedly catching him checking me out—which I’m still not convinced he did—and my reaction to her telling me that. If I was going to talk to anyone about it, it would be you.”
“I wish I believed that. I’m not even sure you do,” Fiona replied softly. Before she could protest, she changed the subject. “So, you’re going into town and getting some more jugs of water?”
Hesitating, she searched her sister’s eyes, wondering if she should push the subject. But in the end, she decided it was safest at the moment to let it go. “Yeah. We’re going to run out of water to cook and wash our hands with soon if no one does.”