“I miss him,” Amber admitted.
“Tuck?”
“How can I miss him? I know who he is. I know where it was going. But I couldn’t seem to talk myself out of it.”
Jade moved toward her, sympathy in her expression. “I know how you feel.”
“Does it go away?”
A knock sounded on the door.
“Eventually, your head will overtake your heart,” said Jade. “Though it can take a while.”
Amber didn’t like the sound of that. Her head was stronger than her heart, always. It was what had kept her safe and sane all these years. How could it be failing her now?
The knock sounded again and Jade brushed Amber’s shoulder on the way to answer it.
Amber hugged her niece tight.
“I’m looking for Amber.” Tuck’s voice made Amber sit up straight. “Is she home?”
A buzzing started in the center of her brain, radiating to her chest then along her limbs. What was he doing here?
“What do you want?” asked Jade.
“To talk to her.”
“Is it about work?”
“Yes.”
Amber came slowly to her feet, careful not to disturb Crystal.
“It’s okay,” she said to Jade.
Jade sighed and opened the door wider.
Amber came forward. “Tuck?”
Jade gathered Crystal from her arms while Tuck smiled at the baby.
“She’s beautiful,” he said.
“What do you want?” Amber asked.
Tuck met her gaze. “I’m coming to work on Monday.”
The words surprised her.
“Dixon’s contemplating bringing Zachary back,” said Tuck.
“He told me that, too,” said Amber.
“It’s a bad idea.”
“I agree.”
Tuck glanced behind her. “You mind if I come in?”
She hesitated, but she didn’t want to be rude. “Okay.”
“Did you tell him that’s what you thought?” Tuck asked as she shut the door behind them.
“I did. Then I was afraid he might fire me.”
“Dixon’s not going to fire you.”
“He didn’t.” But she’d made a mental note to keep her opinions to herself. She had grown used to being frank with Tuck, but her relationship with Dixon had always been more formal. She had to respect that.
Cooing to Crystal, Jade made her way down the hall, obviously deciding to give them some privacy.
“Are you planning to stop him?” Amber asked. “From rehiring Zachary.”
“I’m going to try,” said Tuck, moving to the middle of the room. “I’m going back, and I’m going to fight for what I want.”
She was puzzled. “Why?”
“Because it’s my company, too.”
“It’s a lot of work.”
Right now, as he had in the past, Tuck had the best of all possible worlds.
“It is,” he agreed.
“You don’t need to do it.”
“I disagree with that. Tucker Transportation can’t run itself.”
“But Dixon—”
“Dixon doesn’t know everything.”
“He knows a lot.”
Tuck frowned. “What do you think of my brother?”
The question struck her as odd. “You know what I think of your brother. We spent weeks discussing what I thought of your brother.”
“We spent weeks trying to keep our hands off each other.”
Amber couldn’t believe she’d heard right.
“Let me put that another way,” he said.
“Good idea.”
“What do you think of me?”
“Right this moment?”
“Right this moment.”
Amber reached down and lifted the magazine, putting the cover in front of his face, reminding herself of exactly who he was.
“What?” He squinted.
“I think you’re exactly what you seem.”
“That’s Kaitlyn.”
“Nice that you remember her name.”
“That’s from last year. At the charity thing. The one for the animals. Pets, not the zoo.”
“The humane society?”
“Yes.”
“Did you have a nice time?”
“Why are you asking? What difference does that make now?”
“Because it’s on the cover of a magazine.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “I’m not dating anyone, Amber.”
“I don’t care.”