I had been. Desperate to get his sister out of my head.
However, I was rapidly concluding that getting Marjorie Steel out of my head would never happen.
“I’ve got to admit,” Joe said. “It feels good to laugh a little.”
“I know,” I agreed. “There hasn’t been a lot to laugh about lately. I hate just sitting around waiting for the Spider. Isn’t there anything we can do in the meantime?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Joe swirled the brown liquid in his glass. “If we start snooping around or asking questions, people will begin to suspect we’re up to something. This isn’t anything I’m comfortable talking about to anyone.”
I nodded.
/> “Nothing to be done about it.” He pulled out his wallet. “I do have something for you. The Spider needed your information and mine. He wouldn’t work without knowing everyone who was involved.”
“Crap. Really?”
“My contact swears he’s trustworthy, and I trust my contact. But because he has our info, I can give you his.” Joe handed me a plain white business card with “The Spider” and an email address on it in plain black print. “I created a new email account for us. It’s written on the back, and the password is in our code.”
Our code. Wow. I hadn’t thought about that in ages. Joe and I had used a secret code when we were kids. Did I even remember it? I turned the card over. The password stood out at me. Then I turned it upside down. Yup. I remembered.
“Just in case you lose the card, no one will know the password. But don’t lose it. Memorize it, and then burn it.”
“I will.”
“We can both access that account, and that’s how he’ll communicate with us. It’s on an encrypted server.”
“Okay.” This was freaking me out. I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt.
“I mean it. Memorize and destroy.”
I cleared my throat, hoping to dislodge the lump that sat there, and simply nodded as I pushed the card safely into my wallet.
“We talk only here,” Joe continued. “Not on our cells, and not anywhere else unless we’re outside and alone.”
“Got it.”
“This is serious.”
“I know it’s serious. For God’s sake, Joe.”
“No, you don’t understand,” Joe said. “There’s something I haven’t told you. Something I’m going to tell you now.”
Chapter Ten
Marjorie
I went straight to my bedroom. For Talon or the boys to see me after a meltdown would not be a good thing. Jade, finally feeling better, was taking more of a role in the household. She and Talon could handle the boys—at least for one night.
I needed to be alone, first, so my face could return to normal, but second, and more importantly, so I could figure out my next steps.
How to get Bryce Simpson out of my head and heart? I was in love. Completely and hopelessly in love.
With a man who wanted me—that much was clear—but who didn’t love me. Would never love me.
Jade had suggested I get “out there.” Myriad eligible men worked on this ranch every single day. Plus, there were the townies—the name we rurals had called the kids like Bryce, who lived in Snow Creek the town, when we were in school. I didn’t keep up with who still lived around here, but I’d seen a few guys in the gym who might be interesting.
Okay. Tomorrow I’d go back to the gym. I needed to get in shape anyway. If that didn’t work, I’d check out the guys on the ranch. Not a great idea to get involved with someone who technically worked for me, but I was desperate.
Not desperate to have sex, but desperate to get Bryce out of my heart and head. Why not date, as Jade said? I didn’t have to fall into bed with everyone I went out with. I had no desire to go to bed with anyone other than Bryce. Basically I needed a distraction.