Until I Found You by Victoria Bylin Page B

Colton repainting the bathroom and the negotiation about the color choice. “I promised him a picture if he does a good job.”
    “Sure.” Kate grinned. “If he goes with hot pink, it’ll even be newsworthy.”
    She leaned back in the big chair and bumped into him. As he recovered his balance, she looked over her shoulder. “Sorry. I’m not used to this desk. At Sutton I have a cubicle with a worktable half this size.”
    “You must miss it.”
    “I do,” she admitted. “But Leona needs me and so does the Clarion . Any ideas for page three?”
    “Just one.” He shifted to the chair across from her. “How about an update on the ‘Save the Condor’ program? Your sighting of Number 53 makes it timely.”
    “That sounds good. In fact, it’s perfect.”
    “I’ll call Marcus right now.”
    Nick reached the biologist in two rings and told him about Kate’s condor sighting. The biologist’s voice crackled with interest, but he couldn’t talk at the moment. “Can you two come to the launch site tomorrow?”
    When Nick relayed the invitation, Kate’s face lit up. “I’d love to, but I have to make arrangements for Leona. Hold on while I call Dody.” She picked up the office phone, reached Dody, and gave Nick a thumbs up.
    “We’re on,” he said to Marcus. “What time?”
    “Around noon.”
    “We’ll be there.”
    He and Kate ended their calls in unison, looked at each other, and smiled. Nick told himself this was business—not a date—but it felt like one.
    “I can’t wait,” she said, giving a little shiver.
    He enjoyed the same pleasant anticipation, which meant he had to leave before he suggested dinner at a cozy Mexican place in Maricopa. “Anything else before I go?”
    “Just one thing.” Brushing past him, she walked out of the office. “Leona wrote you a note. It’s in your box.”
    He followed her into the lobby, where she handed him a small yellow envelope. Curious, he sliced it open and read the card. Thank you for saving Kate’s life. Come and visit, okay? This was a good time to see her, so he tucked the card in his pocket. “Leona wants me to stop by. I’ll head there next.”
    Kate wrinkled her nose in a cute way he was beginning to recognize. “I hate to ask you for another favor, but I saw your truck out front.”
    “What do you need?”
    “Before the stroke, Leona ordered three hundred daffodil bulbs, bone meal, and some whiskey barrels. The order is in at the Acorn, but it won’t all fit in the Subaru. Would you mind picking it up?”
    “I’d be glad to.” Nick hauled stuff for people all the time.
    “Thank you.” Relief washed over her face, but her brow furrowed again. “Speaking of your truck, I’m a little nervous about the drive to the launch site.”
    “Because of the accident?”
    Hugging herself, she gave a little shudder. “I hate mountain roads. How bad is the one we’ll be taking?”
    “Not bad at all.” He thought a moment. “In fact, it’s perfect for the bike. You might even feel more secure.”
    “I doubt that.”
    He knew something she didn’t. “I’m serious. The truck has a high center of gravity and pulls against the turns. The bike hugs the road. What do you say? How about a ride on a Harley?”
    “Hmm.”
    She didn’t say no, which meant she wanted to say yes but was afraid. If he provided a safety net, maybe she’d muster her courage. “If you don’t like it after a couple miles, we’ll go back for the truck.”
    She chewed her lip some more. “I want to say yes, but a motorcycle?” She shook her head.
    “Have you ever been on one?”
    “No. Never.”
    “Why not give it a try? We’ll go as slow as you want.”
    She made another humming sound, shifted on her feet, then leveled her gaze into his. “How slow?”
    “I’ll keep it under fifty.”
    “That’s too fast.”
    If she wanted to negotiate, so would he. “Make it forty.”
    “Thirty.”
    “Thirty-five.”
    Laughing, she offered a handshake. “It’s a