her throat. “I . . . understand. And I won’t tell anyone. I won’t write about it.”
He looked back at her.
“I
promise
,” she added. She looked at him with so much understanding, it nearly destroyed his resolve not to say anything more. “But you still think—or your dad, I guess, thinks—that ignoring the gossip is the right thing to do. But it’s not, and you’re the one getting hurt.” She said it slowly, as though she was still processing the thought herself.
He couldn’t resist smiling at her. She’d remembered what he’d said to her on Media Day, how pretending that you’re doing the wrong thing for the right reasons only hurts you and the ones you love. “Yeah. Something like that. It’s not just about me, though. I think it’s hurting the entire team. But there are other reasons . . . in the end, fighting it will hurt people just as much. Wrong thing, right reasons, I guess.”
She chuckled softly at that, and he smiled.
She leaned forward. “Believe it or not, I do understand.” She looked sad, like she had on Media Day when she’d told him how she’d ditched the path her parents laid out for her to pursue journalism.
That must be what she was talking about. He wanted to know more about that. And he was ready to take the focus off himself for a bit. “What happened when you left the path your parents wanted for you? Were they angry for long?”
A shadow crossed her face. “They’re still angry.” But then she shook her head. “No. Actually, that’s not right. More like, they act like it’s not a big deal anymore, but they’re disappointed and they still haven’t gotten over it. Particularly because I haven’t done as well for myself as they think I should have by now.”
That was a surprise to hear. “What do you mean? You’re covering racing and getting a lot of interest in your article, right? Maybe I’m biased, but I think that’s doing pretty well.”
She looked down at the table again. “I guess. Maybe I’m just worried because I’m not sure how much it will take for them to finally believe that I made the right choice for myself.” A long sigh escaped her. “Maybe I’m not so sure anymore that I made the right choice.”
He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Hey. Hey, no. I read your article. It was amazing. You’re in the right field, on the right path, whatever you want to call it.”
She laced her fingers through his, then looked up again and gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Ty. It helps to be able to talk to someone who gets it.”
He grinned. “Yeah. It does.”
They sat there for a second, just smiling, until she pulled her hand away and picked up her wine glass. “Here’s to making our wrong choices right.”
He picked his up, too, and touched it to hers, meeting her eyes at the soft clinking sound. “I couldn’t have said it better.”
Chapter 7
Cori handed the last dish to Ty and shut off the water. He finished drying the plate and slid it into the cupboard, then hung up the towel.
“Thanks for helping.” She leaned back against the counter, taking him in. He’d rolled up his shirtsleeves, exposing heavily corded forearms lightly dusted with curling black hairs.
She wanted to put her mouth there and
bite
.
But she was trying to keep her distance. It was looking more and more like there was something to the cheating rumors and exposé Alex wanted her to write, even if she was still working hard not to have to do it. She’d made a deal with Alex that she felt was the right one, and she was doing her best to win. But she’d
promised
Ty she would keep his secrets.
“It was the least I could do. Dinner was delicious.” He took a step closer. “And I had a great time talking with you. Thank you for listening.”
He stepped even closer, and her breath caught, making her voice come out in a squeak. “Thank
you
for sharing.”
He put one hand on the counter next to her and leaned in a bit.
Good God, she was going to pass
He looked back at her.
“I
promise
,” she added. She looked at him with so much understanding, it nearly destroyed his resolve not to say anything more. “But you still think—or your dad, I guess, thinks—that ignoring the gossip is the right thing to do. But it’s not, and you’re the one getting hurt.” She said it slowly, as though she was still processing the thought herself.
He couldn’t resist smiling at her. She’d remembered what he’d said to her on Media Day, how pretending that you’re doing the wrong thing for the right reasons only hurts you and the ones you love. “Yeah. Something like that. It’s not just about me, though. I think it’s hurting the entire team. But there are other reasons . . . in the end, fighting it will hurt people just as much. Wrong thing, right reasons, I guess.”
She chuckled softly at that, and he smiled.
She leaned forward. “Believe it or not, I do understand.” She looked sad, like she had on Media Day when she’d told him how she’d ditched the path her parents laid out for her to pursue journalism.
That must be what she was talking about. He wanted to know more about that. And he was ready to take the focus off himself for a bit. “What happened when you left the path your parents wanted for you? Were they angry for long?”
A shadow crossed her face. “They’re still angry.” But then she shook her head. “No. Actually, that’s not right. More like, they act like it’s not a big deal anymore, but they’re disappointed and they still haven’t gotten over it. Particularly because I haven’t done as well for myself as they think I should have by now.”
That was a surprise to hear. “What do you mean? You’re covering racing and getting a lot of interest in your article, right? Maybe I’m biased, but I think that’s doing pretty well.”
She looked down at the table again. “I guess. Maybe I’m just worried because I’m not sure how much it will take for them to finally believe that I made the right choice for myself.” A long sigh escaped her. “Maybe I’m not so sure anymore that I made the right choice.”
He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Hey. Hey, no. I read your article. It was amazing. You’re in the right field, on the right path, whatever you want to call it.”
She laced her fingers through his, then looked up again and gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Ty. It helps to be able to talk to someone who gets it.”
He grinned. “Yeah. It does.”
They sat there for a second, just smiling, until she pulled her hand away and picked up her wine glass. “Here’s to making our wrong choices right.”
He picked his up, too, and touched it to hers, meeting her eyes at the soft clinking sound. “I couldn’t have said it better.”
Chapter 7
Cori handed the last dish to Ty and shut off the water. He finished drying the plate and slid it into the cupboard, then hung up the towel.
“Thanks for helping.” She leaned back against the counter, taking him in. He’d rolled up his shirtsleeves, exposing heavily corded forearms lightly dusted with curling black hairs.
She wanted to put her mouth there and
bite
.
But she was trying to keep her distance. It was looking more and more like there was something to the cheating rumors and exposé Alex wanted her to write, even if she was still working hard not to have to do it. She’d made a deal with Alex that she felt was the right one, and she was doing her best to win. But she’d
promised
Ty she would keep his secrets.
“It was the least I could do. Dinner was delicious.” He took a step closer. “And I had a great time talking with you. Thank you for listening.”
He stepped even closer, and her breath caught, making her voice come out in a squeak. “Thank
you
for sharing.”
He put one hand on the counter next to her and leaned in a bit.
Good God, she was going to pass
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