“I know the word. In this context it seems to mean that I’m not to date anyone else.” She glared at him. “I guess your fraternity friends reported on me.”

“There was some talk, yes, but I thought of this before I heard anything about what you’ve been doing.” His tone implied that she’d been doing something really bad.

Maybe it was because she was worn out or because she hadn’t eaten for hours, but she couldn’t take any more. She spoke calmly. “I haven’t done anything.” She handed the box back to him. “Just so you know, there are a lot of things I can do better than you.”

Turning, she walked away. She feared that at any moment she might cave in and go back to him, but instead her pace increased. The fatigue began to leave her.

When she got to her Jeep she wasn’t surprised to see Griff leaning against the driver’s door. He held out his hand and she put the keys in it.

“Margaritas?” he asked as he started the engine.

“With nachos.”

“And jalapeño poppers.”

“Two dozen of them,” she said.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I guess.” She looked out the side window, then back. “No. I know I’m okay.”

“You didn’t stay with the boyfriend for long.”

“If you expected me to, why were you waiting for me?”

“Hope?” He grinned at her. “So how are things between you two?”

“Great. Fabulous. He’s two steps away from a marriage proposal.”

At the stoplight, Griff looked at her. “Is that a joke?”

“Not at all. A preengagement necklace leads to a ring, which leads to marriage. I assume. Not sure.”

The light changed. “Sounds like he can’t make up his mind.”

“I think maybe I made him feel that he didn’t have to.”

“Not sure what that means.”

“Me neither.” As they pulled into the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant, she asked, “What are you so jittery about? Did something happen?”

They got out of the Jeep. “Remind me not to play poker with you. And yes, something big happened.”

“Good or bad?”

“Depends on how you look at it. But we need booze first.”

Inside, they were seated in a booth and Griff ordered the margaritas, nachos and poppers. As soon as it arrived, Mike downed half of her drink. “Okay, out with it.”

“I’ve done a horrible thing,” he said. “Unforgivable.”

“So help me, if you told Kelly that I went to some dangerous places, I’ll—”

“I didn’t do that. This is much worse. It’s about Amazon.”

“The river?” She looked at his expression. “Oh. That Amazon. Did they mess up your order?”