And see Cole. I smile, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach.

“Thank you,” Kirk says. “I appreciate you.”

“Hey, no problem.” I glance at my computer. “I’m going to finish this and then step out for lunch. Cool?”

“Absolutely.”

He goes back into his office, and I make quick work of entering the last bit of data into the spreadsheet. The formulas work wonderfully, and I hit “Save,” beaming at my handiwork.

I’m starting to get up and grab my keys when Kirk’s voice fills the air once again.

“Palmer?”

“Yeah?”

“Hey, Burt said he can go on Friday if you don’t want to.”

His words hang in the air as I scramble to make a decision.

“Um, okay,” I say, picking up my phone. “That would be easier for me, if you don’t mind.”

“Maybe it’ll do him some good to get out of here. If he messes up down there, he’ll have no one to blame but himself.”

I walk across the room and stick my head inside Kirk’s office.

“What a shame that would be,” I tease.

He laughs. “Go take your lunch break and get out of here.”

I laugh, too, and exit the office.

The sky is still dreary, but the temperature is warmer than it has been. The air tastes sweet and smells faintly of fresh spring flowers.

I head to my car with a renewed sense of optimism. Everything just feels . . . possible. Life seems doable.

It’s just because it’s springtime. That’s it.

I climb inside my car and look at my phone. I have two missed calls from Val. It’s unlike me to go more than a day without talking to her. She’s probably starting to worry.

The phone rings three times before she answers. “I was getting ready to come looking for you.”

I laugh. “I’m fine. Sorry for not calling you back. Work has been crazy today.”

“And yesterday?”

“Yesterday too.”

“Really, Palmer?”

I laugh again. “It’s been a busy start to the week, okay?”

“That’s great, but I get the distinct feeling that you’re avoiding me. The question is why?”

It’s immature and juvenile to feel the way I’ve felt since Sunday—like not telling anyone about Cole and me makes it special. Because it’s not special. It’s just a hookup, and I know that.

I think.

What worries me are the dreams that I have when I don’t make an effort to block them. They come both in the day and night, visions of curling up against Cole in bed or making him dinner or hanging out with him and Ethan . . . like a family.

Don’t.

“What have you been up to over there?” Val asks.

“Oh, nothing.”