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“Nothing, really” He slid onto the seat beside her “Sorry it took so long”

Not buying his answer, she pressed for a better explanation “It had to be ”

“He’s just a friend of a friend, up here looking for a job”

“Ross said he orking for him”

Laredo nodded and checked out the dessertwith better pay”

“Why is that your problem?”

“It isn’t,” he said absently “That chocolate cake looks good Or aze shuttered “But I don’t uy if he wants to hire on as a cook somewhere”

“You mean the Triple C?” Jessy frowned

“No As far as I know, Baker doesn’t need any extra hands”

Jessy wasn’t fooled by his casual tone But if he wasn’t going to tell her what really had been said between hi it out of him

“Okay Whatever you say, Laredo”

His withdrawn expression made her uneasy, that and his air of preoccupation, a kind of odd thoughtfulness There was one possible cause for both

“Is so?” She watched him closely

He put down the menu and looked at her “No Not at all I was just re—”

“What?”